90TH BIRTHDAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 11

90TH BIRTHDAY

TARAWERA SURVIVOR

A survivor of the Tarawera eruption of 1886 and one who. played an outstanding part in the .rescue work at Te Wairoa, where he was then licensee of the hotel, Mr. Joseph Macßae, of Ramarama, celebrated .. his ninetieth birthday on Sundays (states the1 "New Zealand Herald"). On Saturday evening a number of old friends honoured Mr. Macßae, and made him a presentation at a function held at Papakura. He received numerous telegrams of congratulation and felicitations from, various parts-of- the North .-and South Islands. ." ' ' .". •,.-■■ Born in. Ross-shire,/ Scotland; Mr. Macßae came to New Zealand in the sailing ship Blue Jacket when a :y.outh. of 17. Experienced in. sheep, raising, he was engaged in the. .wool trade for several.months ,and then found' employment on one of the big-sheep runs of Canterbury. * In a few'years lie. became manager of one of-the largest stations in ■ the province. When engaged in this' industry^ Mr. Macßae and a companion took a mob of sheep from' Canterbury across the Southern Alps to provide meat supplies- for the miners on- the Hokitika gold fields. . "We. were > fully three weeks on the" trip,-but'it was profitable as the miners gladly offer-ed us. three ounces of gold per sheep," said- Mr. Mcßae. He pointed but that gold did not have its present 7 day high value then, but the return was. worth the hardship involved; " ' Soon after his marriage Mr. Macßae came to the North Island .and p\vned a farm in Katikati district; for. some time. In 1878, when just turned 30 years of age, he acquired Te-Wairoa Hotel and store and continued in successful trading until he lost everything in the Tarawera eruption; The many glowing tributes- : paid to the gallant rescue work and the steadying influence of Mr. Macßae -. during the appalling hours . of. the- upheaval were recalled in 1936,. when the fiftieth anniversary of the occurrence ,wa3 given wide publicity throughout the Dominion. ■ ... v ; . ... Later he became the licensee of the Palace Hotel at Rotorua.-and, on leaving there, he acquired the Waverley Hotel in Auckland; He also was associated- with farming interests and a hotel in North Auckland, and was licensee of the Frankton Junction Hotel for many years. He spent several years in Sydney in the same line of business. On his return to New; Zealand he continued to be associated. with farming interests and retired about 15 years ago to his present residence in the Ramarama Valley of the Bombay Hiiis. ' ..:..' ,■ '.;.; \"....■