john mcelwain — kingsland's first land developer, was born in county louth, ireland in 1821 and died in auckland at the age of 95 in 1916. impatient to see the hill-climb to his property reduced in grade, he subdivided in 1882. later work by the highway board improved new north road by cutting down three feet from mcelwain's hill between kingsland and morningside.