OBITUARY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28051, 20 August 1956, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR W. H. OSBORNE Mr William Henry Osborne, who was well known throughout New Zealand as a brass band conductor and performer, died in Timaru last week. Born in England, he came to the Dominion before World War I and soon distinguished himself as a cornet soloist and later became conductor of the Ashburton Band and the Timaru Band. Mr Osborne’s band career began at the age of 10 when he joined the Indian Queen’s Band, Mid-Cornwall, as a solo cornetist, becoming principal cornet and deputy-conductor of this band before leaving for New Zealand. In 1910, he won the cornet solo at the New Zealand championships in Christchurch and on many other occasions was placed in the championship. For a while he was a member ol the Timaru Band before enlisting in the Main Body as a bugler. He returned to England during the war and became senior bandmaster of the New Zealand Division in France After the war he was selected for an extended course for bandmasters at the Royal Military College of Music at Kneller Hall. Returning to New Zealand, Mr Osborne was appointed conductor ol the Ashburton Band in 1920. At the Nelson contest in 1921, the band won the B grade championship and he won the cornet championship. In the next few years, he led the band successfully in A grade championships at Christchurcn and Dunedin. Taking charge of the Timaru Band in 1927, it became, under his guidance, one of the best bands in the country and gained second place m the A grade selection at Wanganui in 1929.

Mr Osborne returned to Ashburton in 1937 and conducted the band whicu won the B grade championship at Palmerston North in 1938. In 1940, he was appointed conductor of the Timaru Municipal Band and at the Centennial Contest at Wellington it finished second in the a grade. He relinquished his position in 1945 because of ill-health. f Mr Osborne is survived by his widow and four sons. MR H. E. STEPHENS (New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, August 19. Mr Herbert Edward Stephens, a prominent figure in the New Zealand fruitgrowing industry, has died at the age of 79 years. Born in Dunedin, Mr Stephens graduated as a nyning engineer at Otago University. In 1920 he established an orchard at Stoke. Elected to the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board in 1926, he went to London as the board’s representative in 1947 and remained there for three years. He was the promoter of the Rural Reticulation Council of New Zealand. He played Rugby for Otago University in the late 1890’s. Mr Stephens is survived by his widow, a son and two daughters. MR HOWARD J. GUMBLEY Mr Howard John Gumbley. who died last week, was one of the best known men in the footwear trade in New Zealand. He was born in Wanganui 59 years ago. For most of his life, he was South Island representative for footwear manufacturing firms and was known to retailers in every part. He represented Perry’s Shoes, and the Auckland firms of Shoe Style, Northampton, and Forth’s. He had other business interests, also connected with the leather trade. Mr Gumbley was a keen supporter of racing and trotting. He was a member of the New Zealand Metropolitan and Canterbury Park Trotting Clubs and the Canterbury Jockey Club. With Mr J. Benjes, a business associate, he raced the handicap staying mare, Responsive, and also The Vulture, a highly promising and speedy hurdler which met with an accident at Riccarton. Mr Gumbley had a long illness which he faced courageously. Only two days after he had finished a busines trip to Dunedin, he entered hospital recently.