Obituary MR D. WILSON

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 15

Obituary MR D. WILSON

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 10.

Mr David Wilson, a champion athletic walker from the turn of the century until the 1920’5, has died in Auckland. He was 81 years old. Mr Wilson, a blacksmith at Papakura, began winning New Zealand amateur athletic walking championships in 1896-97 when he won the one mile walk. The next year he repeated this success and capped it by winning the three mile event. In 1897, he won a ' classic one-mile race against Frank Creamer in the Auckland Domain when both competitors broke four world records in the same race.

In the same year, Mr Wilson beat the Australian champion, A. ,L. Barrett, over a three-mile course in Sydney. In 1920-21, Mr Wilson won his last races, both one mile and three-mile, 24 years after he won his first Auckland title.

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

MR C. N. TAYLOR

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 10.

The death occurred recently at Waikanae of Mr Charles N. Taylor who was for many years interested in coal mining on the West Coast and in the search for oil in New Zealand. In 1925. Mr Taylor took a leading part in the reopening of the Wallsend coal mine at Brunner and he served as a director of Brunner Collieries, Ltd., until the mine was acquired by the Government in 1943. He pioneered prospecting and drilling for oil in the Kotuku area in Westland and acted as adviser, and consultant to overseas concerns in New Zealand and other parts of the world.

He took an active part in the □respecting and drilling operations of the Taranaki (N.Z.) Oil Fields and associated companies on the East Coast and in Taranaki In 1930 he formed Motoroa Oil Fields. Ltd., to undertake drilling for oil in the New Plymouth area and several producing wells resulted, from which oil is still flowing. The company was also associated with overseas attempts to locate payable oilfields over a large part of the countrv just before ithe last war. Mr Taylor came of pioneering stock; his grandfather and father were well known on the West Coast as active participants in coal mining and gold dredging ventures of the early days. Mr Taylor is survived by his widow and one son. Dr. Derek Taylor.

MR S. H. SULLIVAN

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU. March 9.

A former president of the New Zealand Rugby Union and headmaster of the Waimataitai school. Mr Samuel Henry Sullivan died in Timaru on Saturday. He was 67.

Mr Sullivan’s long teaching career began at the age of 15 when he was made a pupil teacher at the Southbrook school in 1905. He taught ‘at the Allandale school in the Mackenzie Country Cricklewood and Glenavy before becoming head teacher at Orari in 1917. From Orari he went to Waimataitai school in Timaru as first assistant in 1919. Before returning to Waimataitai as headmaster in 1931. Mr Sullivan held positions as head teacher at his first school. Southbrook then Allenton. Fairlie District High School and the Ashburton Borough School. During his 50 years of teaching Mr Sullivan was noted for his ability to draw the best from his staff. While at Waimataitai he instituted the school’s brass band—for many years the only primary school brass band in New Zealand —and had remarkable success in teaching his pupils to swim. He is said to have taught thousands

of children to swim and teams from the school had outstanding success in outside competition under his coaching. He retired in May, 1955.

A keen Rugby player, coach and selector, Mr Sullivan was president of the South Canterbury Rugby Union for about 15 years. In 1954 he was elected president of the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Mr Sullivan was also a past president of the South Canterbury branch of the Teachers’ Association.

He is survived by his wife and his daughter, Mrs A. R. Provan. of Timaru.