OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 261, 4 August 1928, Page 11

OBITUARY

MR. G. DRUMMOND Dominion Special Service. Masterton, August 3. The death occurred at Masterton today of Mr. George Drummond at the age of 93 years. Deceased was born at Paispey, England, and thirty years later married Miss J. Fergus, who predeceased him by nine years. The late Mr. Drummond led a very eventful life. He went to sea at the age of fifteen on the Eliza Stewart, a vessel engaged in carrying coolies from Calcutta to Trinidad, and sugar from Greenock. Two years later he became apprentice shipwright to John Wright. He next joined the barque Lirope and voyaged to Buenos Aires, Port Louis, Point de Galle, and back to London. After working on shore for a couple of years, he joined, in 1859, the Shalimar, bound for Auckland, and from there went over to Sydney and joined in the gold rush to Snowy River. Being unsuccessful there, he returned to Sydney and joined the Eli Whitney on her. voyage to Port Louis; Mauritius, with a cargo of horses. He arrived back in Sydney in ISCO, and then went to Burrangnong goldfields. From there he returned to New Zealand to try his luck at Dunstan goldfields. Returning to Sydney in 1864, he shipped on the Sir John Moore, bound for London, and worked for some time in various shipyards on the Clyde, later shipping on the s.s. Venezuelan, a steamer trading with the West Indies.

After leaving this vessel, the late Mr. Drummond and his wife and eldest son (who was an infant in arms) embarked for Wellington on the Ballarat with the late Rev. James Paterson as a fellow passenger. Deceased took up two acres of land in Tinakori Road, Wellington, and there spent a great part of his life. He was well known in the Hutt Valley, where he had a farm at Stokes Valley, Taita. Deceased leaves three sons and one daughter, namely, Mr. R. F. Drummond, chief building inspector, Wellington, Mr. R. C. Drummond, headmaster of Masterton Central School, and Mr. C. K. Drummond, Lower Hutt, and Mrs. R. M. Grant, of Northland, Wellington. The late Mrs. C. J. McKinnon, .of-Day’s Bay, Wellington, was another daughter. The funeral will leave Clarke's mortuary for the Karori cemetery on Monday, at noon.

OLD’WEST COAST RESIDENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, August 3.

The death took place this evening of Mr. Robert Francis Mullan, who was born at Dungannon, County Armagh. Ireland, in 1847. The deceased came to Queensland in 1867, later going to New South Wales. He came to New Zealand in 1870 and worked at mining at Giles’ (Terrace, and also in connection .vitli boating operations between Westport and Lyell, diggings, and in contracting bn the Buller’ Road. In IESO he was appointed clerk to the Buller County Council, which position he held until through failing health he retired in 1908. Other positions he also held were the secretaryship of the Buller Hospital Board, the ’ Westport Domain Board, and the . Permanent Building 'Society. He had three sons and two daughters, all of whom, except one son, John, who succeeded him as county clerk, having since passed away. One son was killed in France during the Great War, and another when serving in the South African War. He is also survived by a widow. Deceased was a man of sterling qualities. of'a kindly, sympathetic, and charitable nature, and his passing is deeply regretted.