WHALER’S DAUGHTER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 8

WHALER’S DAUGHTER

MRS. ANNA COURTNEY DEATH AT 78 YEARS EARLY AKAROA RESIDENT The death occurred yesterday in i Gisborne of Mrs. Anna Greaves Courtney, a daughter of one of the Akaroa pioneers, and a resident of Poverty Bay for the past 55 years. Mrs. Courtney had lived practically the whole of the last half-century at Waihirerc, and was one of the most respected and popular settlers there. Born at Akaroa in 1801, she was the daughter of Captain Joseph Price, who was engaged in the whaling in- 1 dustry in the early days, and who came ashore and established himself on Banks Peninsula, where Price’s Valley commemorates his connection with settlement there. Mrs. Courtney was married in Auckland at the age of 23 to Mr. Daniel Courtney, and for a few months they kept the Kamo Hotel, North Auckland. They then came to Gisborne, and took up land at Waihirere, which still remains in the possession of the Courlnev family. Mr. Courtney died 11 years ago', and his widow continued to reside at Waihirere until recently, when she came to Gisborne to live with a married daughter. Mrs. D. Courtney, Salisbury road, at whose residence her dcatli occurred. Lively Recollections Possessing a lively memory and the enjoyment of all her faculties to the last, Mrs. Courtney could recall with unusual clarity many evenrts of the early days, and especially those connected with iter father's travels round the coast of New Zealand. She herself knew the coastline well, and had many startling experiences in contact with the Maoris, particularly on the West Coast. The members of her family are Mr. L. Courtney, Otahuhu, Auckland, Mr. W. Courtney, Greenlane, Auckland, Mrs. E. L. Devery. Auckland, Mrs. J. McLauchlan, Auckland. Mrs. D. Courtney, Gisborne, Miss S. Courtney, Melbourne, and Miss H. Courtney, Wnihi-j rere, Gisborne. There are four grand- | children. The funeral will take place to-rnor- I row. following a service at 1.45 p.m.! at the residence of Mrs. D. Courtney, Salisbury road. The burial is to be at j the Taruheru cemetery. I