Dent family connections
In 1863 Dr John Carey, a temporary assistant surgeon at Auckland, asked to be appointed as surgeon in a Waikato Regiment and received an appointment to the 4th regiment. He was initially stationed at Onehunga and for a while was assisted there by Dr Topp. Although there were more men (and their families) in Hamilton at the time, and they didn't have a resident medical officer, Carey was unable to move to Hamilton for some time as he required to remain at Onehunga until civilian authorities took over that hospital. Hamilton's eventual medical facilities were initially a military hospital in Bridge Street, Hamilton West with Dr John Carey as Surgeon and Dr Bernard Charles Beale, assistant surgeon. This hospital ceased to operated after the Milita was disbanded. Carey was then placed in charge of a hospital built at Ngaruawahia but before long he returned to Hamilton.
His town acre was in the main street of Hamilton (Victoria Street) on the river bank opposite Collingwood Street. As a surgeon in the regiment he was entitled to a large country block which spanned both sides of Forest Lake Road. This land included Lake Rotokaeo (aka Forest Lake) and some of his farm bordering the lake is now reserve land. John Carey died on Sunday morning, 8 Dec 1889, after a short illness, aged 70.