OBITUARY MR. P. H. N. FREETH, EDITOR OF “THE PRESS”

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28250, 11 April 1957, Page 12

OBITUARY MR. P. H. N. FREETH, EDITOR OF “THE PRESS”

Mr Pierce Hugo Napier Freeth, editor of “The Press” since November 1, 1932, died in the Christchurch Hospital early this morning after a long illness. He had a notaLle career in journalism in both Australia and New Zealand over a period of 45 years.

Mr Freeth, who was born in Napier on April 6, 1895, was the eldest son of the late Mr Pierce C. Freeth, a well-known New Zealand journalist, and a former editor of the “New Zealand Times” and the Christchurch “Star.” He received his early education in Palmerston North and Wellington, where he attended Wellington College. In 1912 he began his newspaper career as a reporter on the staff of the “New Zealand Times.” Later he moved to Christchurch where he was a reporter on the “Lyttelton Times.” He joined the “Ashburton Guardian” in 1914, and in the following year joined the reporting staff of the “Manawatu Daily Times,” of which his father was mariaging editor.. From 1916 to 1918, Mr Freeth served in France and Belgium with the 2nd ‘Wellington Infantry

Battalion of the Ist New Zealand Expeditionary . Force, being invalided to England with trench .fever. He was a fine rifle shot, and while at Sling Camp in England established an Empire shooting record and was made a musketry instructor. When he returned to New Zealand, Mr Freeth rejoined the “Manawatu Times.” In 1922, he was appointed to the staff of the “Sydney Morning Herald,” on which he worked as a reporter and sub-editor for 10J years. He

quickly established his reputation as a first-class journalist, and was selected to represent his paper in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly press gallery. His work in reporting the Empire Press Union conference at Melbourne brought him further distinction; and he was day sub-editor of the “Sydney Morning Herald” when he was appointed editor of “The Press” in 1932.

For some years Mr Freeth was a director of the New Zealand Press Association, and was chairman in 1953-54. In 1943-44 he visited the United States, the United Kingdom, North Africa, and Italy as a member of a New Zealand editorial delegation during the Second World War. He was a member of the New Zealand delegation to the Commonwealth Press Union conference at Canberra in 1955.

In his younger days, Mr Freeth was an enthusiastic swimmer and rifle shot. He won the schoolboy swimming championship of Wellington in 1909, and represented New Zealand secondary schools at rifle shooting for the Lord Roberts Trophy.

Mr Freeth was a keen golfer, and for several years played off scratch. He was a member of the Christchurch Golf Club from 1932, serving for some years on the committee, and for a term as club captain. He was a Canterbury representative and for many years a regular competitor in the New Zealand championships. Mr Freeth was a member of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association and the Tin Hat Club, and for several years was a member of the committee which organised the annual R.S.A. golf tournament. He was also a member of the Canterbury Club and the Canterbury Society of Arts. In 1922, Mr Freeth married Miss Mattie Brown, of Ashburton. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Messrs Petes Freeth, of Auckland, who carries on the journalistic tradition of the family, and Mr John Freeth, of Ashburton.