A PIONEER PASSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 20, 25 January 1937, Page 6

A PIONEER PASSES

MR. GEORGE PAIN, J.P. WAIRARAPA IDENTITY (Special to tho "Evening Post.") MASTERTON, This Day. Mr. George Pain, J.P., another of the early piorieers of the Wairarapa and East Coast districts, died at Martinborough last week at the age of 90 years. The late Mr. Pain, who was one of the oldest and best-known identities of the Wairarapa, was very popular with all who knew him, and was held in the highest respect. He was said never to have made an enemy, and out of pure good will he helped many a man on to .his feet. His death will be deeply felt throughout the Wairarapa.

The late Mr. Pain was the third son of Mr. George Pain, who left Kent, England, for New Zealand in 1839 and arrived by the Oriental in January, 1840. Mr. George Pain, sen., lived to the age of 84. Mr. George Pain, jun., was born in Wellington on February 1, 1846, and arrived in the Wairarapa in 1865, after having walked over the Rimutakas. He was employed for two years as a shepherd, and then started travelling round the stations and selling goods conveyed by pack-horses. Three or-four times a year he set out with his pack-horses on a long trek, first to Whatarangi and thence along the coast to East Coast stations, even as far as north-east of Masterton. On these journeys he would be away a month at a time. In those days Martinborough was known as Waihenga. It was while he was engaged in selling goods in this fashion that Mr. Pain attained a good knowledge of the land and its ossibilities—a knowledge that he turned to good account in later years. His rounds of the stations proved extremely profitable. The secret of his success, so he told people in later life, was that he always sold good articles. Mr. Pain then established the first general store in Martinborough, a business that quickly prospered and was later conducted as Pain and Gallie, then as Pain and Haycock, and latterly as Pain and Kershaw. Mr. Pain, however, had not been actively associated with the business for the past thirty years.

Turning his attention to farming, Mr. Pain became, the owner or partowner of several big properties in the Wairarapa. In partnership with the late Mr. J. O. Sutherland he was at one time owner of the well-known Admiral station and of Tepare, at Kahutara, Mr. Sutherland later taking over the latter property on his own account. Mr. Pain also acquired, in partnership with the late Mr. George Innes, the property known as The Taipos, Tinui, and owned on his own account Te Mai station, also in the Tinui district. He was a gerat stockman and was recognised as an excellent judge of horses. Mr. Pain helped more men on to the land than anyone else in the Wairarapa, and it is doubtful if he had a peer in this respect in the Dominion. He opened his heart especially to returned soldiers.

Although he did not take an active part in public affairs, Mr. Pain was for short periods a member of the Featherston County Council and a commissioner of the old Martinborough Town Board, of which he was one of the original members. He was also a member of the now defunct Lower Valley Jockey Club, which raced at Martinborough up to 27 years ago. For a period he was a director of the "Wellington Farmers' Meat Co. and was keenly interested in the Early Settlers' Association and attended its functions every year.

The late Mr. Pain was twice married. He is survived by a widow, to whom the sympathy of a large number of friends will be extended.

The funeral took place at Martinborough yesterday, there being a particularly large and representative attendant of mourners to pay their last respects to a sterling old pioneer. The Rev. F. O. Ball officiated. The pall-bearers were relatives of the late Mr. P-' l.