OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 175, 20 April 1929, Page 10

OBITUARY

REV. DEAN FITCHETT LONG SERVICE TO CHURCH Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, April 19. By the death of the Very Rev. Alfred Robertson Fitchett, D.D., C.M.G., Dean of the Diocese of Dunedin, the city, and in fact the Dominion, has lost one of its most illustrious citizens. Dean Fitchett made his mark immediately after his arrival in New Zealand as long ago as 1864, and as the years went by he continued to add to his reputation as a clergyman, a scholar, and a man possessing unusual breadth of vision, until he justly came to be regarded as one of the best informed men in New Zealand. ®. A member of a brilliant family, he was born in 1836 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. At an early age he decided to devote his talents to the Church, and he was destined in later years to become an outstanding figure in the religious world. He led an extremely active life, and his remarkable vitality was exhibited. In fact, when he retired from the position of vicar of All Saints’ Church—his sole incumbency in the service of the Church of England—he had passed his 90th year.

Even then it was not the wish of his devoted parishioners that he should retire, but his desire to do so was reluctantly agreed to, because all concerned realised that he had rendered yeoman service to the Church and the community, and that he was entitled to a rest after such long and fruitful labours.

Following his ordination to the Methodist’ ministry and his arrival in New Zealand from Victoria, the Rev. Mr. Fitchett spent some years in the service of that Church, first in Wanganui, then in Dunedin, then in Christchurch, and again in Dunedin. In January, 1879, it was announced that Mr. Fitchett had been ordained to deacon’s orders by the Bishop of Melbourne. He took over the incumbency of All Saints’ Church without delay, commencing his ministration there on February 2, 1879. Though he was first appointed to the charge for 12 months only, it must have been a source of gratification to him that his term of service in the parish extended to nearly 50 years. Apart from his church work the late dean turned the overflow of his thought and erudition into the channels of journalism, and as the chief contributor during many years to a weekly column in the “Otago Daily Times,” which was read by thousands, he exercised a widespread influence, both in this province and far beyond its confines. In this column he displayed literary gifts of a very high order, allied to an encyclopaedic knowledge of books and affairs. Epigram, satire, irony, wit, humour—he could wield them all when the occasion required, and it is a matter of regret to his many admirers that unlike his distinguished brother, Dr. W. H. Fitchett, he has left practically nothing behind of a permanent value. But as to his journalistic work,' nobody could deny its sparkling brilliancy, except perhaps those who happened to be the butt of his wit and wisdom. Had he elected to follow journalism as a profession there is probably no limit to the heights which- he could have scaled. The late dean leaves to mourn his loss Miss Fitchett, a daughter of his first marriage, and two daughters and two sons of his second marriage. These are Mrs. Mayo and Mrs. Elmore, of England, and Dr. Fitchett and Archdeacon Fitchett, of Dunedin. Dr. Frederick Fitchett, C.M.G., of Auckland, is a younger brother. MR. W. G. FOSTER Mr. W. G. Foster, an old and respected resident of Wellington, died at his' home, 34 The Parade, Island Bay, on Thursday evening after a short illness, at the advanced age of • 83. Mr.' Foster was one of New Zealand’s very old colonists, having arrived in Canterbury from London about the year 1859 in the sailing ship Zealandia, which brought many of the earliest settlers to Canterbury in the fifties and sixties. This vessel was partowned and commanded by his father, the late Captain John Foster. Mr. Foster as a young man .served under the late Mr. Rhodes, one of the founders of the Canterbury Province, and later on he managed the Purau and Seadowns Estate in South Canterbury. In the middle eighties he managed the late firm of Miles and Co., Christchurch, coming later to Welling-’ ton about 1888 to take over the management of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile. About 1890, when the Bank of New Zealand was in low water, Mr. Foster was appointed by the late Hon. R. J. Seddon as manager of the Assets Realisation Board, which had for its purpose the liquidation of the estates held' by the bank in the North Island. On the successful completion of this work, Mr. Foster took over the management of the Wellington 'Meat Export Company, which position he held as managing director until his retirement in 1919. At the time of his death he still retained the position as chairman of the New Zealand Investment Company, also a directorship of the Wellington Woollen Company. In 1913 during the maritime strike Mr. Foster was appointed chairman of the Citizens’ and Farmers’ Defence‘Committee, in which capacity he gave very valuable service.

Mr. Foster is survived by his widow (a daughter of the late Richard Fleming, of Port Levy, Banks Peninsula) and a family of one son and five daughters. The son, Mr. William Foster, is farming in the Marlborough district. The daughters are Mrs. Edith Bennett (wife of a farmer of Whangarei). Mrs. Madeline Fulton (wife of the manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Ohakune), and the remaining three daughters have been

living at home with their parents. Mr. Frank Foster, the only surviving brother, is a retired farmer living in I’icton. Captain P. J. Foster, marine superintendent of the Union Steam Ship Company, is his nephew.