MR. MAURICE O'BRIEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 26, 30 July 1938, Page 11

MR. MAURICE O'BRIEN

The death occurred yesterday, in his 67th year, of Mr. Maurice O'Brien, of the Industries and Commerce Department, after a long period of ill health. ,

The late Mr. O'Brien was very well known in the Civil Service through-out-New,. Zealand and had had a most varied and' interesting career. He was born in Auckland and joined the Government service as a railway servant, but left New.Zealand as a member of the forces for the South African war. He remained in Africa for some, time after the Boer War as inspector of lines, and on his return to New Zealand joined the Agriculture Department as chief clerk .of the fields division arid later transferred to the Department of Industries and Commerce as advisory and commerce clerk. For a time Mr. O'Brien was in charge of the Weraroa experimental farm.

Withi Mr. Clifton, late chief commis^ sioner of the Department of Agriculturei Mr. O'Brien represented New Zealand at the San Francisco Exhibition of 20 or more years ago, and he was the representative of the Government at the Johannesburg Exhibition of 1936-37. From Johannesburg he

went, north to inspect the flax-milling industry in the Kenya Colony on behalf of the industry in. New Zealand and returned to Wellington in April of last year. During his visit to South Africa Mr. O'Brien fell into ill health, from which, he could not recover.

•He leaves a widow (formerly Miss Beloe, Pukekohe), a son, Mr. Desmond O'Brien, Wellington, and a married daughter, Mrs. Brown, Napier.