NINETY TO-MORROW

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 158, 6 July 1935, Page 7

NINETY TO-MORROW

MR. G. H. POWLEY.

LONG MASONIC CAREER.

EARLY XIFE IN NAVY.

At his home in Hamilton Road, Ponsonby, Mr. George Henry Powley, one of Auckland's oldest indentities and most respected citizens, will to-morrow celebrate the 90th anniversary of his birthday. He is still in good health and is remarkably active. Mr. Powley has had a most interesting life, and being a methodical man trained to business, possesses a diary in which are noted incidents in his life, which make interesting reading. He was born in Tasmania, and when a small child came to New Zealand with his parents in the barque Fanny Fisher. Mr. Powley, sen., had been an English army officer under the Government in Tasmania, and when he took his discharge he received a pension and a grant of land in New Zealand. When old enough Mr. Powley went to a school at St. Matthew's Church, and there was educated until, when only 15 years of age, he enlisted in the navy with 15 others. He was one of the crew of H.M.S. Niger, a vessel which did much service in the Maori War. Shortly after his enlistment lie formed one of a delegation who presented to the Governor, Colonel Gore Brown, some Maori flags which had been taken from the Maoris at Waireka Pa, Taranaki. The Slave Traffic. Mr. Powley went to England in the Niger and was there paid off. Just about that time the ill-fated H.M.S. Orpheus, was being got ready to come to New Zealand and he was engaged as a supernumerary. However, he was not to make the trip then to his home, for trouble broke out with the United States because of the taking of two Confederate agents, Mason and Slidell, from a British ship. The Orpheus proceeded to North America, but Mr. Powley did not go with her, as all the supernumeraries had been ordered ashore.,

The next few years Mr. Powley spent mostly on the West African station, a I busy locality in those days. The slave trade was being carried on, and it was necessary for the warships to keep up a patrol to counteract the manoeuvres and operations of the semi-piratical craft of all nations engaged in the traffic. There was plenty of excitement at times, but the life off an unhealthy tropic coast did not agree with Mr. Powley, and he was back in England in 1865 as a t civilian. At a wage of 18/ a week he secured a job with the London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company, and on Christmas Day, 1860, in Lambeth Wesleyan Chapel, St. George, Soutliwark, he married Sarah, daughter of Mr. John Tooke, of London. Shortly afterwards lie and his wife left for Auckland on the ship Ironsides, the first iron' sailing ship ever built. The trip was a rough and perilous one. Terrific gales were encountered and at one period or another on the voyage most of the sails were split, spars and bulwarks were carried away, and steering gear was disabled. Successful Business. Arriving in Auckland, Mr. Powley : tried liis hand at many things and was one of the first party to go from Auckland to the newly-discovered goldfields at the Thames. Mining did not greatly appeal to him and he came back to Auckland. In 1880 lie purchased a small clothing factory in Shortland Street. The business grew, and 12 years later he removed to the corner of Victoria Street West and Grahanie Street. In 1902 he sold the business to Messrs. Macky, Logan, Caldwell and Company. At that time Mr. Powley had established a fine modern plant and employed 200 hands. On his retirement _ the employees presented him with a silver tea service, which is still one of liis most cherished possessions. For a number of years, Mr. Powley was attached to the Naval Volunteer Artillery, and during Te Kooti's rising he assisted to garrison the redoubt at Tauranga, where the armament consisted of one muzzle-loading field gun. As a Freemason for more than half a century Mr. Powley has filled practically every office it is possible to occupy. He first joined Lodge Ara, No. 345, Irish Constitution. He was the actual founder of Lodge Ara, No. 1, N.Z.C., and he was alsd one of the founders of Grand Lodge in 1890. He was senior I grand warden in 1891, deputy-grand

master in 1897, and 'first grand principal of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of New Zealand from 1897 to .1898. For more than 50 years he has been a member of the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows, and at one time was provincial grand master for Auckland. For a period of 12 years he waa president of the Auckland Masonic Institute and Club.