VALUED CITIZEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 106, 7 May 1934, Page 9

VALUED CITIZEN.

LOSS TO NEW ZEALAND SIR HENRY WIGRAM'S DEATH. PIONEER IN AVIATION. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHTttSTC.HURCH, Sunday. After an illness of a week the (loath occurred early this morning at his home in Park Terrace of Sir Henry Francis Wigrain, a resident of Christchurch for morej;han 50 years, and one of the city's most generous benefactors. ; By the death of Sir Henry, Christ- ! church has lost one of its most valued citizens—one who served in the interests of his fellow-townsmen when the city was at the most vital stage of its development. He was righly termed the father of flying in New Zealand, and for this also his name will live long in the memory of the people of this Dominion. His services to his country were reeosr- ; nised by His Majesty the King in the , New Year honours of 1920, but they were j fully realised by New Zealanders long before that. His lifelong devotion to the highest ideals of citizenship will be | j an inspiration for generations to come. Educated at Harrow. Sir Henry Wigram was born in London on January 15. 1857, his father being William Knox Wigram. Destined '■' for his father's business, he ,was edu-1 eated at the famous public school of! ( Harrow. His health, however, was not j of the best, and he came to New Zea-j ( land in search of a more kindly climate.!, After travelling through the colony, he, selected Christchurch as his place of ■ residence, and it was indeed a fortunate . choice as far as the city was concerned. | Sir Henry arrived in Christchurch in ( 18S3, and it was not long before he and , his brother founded the firm of Wigram j ( Bros. Within two years of his making!! his home in Christchureh, Sir Henry and j his brother had established brickworks . and a grain s,tore at Heathcote. At this time Sir Henry, who had married Miss Agnes Vernon Sullivan, daughter of Mr. Harry Eden Sullivan, i was living at Upper Riccarton, where the new arrivals were ■ delighted with ; the' friendliness of the established colonists. His thriving business occupied most I of Sir Henry's time during the next few years, but his kindly nature was manifest when he took a' leading part in the organisation of patriotic , efforts in con- ' nection with the departure of the New Zealand contingents for the South! African War. These activities brought ] Sir Henry before a grateful public, and he was asked to take charge of the arrangements for the visit of the Duke j and Duchess of York (our present King and Queen) in 1901. The Royal visit was a complete success, largely due to the efforts of Sir Henry and the Mayor, , Mr. A. E. G. Rhodes. ; Mayor For Two Years. • ] Sir Henry was Mayor of Christchurch for two years, which were years rich In ' civic attainment. They saw the Jimal- . gamation of St. Albans, Linwood and » Sydenham into the city and a conse- ■ quent renaming of the belts after the,' four superintendents of Canterbury, the establishment of a tramway system,, i and an. unsuccessful first attempt to,: raise money to equip the city with a f high-pressure water system. .... ' In 1903 Sir Henry was appointed to the Legislative Council, remaining a j member until his retirement in 1923 tor health reasons. In the business world, he ■ was also successful and founded the ■ Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Co He was also greatly interested in the "Lyttelton Times," and was for many years chair- ( man of directors of that company. , Sir Henry wae one of the first in jScw Zealand to make an aeroplane flight and before the war he was largely instrumental in founding the Canterbury Aviation Company, which erected hangars at Soekburn. Here were trained manv young pilots who subsequently won "fame in service overseas during the ; Great War. After the War, the Gov- ; eminent, largely through the generosity , of Sir Henry, was able to acquire the ; land at Soekburn which was named the Wigram Aerodrome after its sponsor._ Sir Henry continued to take an active interest in flying and this was shown in a practical manner when he gave an area of about 80 acres 'adjacent to the ■ original aerodrome in order that the j Wigram aite might be extended. He had thus enabled Christchureh to have the finest airport in New Zealand. Supporter of Sports. , The name of Sir Henry is perpetuated - in the Wigram Shield competed for i annually by life saving teams. He was i first president cf the Canterbury Automobile Association and the Canterbury head centre of the Royal Life Saving Society. Other recreations were shoot- ' ing fishing, deer stalking, billiards and ' racquets. Sir Henry's interest in < his city was further shown by his ' authorship of an informative and in- < teresting history of the -city. For the last few years Sir Henry had lived in retirement at his beautiful home ' in Park Terrace, enjoying the rest « earned by an active and valuable life. > Sir Henry is survived by his widow, ' Lady Agnes Wigram. There were no ■ children.