Mr Rockstraw was a Prussian born in Effurt, Germany. As a young man he migrated to a older colony of New Zealand, where he practiced medicine in the goldfields of the West Coast. In 1873, Prime Minister Fox persuaded him to go north and serve as medical officer to the Natives between Horowhenua and the Rangitikei. John settled in Foxton and worked with not only Maoris, but the early European settlers up the Manawatu (it was 1875 before Palmerston North had its first resident Doctor). He finally transferred to Palmerston north in about 1890 with his family to Cuba Street. After some years he resigned the practice and died one of the last early pioneers 30 May 1913.

Dr John Fredrick Rockstraw (1834-1913)
Identification
- Object type
- Image
- Digitisation ID
- 2013N_Pi548_006854
- Title
- Dr John Fredrick Rockstraw (1834-1913)
- Held In
- Coolstore
- Original held in
- Public Photograph Collection Pi 548
- Date
- 1892~
Creation
- Created By
- Bunting Studio
- Place
- Manawatu
Object rights
- License
- No Known Restrictions
Taxonomy
- Community Tags
User comments