Lord Bledisloe Dies, Aged 90

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28629, 4 July 1958, Page 9

Lord Bledisloe Dies, Aged 90

Viscount Bledisloe died yesterday at the age of 90 after a six weeks’ illness. He was one of New Zealand’s best remembered Gover-nors-General. [The photograph above was one of the last taken of Lord Bledisloe. \ It was taken last September shortly before his ninetieth birthday in the orchard of his home, Lydney Park, Gloucestershire.] His knowledge of and interest in agriculture made him very popular in New Zealand during his term of office. He was

Governor-General from 1930 to 1935, the year in which he was created a viscount. Born Charles Bathurst, he later became the first Baron Bledisloe. He was educated at Sherborne, Eton and University College, Oxford. He then specialised in law and farming and was called to the bar in 1894. In 1910 he entered Parliament as a Conservative and he retained his seat until 1918 when he was elevated to the peerage. Regarded as one of the leading authorities on agriculture in Europe, Lord Bledisloe took a prominent part in World War I in the regulation of food distribution.

From 1924 to 1928 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture. Lord Bledisloe did everything in his power to strengthen the bond between New Zealand and Britain In 1932 he and Lady Bledisloe presented to the people of New Zealand one of the ’country’s most historic relics—James Busby’s house in the Bay of Islands," outside which the Treaty of Waitangi was sigped. He also bought 1000 acres of land and presented it to the nation. The grounds have become a sanctuary for birds, plants and trees. After leaving New Zealand in

1935 Lord Bledisloe continued to take a keen interest in the Dominion, particularly in its agricultural development and research. . Agriculture remained his main interest. Throughout his life he presided over more than twice as many of Britain’s chief agricultural organisations and commissions as any other of his countrymen. At one time Lord Bledisloe farmed six farms, including a poultry farm and a fruit farm. His herd of Red Poll cattle, founded on his estate, Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, more than 40 years ago. is still famous throughout Britain.—London.