OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR GEORGE HEROES. With much regret wo record the sudden death of Mr George Robertson Hercus, whose life and work iu Dunedin entitle him to bo remembered as one of its most esteemed citizens. He was on duty, as usual, at Ross and Glondining’s office yesterday, apparently in his usual health. In the evening, while at home at Albert street, he was taken with a cerebral hemorrhage just as lie was about to retire for the night, and ho died at a little after 10 ohflock. Mr Hercus was born in the North of Scotland eighty-two years ago, and came to Port Chalmers by the ship Nelson in 1870. He joined the employ of Ross and Glendining, and remained in it to the day of his death, rising to the position of a director with wide powers. Ho wa.s the premier deacon of Hanover Street Baptist Church. In all his relationships he was a man to trust and respect. Mrs Herons survives her husband, and there are six iu the family—Mr Peter Hercus, of Barr, Hercus, and Co.; Mr Stanley 0. Hercus, solicitor; Mr Eric O. Hercus, lecturer on physics at the Melbourne University, Mrs R. D. Sutherland, of Hastings; Mrs James lags, of Roxburgh; aiffl Miss Hercus. MR JOHN MILL. The half-masting of flags on a number of commercial houses at Dunedin and Port Chalmers this morning was taken as an announcement of the death of Mr John Mill, for it had been generally known for two or three days that ho was lying in a critical condition at his residence, Willowbank, Port Chalmers. He passed away last night, at the ago of eighty-three. Mark Inch, in Fife-shire, was the place of Mr Mill’s birth. He got his schooling at Tayfort, in Scotland, and as a big hoy wont to sea, serving his apprenticeship on a sailing vessel that traded to South America. Ho also made vovages into the Baltic, to Riga and Archangel, and went East as far as the Philippines. Shipping as ordinary seaman on the Sarah M, he came to Port Chalmers, this vessel arriving on December 31', 1863. Though on this vessel only a foremast hand, lie was evidently studying for “a ticket,” since on one day during the voyage, in cloudy weather, ho was the only person on board who watched an observation. When the Sarah M. came to an anchorage at Port Chalmers young John was sent up in the tug to Dunedin, and sometimes in later life bo had the joke at the expense of the passengers that he reached town the year before them —which was true, ns the passengers did not get up till New Year’s Day, 1863. His first work after leaving the vessel was on the pilot staff at Port Chalmers, under Captain Thomson. He remained on that staff for three years. In 1863 ho was married to Miss Mary Wilson, who came out to him from the Old Country under engagement to become his wild. He left the pilot service to set up at Port Chalmers as a stevedore, having bought out J. Robison and Co., and ho gradually extended that business to Bluff, Oam am, Timani, and Wellington, and guided it into other enterprises. He became a big importer of New South Wales coal. Ho undertook contracts that were out of reach of ordinary stevedores, os, for example, _in handling a lot of heavy bridge-building material in one of the smaller North Otago bays, for which he was not only paid but praised by the Government. All sorts of interests attracted his enterprise. At one time he was largely concerned in the ownership of the Ashburton Woollen Mills, and he was one of the founders of the Bruce Woollen Mills. Ho had shares in the whaling barque Splendid. Ho was amongst the early shareholders in the Shaw Savill and the New Zealand Shipping Companies. He on several occasions interested himself in vessels that came to Port Chalmers in distress. Ho acted as the Port Chalmers agent for Shackleton’s expedition, and he transacted the shore business for the Aurora when she was brought from the Antarctic by Captain 'Stcnbouse. There seemed to be hardly a limit to his activities, Hi course of time the business developed into a company, of which ho was the active head. Its wool dumping plant and sheds have long been a feature at Port Chalmers.

Mr Mill always took a keen interest in Port Chalmers affairs, and was prominent in all movements for the service of the community. Ho was for seven years in the Port Chalmers Rifle Volunteers. He was made a justice of the peace in Hie seventies. ,He served three terms as mayor. Ho was oil the first executive of the Port Chalmers Mechanics’ Institute, and sat for a gencratim on the School .Committee. Ho became president of the Port Chalmers Rowing, Football, and Tennis Clubs. He bad a scat on the Harbor Board for six years, and for awhile was on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Ho joined the Foresters in 1803, hold office in the local, lodge of Masons, and was an honorary member of the Oddfellows. Of late years lie devoted much of his time in town to his duties as director of the Perpetual Trustees, Standard Insurance, and Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co.’s New Zealand Drug Companies. In 1918 ho made his last trip to.the Old Country in company with his daughters. For the past six months or so Iw was noticed to bo visibly failing in health, but, being of strong vitality, he kept about until quite recently. He will be missed. He was a sturdy man, a terror for work, never sparing himself, yet he had thought for the less able, and many who have lived at or about Port Chalmers will always remember his unostentatious acts of land ness and benevolence. There were five sons and two daughters of his marriage. James, the eldest son, went to sea with the New Zealand Shipping Company and in the Union Company’s vessels, rising to be nfiicf officer of the Tekapo. He left the sea to join his father’s firm, and is now in New South Wales. John also served his time at sea, and is at present in Melbourne. David died years ago in London. William died at Manchester last month; Thomas, the youngest of the boys, did well in the Great War, being made a colonel and getting the C.M.G. He is in practice ns a physician at Christchurch. The two daughters are unmarried.