MR. ARNOLD HARE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 46, 23 August 1938, Page 11

MR. ARNOLD HARE

The death occurred at Lower Hutt recently of Mr. Arnold Hare, aged 62 years, head of the firm of Coutts Bros, and Hare, Ltd.

Born in Kaeo, Whangaroa, in 1876, he was educated at Newton East School, Auckland, and at Dr. McArthur's College, where he was dux for his year. In 1891 he sailed for America in the schooner .Pitcairn and he attended the Northern Union College at Battle Creek, Michigan, as a medical student, but owing to a serious illness he was compelled to return home before his studies were completed. While in America he was a class mate of the late Sir Maui Pomare.

On his return to New Zealand he became an electrical engineer and gained five gold medals at the Auckland Exhibition for exhibits of electrical apparatus made by him. In 1898, in an art exhibition he also won a gold medal for charcoal drawing. Mr. Hare had a bicycle shop in. Auckland, where he made the first safety bicycles in New Zealand. . .

In 1924 he built in his back yard in his spare time three motor-buses with which he started a Lower Hutt-Petone-Wellington bus service which he ran until the Government bought him out in 1927. When Mr. Hare went with his family to Pitcairn Island for a holiday he introduced the first piano, radio transmitter, bees, and grapefruit.. He also put the first motor into one of the surf boats there and purchased for the islanders 350 gallons of aviation spirit left there for the proposed round-the-world flight by de Pinedo. While at Pitcairn he completed one of the first business deals with Wellington by radio, selling some property here and negotiating by ship and shore wireless. On his return to Wellington he purchased the business of Messrs. Coutts Bros Ltd., later adding to it the firm 'of Fitzgerald and Pearce and instituting the present firm of Coutts B^os. and Hare, Ltd. . Mr Hare was an enthusiastic rifle shot and also was very interested in cycling and yachting. He leaves a widow, five sons, and a daughter, and his parents still living,reside at 160 Balmoral Road, Auckland.