Obituary MR C. E. WARDEN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28907, 29 May 1959, Page 13

Obituary MR C. E. WARDEN

A well-known personality at Arthur's Pass for many years Mr Charles Edward Warden died in Christchurch recently. He was 80.

Mr Warden lived in the Oeya cottage at the foot of the Arthur's Pass road after the opening of the Otira tunnel in 1923. He was later appointed the first resident ranger of the Arthur's Pass National Park Board, having acted as voluntary ranger before the board was formed. Whatever the weather he was always on the railway station on express days with a greeting tor those be knew and a welcome for newcomers. He also enjoyed leading visitors over the mountain trackk and pointing out the beauties of the pass. Mr Warden was a good photographer and artist, and he was devoted to musle In the 1930 s he acted as pianist at the weekly dances of the Railway Social Club. When the Christchurch Ski Club was formed, Mr Warden acted as the first collector of Temple Basin Hut tees and kept the book which had to be signed tor receipt of the key He was well known by trampers, and in the days before the but was built, he often invited them to stay the night at his cottage He used to look after the keys of the baches for their owners, and often found new tenants In his early days in Christchurch, after his arrival from Edinburgh in 1900, Mr Warden was a member of a scientific expedition to the Kermadecs in 1908 and took several photographs whleh appear in the book ’■Crusoes of the Pacific" by Elsie K Morton. He Spent 11 months on Sunday tsland and was well acquainted with the Bell family, who were the pioneer settlers there tn Mr Warden's early days at the pass he gave many lectures, illustrated with slides, about his stay on the Kermadecs.