MR LESLIE BAYLISS PIERR

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21811, 17 June 1936, Page 12

MR LESLIE BAYLISS PIERR

The death occurred recently at. Christchurch of Mr Leslie Bayliss Pierr, at the age of 30 years. Mr Pierr was born in Lyttelton, his parents later moving to Christchurch, where the greater part of Mr Pierr’s very active life was spent. He received his education at the Opawa School and the Christchurch West District High School, leaving there to enter the teaching profession. After two years at Belfast School as a pupil teacher, he entered the Christchurch Training College. As an adult teacher, Mr Pierr occupied positions at Shirley, Addington, Southburn, and Hakataramea Valley, and was at the time of his death on the staff of the Phillipstown School. All his life Mr Pierr took a keen interest in sport and outdoor activities. As a swimmer he gained championships in both primary and secondary school, and was quarter-mile schoolboy champion of Canterbury. At the Training College he was a member of the tournament swimming team for two years. Football also claimed his attention, and for a time he was a member of the local referees’ association. During recent years he acquired a taste for tramping and deerstalking, in which he gained a knowledge of the Canterbury back-country. He married, in 1931, Alexandra, only daughter of Mr John Rasmussen, of Timaru. and there is one son. His parents are Mr and Mrs A. Pierr, Maunsell street, Christchurch, his sister, Miss Alison Pierr, and his brother, Mr William A. Pierr, also of Christchurch. FATHER HERRING (UNITE!) PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTSIGHT.) SYDNEY, June 16. The death has occurred of the Rev. Father Joseph Herring, aged 53. He collapsed while taking part in a Corpus Christi procession at Manly. Father Herring was educated at St Patrick’s College, Wellington. He was ordained by Archbishop Redwood in 1909, and he did parish work at Wellington. Reefton, and Whangarei. MR JAMES D. HARGOOD A former member of the Royal Armed Constabulary in Taranaki, and a pioneer construction foreman for the Telegraph Department for many years, Mr James Davis Hargood died yesterday at his home, St. Heliers Bay, Auckland, at the age of 89 years. Mr Hargood had vivid memories of conflict with the Maoris in Taranaki in the early days of settlement there, and also recalled many details of the disastrous eruption cf Mount Tarawera 50 years ago. Born in Putney, England, Mr Hargood came to New Zealand when he was 13 years of age. He served with the Royal Armed Constabulary, chiefly in Taranaki, and also with the Telegraph Department, intermittently for a number of years, before joining the department as a permanent employee in 1884, at Auckland. He retired from the service in 1908, after having been engaged chiefly in field construction and reconstruction work.

The principal works with which Mr Hargood was associated were the running of the first telegraph line through the King Country to Raurimu, and the first line on the west coast section from Te Kuiti to Mahoenui. The Te Kuiti job, undertaken about 1897, was particularly arduous, as the country to be traversed was covered with dense bush, through which the gangs had to cut their way. Subsequently Mr Hargood ran a line from Hamilton to Putaruru and later a new line between Putaruru and Rotorua. Kir Hargood is survived by one daughter, who lives in Christchurch. COLONEL P. OWEN (UHITKD I’BBSS AMOCIATION—COPTBIQHT.) SYDNEY. June 16. The death has occurred of Colonel Percy Owen. f Colonel Owen was born in 1864 at Wollongong, New South Wales, and was educated at the Sydney Grammar School. He had a distinguished record as a military engineer. He was Inspector and Director General of Works to the Commonwealth from 1904 to 1922. In the capacity of Director General of Works at Canberra, he supervised the construction of the Federal capital. He retired in 1928. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1926.]