John Allan

The second main house at Bellfield was built from timber sawn by John and his pit-mate Thomas Hastie, in the Saddle Hill bush, during the summer months of 1853-64.

When gold was discovered in Gabriel's Gully, New Zealand, in May 1861, John and his brothers Joseph and William hurried to dig there. The Allan brothers do not seem to have been very successful in their digging experiences, and soon took up the steadier business of supplying the needs of the miners, starting a store at Waitahuna, and becoming buyers of gold dust.

Just over a year later, when another rush started in Dunstan, John started another store nearby, in Clyde, and after establishing it, left it in the charge of George Matheson, a former employee at Bellfield.

When his father died, in 1863, John took over the running of Bellfield.