The Outhwaite family were early settlers in Auckland, New Zealand and were a prominent family in Auckland in the first 85 years of the city's existence. They made substantial contributions to the legal, administrative, musical, literary, artistic, social and sporting life of the city. They were also important in the establishment and growth of the Catholic Church in Auckland and through their social and philanthropic activities. Their influence still continues, especially in respect of their donation of two areas of land in the central Auckland suburb of Grafton which are now Outhwaite Park and St Peter's College. The family also enabled the creation of a conservation reserve in the Hen and Chicken Islands.
Thomas Outhwaite
Thomas Outhwaite was born at Ormside Hall in Westmorland in 1805 and later lived in Preston. He practised as a solicitor in Paris before coming to New Zealand in 1841 on the ship, the Tyne, with the first Chief Justice of New Zealand, the Hon Sir William Martin and Hon William Swainson, the second Attorney-General of New Zealand. While on board, they worked on the drafting of the ordinances which would be necessary to establish the Supreme Court and its procedure.
Thomas Outhwaite was formally appointed by Lord John Russell of the Colonial Office as Registrar of the Supreme Court (now the High Court of New Zealand) and was the first person to hold that position (apart from Robert Fitzgerald, a planter from the West Indies who had, without the permission of the Colonial Office, just been appointed by Governor Hobson and who resigned in favour of Outhwaite) which he took up on 1 January 1842. Outhwaite also conducted a practice as a Barrister and was "the foremost Auckland lawyer". From 1844 Thomas Russell was his articled clerk for seven years and later became his partner and took over his practice. When Thomas Outhwaite retired in 1869, Sir George Arney, the second Chief Justice of New Zealand, paid tribute to Outhwaite's extraordinary firmness, patience, discretion and self-command. Outhwaite was also an active Auckland property developer and investor. For example, in 1874, he purchased William Swainson's "upper paddock" next to St Stephen's Chapel, Judges Bay and this area was cut up into numerous small building allotments.
Outhwaite was a very well-qualified musician. He had a fine tenor voice and, while in Paris, he had sung publicly. He had also studied the flute and the theory of music in harmony and counterpoint. He played both the piano and the violin and was the founder and conductor of the Sacred Harmonic Society, a forerunner of the Auckland Choral Society. Thomas Outhwaite delivered a lecture on 23 May 1843 on the History of Music with the principles he expounded being illustrated by the Philharmonic Society. This lecture appears to have engendered an interest in music in Auckland. He conducted the Philharmonic Society's orchestra and the Choral Society until 1852. He also acted as a conductor of church choirs. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Auckland Mechanics Institute, of which he was vice-president, and was also a trustee of the savings bank. Thomas Outwaite was also interested in sport and in January 1845 he played Cricket for the Benedict's team on Bosworth Field. He died on 14 July 1879.
Grafton
It appears that Thomas Outhwaite and his family were living near the Auckland Domain by 1843. In 1844 he bought land and built a house on the south-western corner of Carlton Gore Road and Park Road opposite the Domain in the present-day Auckland suburb of Grafton. Most of this property was subdivided over the years and sold off although a parcel of land on the south side of Khyber Pass Road was gifted by Isa Outhwaite to the Catholic Church and is now the location of St Peter's College. The remaining portion of the family property included the family house on the corner of Carlton Gore Road and Park Road was gifted to the Newmarket Borough Council as a public amenity, and after the demolition of the house, Outhwaite Park was laid out, retaining as many of the mature specimen trees as possible.
Louise Outhwaite
Thomas Outhwaite's wife was Marie Henrietta Louise Outhwaite (née Roget) (1811–1905).
Thomas and Louise had four children, two sons and two daughters. Victorine Outhwaite was born in Paris in 1837. Isa Outhwaite was born in Auckland in 1842. Charles Outhwaite was born in Auckland in 1845 and William Eugene was also born in Auckland in 1847. None of the four children married or had their own children.
Isa Outhwaite
Anne Jane Louisa "Isa" Outhwaite (1842–1925) was a noted artist. She exhibited in Auckland from 1875 until 1900.