OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 17595, 25 February 1921, Page 6

OBITUARY

Two old residents of the Wakalipu district passed away at the Lake County Hospital, Trankton. last week. Mr Thomas Hope died on February 16, at the use of 71 years. He was a native of Kskdale. Dumfrieshirc, Scotland, and came out to the Dominion in the early seventies. Shortly after his arrival he made Queenstown his objective, and sought employment on Buieraenfs run at the head of the lake. He, however, remained only, a few years in the district, when he was attracted to Queensland by the gold rush which had then set in. Fortune did not favor him in his quest for gold, so he returned to Queenstown and resumed shepherding, this time on Messrs Lawton and Gardiner’s station at Moke Creek. Deceased subsequently moved about a good deal, and worked on almost every station in the district, frequently occupying the position of head shepherd. He spent the greater part of his time at the head of the lake. The late Mr John Loft, who was 76 years of ago, left his home in Durham, England, over fifty years ago, and elected to settle in .New Zealand. Shortly after his arrival he went to the Lako district, and obtained employment at Lake Hayes. He, however, soon removed to Carclrona, where ho was enga"od in mining until his health broke down. Deceased at one time had an interest in the Criffel Lead. He was well acquainted with the Cardrona goldfields, and in his lifetime told many interesting tales of its ups and downs. Mr Geo. Mark, one of New Zealand’s pioneers, died at Wellington Hospital on Monday, aged seventy-nine years. Deceased followed the gold rush to Hokitika in 1868. Later ho assumed the management of the Golden Toint mine, Queen Charlotte Sound, and on this venture proviiu' a failure he settled in Blenheim, where fie was widely known and respected. In 1866 he married a cousin of the late Chief Justice Madden and Sir Frank Madden, Victoria. His wife predeceased him by two years. '