OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23203, 14 December 1940, Page 12

OBITUARY

MR E. C. BANKS The death occurred yesterday of Mr E. C. Banks, of Mount Maunganul,

Tauranga, a prominent worker for* education in the Dominion for many years. He was formerly of Rangiora and was a brother of Mr W. A. Banks, a well-known former member and chairman of the Canterbury Education Board. - Mr Banks was born at Loburn in

1870, a son of Mr and Mrs James Banks. He was educated at North Canterbury schools, the Rangiora High School,- and Canterbury University College. After a period on the staff of the Rangiora High School he Joined the staff of the Education' Department in Wellington where, in addition to other Important work, he had charge of all the arithmetic used by inspectors of schools throughout New Zealand. From 1904 to 1932 he farmed at Matamata, Auckland. During the 191418 war he milked on his farm 250 cows to produce milk-foods for use in the trenches. He was for six years chairman of the Auckland Education Board, and for 15 years a member of the New Zealand Council of Education: he was chairman of the Board of the Matamata Intermediate School, the first intermediate country school in New Zealand. Besides being an officer on administrative educational

bodies Mr E. C. Banks in Auckland, as his elder brother in Canterbury, was also a member of many important North Island agricultural societies and was for some years president of the Friesian Cattle-breeders’ Association and director of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company. He was a well-known judge at agricultural shows. He is survived by his wife, formerly Miss Mary Smith, of Lincoln, and by one son and two daughters.