Thomas Tanner and other lessees of the Heretaunga Block had freeholded the land from Maori - meaning Francis in 1871 could exercise his right to buy his 101.5-acre block.
The second bit of fortune was the railway was to go through the Heretaunga Plains to Napier - right through his land.
Francis Hicks offered 1.5 acres to the Railways for free, including a site for the railway station.
This was accepted, and Francis contacted Edward Lyndon to sell his subdivided 100 acres.
Being so close to the railway this was now valuable land.
After a name was chosen for the location - Hastings (which Thomas Tanner would later take credit for naming) adverts appeared in the two Napier papers in July 1873 with Edward Lyndon as auctioneer.
The auction was successful. Francis Hicks who two years earlier paid £5 (2017: $667) per acre realised an average of £30 ($4000) per acre.
Two thirds of the buyers were from Napier, speculating on this fledgling township called Hastings.
Both of the Napier papers had their views of the auction in Hastings.
The Daily Telegraph wrote "would someone be good enough to lay off into another township a few waste acres so we can have one more rival to Napier?" and "The new township of Hastings has already gained the unenviable name of the 'City of the Plains'. We hope it won't share the same fate of Sodom and Gomorrah" (a biblical city destroyed by fire).
Ironically Hastings some years later received the title throughout New Zealand of the "Town of Blazes" due to fires destroying the CBD on a few occasions.
Edward Lyndon had advertised that Hastings would one day become the "capital of the province".
The Hawke's Bay Herald wrote "we can't say that we would hope that this will be realised as that for one thing would involve the removal of the Herald office to Karamu - a rather expensive operation - but we would not at the same time, be surprised if it were". (Prophetically, all of these papers are now merged into Hawke's Bay Today and situated in Hastings).
Edward Lyndon was one of the earliest settlers in Napier, arriving there in 1858 when it was four years old.
He gained employment as one of Hawke's Bay's first accountants under T H Fitzgerald, Government surveyor.
When the Bank of New Zealand opened a branch in Napier in 1862, Edward Lyndon gained employment there.
A few years later he began a business as a land and commission agent - which meant he sold houses, land and practically anything else that could be auctioned.
In addition, he was manager of the Napier Savings Bank.
In those days with small populations, several occupations were conducted in order to make a living.
Edward Lyndon was president of the Chamber of Commerce; an accomplished watercolour painter and had an active interest in his church.
Edward Lyndon died at 85 in 1904. Until a few days before falling gravely ill he was actively involved in the work he loved - being a real estate agent.
* Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, speaker and writer of history
