OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 21639, 7 February 1934, Page 10

OBITUARY

MR JOHN CAMPBELL Air John Campbell, whose death took place yesterday, was a well-known resident of Port Chalmers. Born in Glasgow in 1855, he came to New Zealand with his parents in the wooden ship Helenslee, landing at Port Chalmers on August 23, 1868. In 1871 he was apprenticed to engineering with Mr William Wilson, of the Otago Foundry. His first job was heating rivets for a plywheel which was being built for Anderson’s flourmill at Woodhaugh. On completing his apprenticeship he joined the Rotorua as fourth engineer. He left her in Sydney and joined the A.U.S.N. Company s steamer Florence Irvine, which was wrecked at Sydney Heads on the voyage that he joined her. After working at his trade for a time in Sydney Mr Campbell returned to New Zealand. In 1878, as second engineer, he joined the Kiwi, then commanded by Captain James Campbell, who was afterwards master or the Beautiful Star. Two years later he left the Kiwi and joined the engineering staff then constructing the Wellington . waterworks. The sea again called him. He was on the Black Diamond steamer Westport when she was wrecked. She van on a sunken rock in making Banks Peninsula from the south, was refloated, and taken to Lyttelton for. repairs. As the new dry dock there was not then completed she was ordered on to Wellington, where a slip was available. She sank on the way, through a section of the cnntrefugal pump piping giving way. The crew of twenty-one landed at Flaxburne, south of Cape Campbell, and after being succoured on a sheep run walked sixty miles to Blenheim. , . „ . , Air Campbell was chief engineer for several years in the Levin Company s steamers before he came to Port Chalmers and succeeded his father as engineer of the dock and freezing works of the Otago Dock Trust. As a young man Air Campbell was a noted athlete and a well-known figure at the Caledonian sports here, winning many honours on the track as a walker. He also won first prizes in similar events in Sydney. Air Campbell is survived by Mrs Campbell and Aliss Dons Campbell, also his sons John (Oamaru) . William (England), Val (America)'. Charles (s.s. Alaui Pomare), Norman (Alosgiel), and Harold (Port Chalmers).