Just to add: I've now skimmed through all of _The First White Boy_ and did find one reference to "Weller."

There's a short passage talking about the whalerman John Hughes (mentioned in the Magnet poem) AKA "old Jack Hughes." Goes on again about his "pararas (Maori sandals)." It then shifts to telling trivia about a whalerman named Harwood. Somewhat out of the blue it says, of Harwood,

"Although he had been manager for Weller Bros' whaling station I never heard of him having a Maori wife at any time."