OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1310, 13 December 1911, Page 6

OBITUARY.

ONE OF -NEW ZEALAND'S FIONEEIiS,

Ono of the pioneers of New Zealand was interred at I'urcwa Cemetery, Auckland, on Sunday, Mr. Edwin Fairbuni having diod at his residence, Cornwall Park Avenue, Epsom, on Saturday (says tho "Slav"). Deceased had attained tho advanced ago of 83 years, having been horn at Tuhia, Bay of Islands, in 1827. He was the third son of the late Mr. V. T. Fairbuni, who Fettled in this colour os far back as IS2I, to take up w.ork with the Church Mission Society, under the I!ev. Samuel Marsdcn. Tho deceased's father had previously visited New Zealand in 1819. It may be mentioned that the deceased was the fifteenth European child horn in New Zealand, and one of tho two oldest born in the Auckland district, the other being Mr. T. C. Williams. Mr. Fairbuni is survived by his widow, two (laughters (Mrs. William Ware, of Hemuera, and Mrs. F. D. Condell, of fJliristohurch), and four sons (Messrs. F. Fairbuni, of Sydney, E. J. Fairbuni, of Hamilton, J. Fairbuni, of Wanganui, and A. Fairbuni, Auckland).

Mr. Fairhnrn received his education at tho old Mission School, Waimate. Ho was appointed to the Deeds Rcgisiry Office, Auckland, from which he changed to the Survey Department in 1817 as the first cadet under Mr. Ligar, tho first Sui'vcyor-Genernl. It was Mr. Fairburn who laid out tho town of Oamaru, and he did (lie preliminary work in connection with the formation of tho main north road from Takapuna to Russell. He laid tho foundation of the Roads Department in the Auckland Province. Mr. Fairburn retired from the Department owing to the age limit, and after practising privately for .some years, retired to reside nt Parnell, whence he returned to Epsom recently. ' Deceased was the first secretary of the original Agricultural Society of Auckland, which used to hold its shows in the vicinity of what is now O'Rorkc Street, lie also took an active part in the formation of the Auckland Choral Society, and wrote a few scientific pamphlets.