The Aurora was the first immigrant ship to arrive in Wellington Harbour. It arrived on 22 January 1840. On board were the Holes family. 23 days after they arrived, Ann Holes was born being the first child born in Wellington.
Ann’s parents Peter and Ann(Sarah Ann) Holes first started off in Petone and Lower Hutt and then by 1844 were living in Ghuznee street. 1849 they then moved to Okau (just north of Castlepoint) Wairarapa.
25/11/1869 The Wairarapa Mercury mentions the death by drowning, of Mr. Peter Holes, an old and well-known settler on the East Coast. It appears that on the 25th he was on his way home from, Flat Point, accompanied by his wife and son. On arriving at the Warehama river, he found it flooded, and, in attempting to swim his horse across, lost his seat and was carried down by the current; being a good swimmer, no apprehension was at first felt for his life; but appearing soon to be in difficulty, his son swam into his rescue and got hold of him; but he made little effort, and the son being unable to swim with him, had to let him go narrowly escaping being washed out by the surf.
