OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 21717, 11 May 1934, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR J. CUNNINGHAM On Sunday last Mr John Cunning* ham died at his residence at Halfway Bush, aged 84. He was, in his prime, a very useful man. He was born m Dunedin, in a fern-tree cottage that stood at the corner of Walker (now Carroll) and Princes streets, the son of passengers who came out by the Philip Laing in 1848. When the family shifted to Halfway Bush they made their homo in thick bush at a spot now known as Kirkland Hill. Young John walked a long distance to the first Wakari School, opened by Mr Adam Johnston, and later became a pupil at the first Kaikorai School, of which Mr Macklin was the master. In much of his time at home he had to help with the farm work, but being determined to improve his prospects he bought books on mathematical subjects, and made_ such progress with his unaided studies that he qualified as a surveyor and practised that profession for forty years, most of that time on the- Government stall under Mr Arthur and Mr M‘Kerrow. At intervals he took an interest in gold prospecting, and was the first man to try the Barewood reefs, associated in that venture with Mr Allan Orbell and Mr R. L. Stanford. In his retirement upon growing old ho was recognised as the wise man of the district, and withal a very courteous conipanion.