OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14940, 13 March 1912, Page 5

OBITUARY.

MR. E. C. GOLD SMITH. The death occurred on Monday at Heme Bay of Mr. E. C. Gold Smith, who retired from the position of Commissioner of Crown Lands in Auckland about three months ago. Mr. Gold Smith, who was born in Camberwell, Surrey, in 1848, engaged in surveying work in the Waikato in the early days, and was later appointed to the Government Survey Department. He was transferred from Christchurch to the Auckland Lands Department nearly three years ago, and on his retirement was presented with anjlluminated address, bearing testimony to his valuable services. ' .; */" The deceased was the son of the late Captain Henry Gold Smith, who arrived in New Zealand by the Star, of India in 1862 in command of No. 5 Company Ist Waikato Regiment. He received his education at Matthews's Denmark Hill Grammar School, Camberwell, and landed in New .Zealand two years after his father, seeing active service with Captain Skeet. Mr. Gold Smith married in 1873 a daughter of the late Mr. C. Kensington, of Auckland, and he leaves a widow and a family of three sons and a daughter, v, ■■ AN EARLY HUNUA SETTLER. ". One of Auckland's pioneers in, the person of Mrs. John Hill, died at Hunua last week, at the advanced age of 92 years. The late Mrs. Hill was born in Scotland, coming to New Zealand with her husband and one child in the Jane Gilford, in 1842. They arrived in Auckland after a voyage of five months, and found the present site of Queen-street a muddy, swampy track. Mr. and Mrs. Hill journeyed to Hunua, and were the first to settle in that locality. As soon as they Had got their house in order they had' to flee hefore an advance of the Maoris, war having been declared between the Maoris and the Europeans. They escaped to Drury, their son acting as guide >to the Imperial troops through the districts of Paparata, Pokeno, and Mercer.- On the termination of the war, they returned to Hunua to find a scene of desolationtheir home burned to the ground, and their stock scattered. Nothing daunted, they set to work again, and by dint of hard work soon had their home together again, and made a living at dairying, having to pack" their produce to Papakura. They then retired for a few years to Papakura, where Mr. Hill died, leaving a family of four sons and five daughters. Since then Mrs. Hill has lived with her family at Hunua, and about seven years ago she dislocated her leg, and was, up to the time of her death, bedridden. She is survived by one son, Mr. Alex HiK, of Westport, and two daughters. Mrs. Climo, of Hunua, and Mrs. Hugh McKenzie, of Auckland, 50 grandchildren, and about 60 great-grandchildren. The funeral was largely attended.