The Pearse Family Orchestra, Richard on left
Richard William Pearse was born on 3 December 1877 at Waitohi Flat, Temuka, South Island, New Zealand, the fourth of nine children. His parents were farmers, but the whole family was very musical, forming their own family orchestra in which Richard played the cello.
Richard was a gentle, quiet and dreamy boy. He excelled in one subject - engineering - and demonstrated an interest in flying and an eager mechanical curiosity from an early age. By the time he had finished his primary education at Waitohi his tinkering had blossomed into several inventions. These included a mechanical needle threader for his mother, a zoetrope for his sisters that produced moving-images by flicking through a series of still pictures, and a small steam engine made from a golden syrup tin filled with water.