OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 113, 16 May 1938, Page 3

OBITUARY

MR. JOHN BRASELL

The death occurred yesterday In Dunedin of Mr. John Brasell, one of the best-known citizens in Lower Hiltt, at the age of 75 years. He had been spending a holiday with his daughter, Mrs. C. F. Fowler. The late Mr. Brasell came from Buckinghamshire, England, where his father was a farmer, to South Canto bury and as a young man was known as a racing road cyclist. In 1892 ha went to Lower Hutt and took up land fronting Waterloo Road, then known as Chinamen's Lane. Mr. Brasell was elected a councillor in Lower Hutt in 1894 under Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert. He retired for a while and was defeated at an election, but was returned at a subsequent byelection. Otherwise he had been a councillor continuously in the borough, and apart from the election in which he was defeated he was never lower than third on the poll and frequently at the top. During the years in which Mr. Brasell was a councillor Lower Hutt grew from a small district with a small population (126 votes topped the poll when he first stood for the council) to the present large and influential borough. Mr. Brasell had an intimate knowledge of the Hutt Biver, and was first elected to the River Board in January, 1921. He resigned in November of that year, but was returned later arid was a member up to the elections, when the state of his health made it obvious that his nomination could not go forward again. One of the major interests of the late Mr. Brasell was the work of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, and he was a life member and a mem- ' ber of the council- of that body. He was a fine shot, and at the age of 70 won the open shoot of the Hutt Valley Gun Club. For many years he was secretary of the club, and in 1927 was made a life member. He was one of the originators, with Mr. F. Mason, now of Feilding, of the Waiwetu Cricket Club, out of which the present Hutt Cricket Club grew. Only recently he took up golf, and waa patron and a member of the Boulcott Golf Club. The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. W. 'Andrews, said last night that the borbugh' owed much to Mr. BraselL He had a unique record as a councillor, serving under the first Mayor and every successive Mayor but one. He had left Lower Hutt but a short period ago in the best of health, and his death was a great shock. His genial and generous disposition had made him a general favourite and his place in the community would be hard to fill. His was a life of true selfsacrifice in the public interest, and those who knew him were the better for his life among them. Mr. Brasell is survived by one daughter, Mrs. C. F. Fowler, of Dunedin. The funeral will leave the residence, Waterloo Road, at 2 p.m, tomorrow for the Taita Cemetery. MR. W. J. MOFFATT ' (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NELSON, May 15. The death occurred on Saturday night of Mr. Walter J. Moffatt, a former. Mayor of Nelson and chairman of the Cawthron Institute Board of Trustees. The lat£ Mr. Moffatt, who was born in 1866, had a long career in public life, first at Motueka and later at Nelson. His first task was in assisting to have the township of Motueka constituted a borough, and he initiated the movement for tfee formation of the Motueka harbour district. He was largely responsible for the establishment of the Motueka High School. In 1899 he contested the Motueka seat, but was unsuccessful. In 1907 he went to live permanently in Nelson and began a successful local body career. He was a member'of the Nelson City Council from 1915 to 1935, and from 1927 to 1935 was Mayor. He was for eight years a member of the Cawthron Institute Trust Board, for four years as chairman. He also played a leading part in the promotion of the .Nelson Fire Board and was its first chairman, relinquishing the position only a few weeks ago. He was also the first president of the Nelson Progress League and was a prominent Forester. He leaves one daughter—Mrs. A. B. Hurst, Napier—and two sons—Mr. Thomas Moffatt, Christchurch, and Mr. Edgar Moffatt, Nelson.