OBITUARY.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 5

OBITUARY.

MR. G. W. RUSDEN. [PRESS ASSOCIATION.! (Received December 24, 9.51 a,m.) MKi«uJURN£, This D»y. Mr. G. W. Rusden, the historian and constitutional aud educational authority, la dead* [Mr. —asdon was born in Surrey on 9th July, 1819, and went to New South Wales with hia father in 1834. At first he ongaged in pastoral pursuits, but in 1849 he was appointed Agent for National Schools, first in Port Phillip, and afterwards in Now South Wales and Moreton Bay. On tho separation of Victoria from New South Wales in 1861 he was appointed Under-Beoretary in tho Colonial Secretary's Office in tho former colony, and subsequently becamo Clerk of the Executive Council, Clerk of lho Legislative Council, and Clork of Parliaments, ne was a member of tho Council of Mcl- • bourne Univorsity from its foundation down to a comparatively recent date. Mr. Rusden will bo rememborod in New Zealand as tho defendant in a libol action brought against him in London by Mr. John Bryce in connection with a statement made by Mr. Rusden in his "History of New Zealand" that duriug a sortie by Wanganui volunteers during the Maori War Mr. Bryce, then a lieutenant, And his men dashed upon native women and children, "cutting them down gleefully and with ease." It was proved at tho trial that no women wore present at the engacement referred to, and that the charge against Mr. Bryce was completely baseless. The jury awarded Mr. Bryce .65000 damages. It was understood tho allegations were based on information supSMed by Sir Arthur Gordon anu Bishop adfleld. Besides liia "New Zealand/ Mr. Rusdon publishod a " History of Australia" and many other works.]