DEATH OF MR. H. S. WARDELL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 108, 7 May 1912, Page 7

DEATH OF MR. H. S. WARDELL

Citizens will Tgcret to hear of ih»» death of Mr. Herbert Samuel Wardell, which took place at his residence in the Botanical Gardens-road last . evening About a fortnight ago Mi. Wardell con tracted a cold, which developed into pneumonia. The deceased gentleman was born in London in 1830. Early in life he was employed in the office of a civil engineer. I)uring this iime he studied art and obtained a Somerset Scholarship, and was an exhibitor in sculpture at the big Exhibition of 1851. Subsequently he was an exhibitor at the Royal Academy. In company with Hie Excellency the Governor (Colonel Gore Brown) he arrived at Auckland in th* ship Merchantman in 1855. He was ap pointed Resident Magistrate on 25th October, 1855; Commissioner of Native Reserves in March, 1861; and D'lstriot Judge on 6th September, 1861. During his term of magistracy in Poverty Bay he had charge of the district extending from the Wairoa River to the East Cape. Subsequently he was transferred to the Wairarapa, where he held the position of Resident Magistrate for no less a period than twenty-five years. He was popular .with all who knew him and widely respected throughout the district and, indeed, the province. His activities were not confined to the Bench, and in 1873 he acquired Te Whiti Station on lease, and later acquired the freehold. In 1888, after his long and honoured year* of service, Mr. Wardell retired on pension, but be afterwards temporarily performed judicial duties in various parts of New Zealand. He was chairman of the Police Commission in 1898, and two years later was a member of the State Industrial School Commission. Beside* being on numerous other commission*, hewas, m 1905, a member of the Native bchools , Trust Lands Commission. Alwaje a keen friend of art, he wa* one of the most active spirits in the inovenHHi-t for a National Aii Callerv. ft wa» daring h» term a« president of t.h« hew Zealand Academy of Fine Arts -that tho movement now well on its way to fruition was inaugurated. He- was the founder and tho first president of the Homo for Aged Needy in Wellington, and always took a leading part in any movement of a charitable nature. He «va« v mem.be;' of the North Island Representation Commission on four occasions. He was twice married, and leaves three son*,— Vincent (who Jives at Russell), William (at Te Whiti), and Harold (Strongvar, Wairarapa)— and tnree daughters- -Miss Teresa (Wellington) and Mesdames Norman .Beethant and George Pearce — and one daughter (Ethal) and a won (Thomas) by the second union. The funeral will take place at Masterton to-mwroT The exhibition of British pictures will be closed for an hour to-morrow moniinw out of respect to th© memory of the de° ceased gentleman.