NOTABLE SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23367, 8 June 1939, Page 13

NOTABLE SERVICE

HONOURS CONFERRED RECIPIENTS' CAREERS FIELD OF EDUCATION VARIED SPHERES OF WORK Biographical sketches of the men and women whose names appear in the King's Birthday honours list are as follows: — SIR WILLIAM BENHAM Sir William Benham, K.8.E., who has had a distinguished career in the world of science, was professor of biology at the University of Otago and curator of the Otngo Museum from March, 1898, until February, 1937. In addition to the general course of biology, which in those days included a fair amount of both botany and zoology, he gave a course in palaeontology, or the anatomy of extinct creatures, until 1911, when it was taken over by the Department of Geology. He also gave a course in dental anatomy from the time when the dental school was established in. 1907 until 1924. Sir William has had published more than 100 papers and articles on zoological subjects in various journals and transactions of scientific societies in England, Australia and New Zealand, the subjects varying from the brain of the chimpanzee to earth and marine worms, most of the groups in the animal kingdom being covered._ He was awarded the Hutton Memorial Medal in 1911 and the Hector Medal and Prize in 1935. A member of the New Zealand University Senate for several years and of the Board of Studies until 1926. he was also a member of the Otago University Council as representative of the Professorial Board for 16 years. He was president of the New Zealand Institute in 1917-18, and was also president of the New Zealand Eugenics Society until its dissolution in 1914. He was also a member of the council of the London Eugenics Society.

SIR THOMAS HUNTER As Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, n position which lie has held since 1929, Professor Sir Thomas Hunter, K.8.E., is executive head of the University. He is also principal of the Victoria University College. Wellington, a recently-created post, and has been professor of mental and moral philosophy at Victoria College for many years. Born in London in 1876. Sir Thomas came to New Zealnnd at an early age. He graduated bachelor of arts at Otago University in 1898. He graduated master of arts with first-class honours in _ mental science in 1899, bachelor of science in 1903, and master of science in 1901. He has been a member of the Victoria University College Council since 1920 and was chairman of the Professorial Board for some years, also chairman of the council of the Massey Agricultural College for over two years. Sir Thomas has taken a keen interest in adult education. He is chairman of the Council of Adult Education, fiet up some time ago by the Government, and has been president since its inception over four years ago of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Sir Thomas has been a member of the international committee of the Congress of Psychology since 1929, and was president of the Australasian Association of Psychology and Philosophy in 1927. MR. H. TAI MITCHELL One of the best-known Maoris in New | Zealand, Mr. H. Tai Mitchell, C.M.G., who was born in 1877, has for .years played a prominent part in native laffairs'in the Bay of Plenty district. After spending many years as a surveyor, first with the Lands and Survey Department, and then later on his own account, he joined the Native Department in 3926 as Judge's assistant and consolidation officer, and since the inception of the Arawa District Trust Board he has been chairman. He has also identified himself with the preservation of natural scenery in the Rotorua lake district. He has been a member of the Rotorua Borough Council for the last three terms. MR. ARTHUR TYNDALL Several important Government posts have been held by Mr. Tyndall, C.M.G.. of Wellington. He is Under-Secretary of the Mines Department and Director of Housing Construction, and was formerly chief engineer of the Main Highways Board. Born in Central Otaso in 1891. Mr. Tyndall joined the Public Works Department as a cadet. He served in various parts of New Zealand, and in 1920 was in control of engineering work in Western Samoa. Subsequently he spent some time in America, Great Britain and Europe, studying road conditions, and was appointed chief engineer of the Main Highways Board in 1924. Fivis years later he represented the Dominion at the International Roads Congress in Washington. MR. N. E. HUTCHINGS Well known in local body circles throughout New Zealand, Mr. Hutchings, C.8.E., is the youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Hutchings, of Whangarei and Mount Albert, Auckland. He was born at Whangarei and joined the Public Works Department there as a cadet in 1916, After some years at Whangarei and on the North Auckland railway construction works ho was transferred to Wellington in 1921. In 1926 Mr. Hutchings was appointed a Ministerial private secretary, and served in that capacity to six successive Ministers of Public Works. He became head office chief clerk of the Public Works Department in 1937 and was promoted to the head clerical position of the department, that of assistant under-secretary, last year.

COLONEL W. D. HOLGATE A conspicuous part in the development of coal-mining in the Auckland Province has been played by Colonel Holgate, 0.8. E., of Auckland. His interest in coal-mining began with the Taupiri Coal Company, and extended to the Hikurangi Coal Company, of which he was managing director for 22 years. Since 1926 he has been president of the New Zealand Coal-mine Owners' Association, and he is at present chairman of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, Limited, and a director "of many 'other concerns. Colonel Holgate was born in Yorkshire in 1862 and came to New Zealand in 1890 after having spent some years in Victoria, where he was prominent in military circles. Ho pioneered the mounted rifles' movement in Auckland, beiug captain of the first corps, and colonel of the first regiment.

REV. MOTHER MARY GONZAGA A life of outstanding devotion and service to the sick has been that of the Rev. Mother Gonzagu, 0.8. E., mother superior of the Sisters of Mercy at the Mater Miscriconliae Hospital in Mountain Road, of which she has been the executive head since she and three other sisters established it at the beginning of the century. Mother Mary Gonzaga was born in Marlborough and entered the order as a young woman.

In 1900 she and three associates arranged for-the purchase of the property on which, the present hospital stands. Since then she has remained, at the head of the hospital, and it was after a visit by her and the. Rev. Mother Mary Agnes to the United States in 1930 that she, in collaboration with a. city architect, worked out a design for the existing modern hospital of 75 beds. MISS J. R. BARR Lady principal of the Tirnaru Girls' High School from 1923 to 1938, Miss Barr, 0.8. E., who resides in Wellington, was for many years prominent in South Island education circles. On tho occasion of her retirement last year tributes were paid to her services by the Mayor, Mr. P. 8., Footo, the board of governors, and past and present pupils. MISS. T. BUTLER A long nursijig service in the tropics stands to the credit of Miss T. Butler, M.8.E., who retired in February from the position of matron of the Awarua Hospital, Rarotonga, and is now in New Zealand. Miss Butler trained for her profession at the Christchurch Hospital and took a midwifery course in Melbourne. Slie was in England on a private visit in 1914, and on tho outbreak of war she offered her services to tho" Imperial authorites. Her services were immediately accepted and she was one of the original, nurses to serve in Belgium with the British Army, arriving there within three days of the outbreak of the Great War. She later transferred to the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, with which she served for the remainder of the war. After her return to New Zealand she was for brief periods at the Trentham and Pukeora Hospitals. Miss Butler went to Western Samoa in 1922 and later nursed at Niue. She had bf.<£n matron of the Rarotonga hospital for about eight years up to the time of her retirement. % . MISS M. B. LAW Unremitting attention to the interests of children who hare passed through the school at the New Zealand Institute for the Blind in Parnell has distinguished the life of Miss Mary B. Law, M.B.E. She recently retired from the position of headmistress of the school after nearly 40 years' service. MISS B. E. CARNACHAN An active interest in the improvement of conditions for women and children has long been taken by Miss Carnaclian, M.8.E., of Auckland. She was among the first women justices of the peace and was later appointed a special children's magistrate. Formerly a schoolteacher, Miss Carnachan became a member of many Auckland organisations on her retirement, taking a special interest in those associated with the welfare of women and children. She has been for many years closely .connected with the Auckland Y.W.C.A., the Seddon Memorial Technical College and the Auckland branch of the ]\ational Council of Women. Miss Carnachan was appointed by the Unemployment Board in 1931 as a member of a special committee to consider unemployment among women. MR. FRANK REED A prominent mining engineer- Mr. Reed, M.8.E., M.lnst. M.M. (Lond.), ' who lives in retirement in Auckland, has a professional record extending over 59 years. Born at Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, in 1863, Mr. Reed served an apprenticeship as a mining engineer and had extensive mining experience in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. He became inspecting engineer to the New Zealand Mines Department in 1905, a posit, to which was subsequently added those of consulting engineer to State collieries and chief inspector of coal-mines. Ho was a member of the New Zealand Royal Commission on Mines in 1911. He retired in 1922, and in 193" the Government awarded him a special grant of £SOO for distinguished service to the mining industry. FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT C. E. KAY One of two New Zealanders who flew from England to Australia in 1930, Flight-Lieutenant Kay, 0.8. E., is attached to the Royal New Zealand Air - Force station at Wigram. and is at present on his way to England to command one of the flights of Vickers Wellington warplanes ordered for New Zealand. A son of Mr. D. Kay, of Mangere, Auckland, Flight-Lieutenant Kay entered the Royal Air Force and com- , pleted a short-service commission. He was later engaged ill test flying and instructing for a period in England, and took a course at the gliding school at Wasserkuppe, Germany, where he gained honours. After touring Europe, he returned to New Zealand in 1932, and was chosen, with Squadron-Leader .T. D. Hewett, of Auckland, to fly in the Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne. Flight-Lieutenant Kav joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force some years ago and after serving at Hobsouville was transferred to Wigram.- He is an expert in air navigation. COMMISSIONED ENGINEER LEE Long service with the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy has marked the career of Commissioned Engineer Lee, M.8.E., engineer officer of H.M.S. Philomel and assistant manager of the Devonport Naval base and repair dockyard. Born in Cornwall, Mr. Lee entered the Royal Navy in 1915 and saw active service in the old H.M.S. Leandor and in the destroyers Sylvia and ' Marmion with the Grand Fleet. H© first came to New Zealand as a niember of the crew which brought H.M.S. Chatham here in 1921 to act as training ship for New Zealand, and lie ' at^ r served in the Dunedin and tho Diomede before returning to England in 191.8. • He came back in 1932 and has been in New Zealand ever since. _ He was promoted commissioned engineer on April 1, 1936. CAPTAIN DAVII) NICOL Captain David Nicol, M.8.E., _ has since 1934 occupied the dual position of ordnance officer in the southern nulltary district and officer in charge of * the Burnham military camp. He was \iorn at Cathcart, Scotland, in IS9I, and as a young man served with the 145 th Field Battery Territorial Army (Scottish), coming to New Zealand in ] 912. He was in ill-health when the Great. War began, but enlisted in the 7th Reinforcements in 1915. He joined tho New Zealand Ordnance Corps in 1918 and until 19:54 was' stationed at the Trentham military camp.