Arthur McKee: Pioneer, Entrepreneur, Man of Vision

Jan Studholme is a granddaughter of Arthur McKee and although she never knew him was always fascinated by his varied careers which took him from a journalist in Liverpool, England, to a printer and publisher in Wellington, New Zealand and then to an orchard pioneer in Tasman-Moutere in Nelson. Thanks to her maternal grandmother, Jan developed a keen interest in history which led to a BA in history and since then an all-consuming passion for the subject. This century a cousin shared her collection of family memorabilia with the wider family, which has provided the basis for this book.
Using quotes from letters Arthur or his sons wrote have brought alive his character and those of his children, and the times in which they lived. It has been written with the wider McKee family in mind, as Jan realises that its younger members have little idea how they are related or of the actual achievements of their grandfather, great grandfather or great great grandfather Arthur. Given his very humble early years and his family’s poverty, his achievements are indeed remarkable.