MR. W.S. FURBY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 131, 1 December 1930, Page 10

MR. W.S. FURBY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. An old resident of Auckland, Mr. William Stafford Furby, M.1.E.E., died on. Saturday at Awatee road, Paraell, at the age of SO. Born in London, he came to New Zealand with his parents by the ship Maori in 1858, and settled in Canter, bury. He was educated at Christ's College, of which he was one of the earliest pupils, and joined the Canterbury provincial telegraph service as a cadet early in 1860. In the following year, at the age of 17, he was placed m charge of the Hokitika telegraph office, occupying tha position for seven years during the most stirring times on the goldfields. He had also the arduous duty of dealing with extensive telegraph dispatches occasioned by the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, when steamers from Panama brought the news to Hokitika, which was the first port of call. While Mr. Furby waa at Hokitika the provincial telegraphs and staff were transferred to the general government, and in, 1873 he was promoted to take charge of the Blenheim office, then an important transmitting centre. After remaining seven years in Blenheim, Mr. Furby was promoted officer in charge of telegraphs in Auckland, and after 20 years in Auckland be was iv 1900 appointed electrician and inspector of telegraphs at Wellington. In 1909 he was promoted district telegraph cugineer at Auckland, a position which he held until he retired on 21st May, 1911. He was a prominent Freemason. Mr. Furby is survived by a widow, who was formerly Miss A. I. Dodson, of Blenheim.