Disaster before success

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33875, 21 June 1975, Page 16

Disaster before success

A founder of Campbell Bros Bakery, now known as S..X. Bakeries, Mr Walter H. P. Campbell, died recently in Christchurch. He was 95. Mr Campbell was bom in Wallace Town, near Clinton in Southland. He was educated there, along with his seven brothers and two sisters. Mr Campbell \ and his brothers I ad several -fries at various enterprises before their success in the bakery field * One included leasing 3000

acres of Government land for I £SO a year, but this was un-J successful. Their most not-' 1 able scheme was after they bought a launch Arab which 1 they sailed to the Cascade 1 area of South Westland. 1 Here they developed a flax 1 mill. j DISASTER The proiect was disastrous! and ended with the launch! :being wrecked, the Maori! engineer drowning, and the mil' finally being abandoned ' They had to walk out I through the Alps, being some; ;of the first to go by the Haast I Pass. They came to live in! Christchurch, where they set ; up the bakery in th< early! 1900 s. This was sold to Wood-] wards about 15 year's later.! Mr Campbell was a keen! bowler, and played for the; Barrington Club, and then | ! United for more than 40: years. He was a member of, the St Andrew’s Church, and; :.a foundation member of the; 1 West Spreydon School. His parents were very in- ’ ventive. His mother owned a' I bakery in Gore, and although : his father was a bootmaker; ' by trade, he invented a number of watches that chimed, j He is survived by two sons,; Mr R P Campbell of Christ-! church and Mr K B. Camp-' bell of London.