CHAMPION BOWLER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 87, 12 April 1940, Page 9

CHAMPION BOWLER.

MR. STEPHEN HUNTER DEAD.

WINNER OX MANY GREENS.

The bowling community will learn with regret of the death of Mr. Stephen Hunter, of Takapuna, one of the foremost exponents of the game in New Zealand, which occurred this morning in hie 67th year.

Mr. Hunter was well known as a bowler throughout the Dominion. Coming from Scotland nearly 50 years ago, he went into business in Invercar<jill. He played in both the bowling club* there, and in a short time was champion of the Southland Club, later winning the championship of the Northend Club. There were then separate bowling associations for the North and South Islands, and in tournaments Mr. Hunter was generally a winning competitor. At an Invercarjiill tourney in 1910 he won e\ery game but one. In 1905 he was champion of the Southland Club, and was in the second rink for the Invercargiil tournament and third in the champion rinks of the island at Dunedin. In 190S he was second in the pairs at Invercargill. Two years later he skipped the rink which was runnerup for the Southland championship, and in 1910 won his sections in both singles and rinks at Invercargill.

On coming to Auckland, Mr. Huntei joined the Takapuna Club, and he won its championships in 1919 and 1937. In the champion of champions match of the Auckland Centre the latter year, though he had been absent from the green for a long time, he went to the fifth round of the competition, and was eliminated when within one round of the eemi-tinals.

In golf circles Mr. Hunter was also well known. With his son James he won the firet contest for the G. H. Foster foursomes cup of the Maunjiakickie Club in 1928. Father and son played out the final of the Pupuke championship in 1924, Mr. Hunter, sen., who was champion of the course at that time. narrowly beating his son. In 1902 Mr. Hunter won the rifle shooting cup *or the Southland Mounted Rifles. He was also prominent in sporting gun matches.