OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 136, 13 June 1927, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR. JOHN HARDCASTLE

lhcre died in Timaru last night-Mr. John Hardcastle, one of-New Zealand's veteran journalists. He/was ■• eighty years of age, but was well and active' and the end came suddenly and unei^ pectedly. He came to New Zealand at the age of eleven with his father, the late Thomas Hardcastle, who acquired "Castlewood," a well-known property at Pleasant Valley, aear Geraldine. Lacking modern oppbrtnni. ties tor acquiring education easily Mr Hardcastle studied independently and assiduously and equipped himself with a rich store of knowledge, .of which he made full use to the end of his days After a varied life, part of which was 1 spent as a schoolmaster in Geraldine; h« joined the staff of the "Timaru Herald" in 1879, and with a ■'brief break during which he was employed br a,f. aPier Paper, he served the "Herald for over forty- .years.' He i clired in September, 1922, when the proprietors and staff and the paper itself paid a,, unusually fine tribute to his work and character. As reporter he became intimately acquainted with the history of South Canterbury/and ater as editor of the "South Center-' bury limes"—many years defunct— and sub-editor of the J'Herald'? he in,,? i- maintaiu a ''isll standard of journalism m the town. Notwithstanding the arduous work wh£ha thT P4. Per dewanded-far more arduous i? ,J t neWl- «enerati°» of pressmenM,iPPt tO/ e,ahse-Mr. Hardcastle was able to do, 1 a vast amount-of other work, and he was an active student of science and philosophy. He was aa ardent geologist and made a closTstudv of the geology of South Canterbury in particular. This work fully occupied tho closing years of his life, and he oftered a fine example of the value of congenial occupation in maintaining the thelW 1 ln- an a««d. body, ana the ability to maintain unimpaired a multitude of friendships among\ld and

The family consists of Mrs. Hardcastle, three son., and two daughter. The sons are Harry. John, and Alan "n T P HV Squire (Waitohi) and Mn. T. P. Wooding, jun. (Bangitata).