A LINK WITH OTHER DAYS NOW SEVERED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1938, Page 11

A LINK WITH OTHER DAYS NOW SEVERED.

"Dominant Figure in New Zealand Community!' (From Our Sydney Correspondent.) SYDNEY. March 17. Last week there took place at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium a funeral of special interest to New Zealanders on this eide of the water, and to all old residents in the Dominion as well. The deceased, Mrs. Catherine Hamley, was rightly described by the "Sun" as "a dominant figure in the New Zealand community here." For though .she was in her 88th year when she died, and she churned with pride the distinction of being , the oldest member of our New Zealand Women's Association—she continued to be till last year, when her health began to fail, "one of the most energetic figure* at New Zealand gatherings in Sydney. Mrs. Kamley's life etory takes ue back to the very earlieet days of New Zealand's hietory. Her brother was the first white child wheee birth wae recorded in Auckland province, and she herself claimed to 'be the oldest white woman whoee birth was registered there. Her father, Thomas Condon, was born in New South Wales in 1815, but early in the century he went acrose. to New Zealand, and- in the "eighteen»forties" he established the first sawmill eet up in Auckland. This wae about 10 years after Captain Hobson had planted the seat of Government at Auckland. Site of Birthplace. Mrs. Hamley wae born on her father's property on July 21, 1849; and it should interest the people of Auckland, w*ho know the city as it stands to-day to learn that the site of her birthplace » now filled by the Bank of New Zealand premises in Queen Street. When elie was 18 years old «he married, at the Thames, Captain Thomas Barnett, an officer of the regular army who fought in the Maori wars. Mm. Hamley retained many recollections of those troublous times in which the women shared with the men the perils of settlement in-'a new country among tribes of savagee, and she told with some humour the story of a Maori raid upon their home, during which she grappled in the dark with someone who appeared to be an aaeailant, but who turned out to be her own but* band. Captain Barnett commanded the guard of honour which welcomed the Duke of Edinburgh on the oocaeion of his visit to Auckland in 1869, and it was in that year that ehe was married.

t Mrs. Hamley had eight children by her first marriage—three boye and five girls—and of these two sons and two daughters survive. These are Arthur Barnett, of Buenos Ayree, till lately ,chief audit inspector of the Pacific llailrvfdf':Company in the Argentine; Mrs. C. M. of Napier; Mre. K. MaxwetL <ef Macquarie Street, Sydney; and W/ P. Barnett, late overseas repr-esenta-ti*ie here for the New Zealand Government Tourist Department. She had no children by her second marriage, but she is survived by more than 30 great-grand-children. Mrs. Hamley's sieter died only three days before hey in Auckland, but her brother, Brigadier Condon, is still living at Kensington, Sydney. Many Interests 2a Charity. During her long stay in Sydney Mre. Hamley took a keen and energetic inter-i-st in all .charitable and. and philanthropic movement*, and she was actively connected with the Bush Nursing Associatwn, the Ifer jSoutir W*les Kindergurtea Association, and the Prince of Wales Military H«er>ii*J, where, till her health began to fail, she was a constant and welcome visitor. Her connection wath these movements brought her into personal contact with Sir Philip and Lady Game, whom she frequently visited during Sir Philip's term of office. All the local organisations in which she had taken an interest were represented at her funeral, as were the Kew Zealand Women's Association and the New Zealand Returned Soldier*' Association as well. It is understood that the ashes are to be taken to New Zealand for burial .at St. Mark's Church, Remuera, Auckland—a fitting close to a life eo closely interwoven; in its early days with the' first origins at the city and province of Auckland aad tlte Dominion of New Zealand.