OBITUARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 3

OBITUARY.

ROTORUA'S FIRST M.P.

MR. F. F. HOCKLY. Rotorua's first member of Parliament, Mr. F. F. Hockly, has died in hig 71st year. He had been well known in farming and political circles for a long period. He was elected for Rotorua when it became a constituency in ' 1919, and represented it till 1928. Mr. Hockly was an early member of the Farmers' Union and was interested in farms in the Rotorua, Makuri (Forty Mile Bush) and Hunterville districts. On several occasions he was a delegate to Dominion conferences of the Farmers' Union and for two years was a member of the advisory committee of the organisation. He was the first chairman of

a sub-provincial branch in the Dominion. For nine years Mr. Hockly served on the Kurutea County Council, and for five years acted as chairman. He was a member and president for a time of the Second Auckland District Military Appeal Board during the war. Mr. Hockly presided at the first Reform conference held shortly after Mr. Massey became Prime Minister. It was in 1909 that he first contested a seat in Parliament, when he was defeated on a second ballot. He had an easy victory over three other candidates when he was returned for Rotorua in 1919 and then went to live in that district. He served for several years as chairman of the Lands Committee of the House of Representatives, and in 1926 was elected Chairman of' Committees, following the elevation ,of Sir Alexander Young to Cabinet rank. He was also appointed deputy-Speaker. In the 1928 election Mr. Hockly was defeated by Mr. C. H. Clinkard, who stood in the United interests. When Mr. Hockly came to live in Auckland he was appointed chairman of the Mortgagors' Relief Commission under the Mortgagors' Relief Amendment Act of 1931. He survived by his "wife, four sons and two daughters.