OBITUARY

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 26 August 1933, Page 5

OBITUARY

HON. G MTHOMSON

SERVICES TO SCIENCE

The Hon. G. AI. Thomson, whose death occurred at Dunedin on Thursday night, was born at Calcutta 84 vears ago. He was educated at the Edinburgh High School and University., and was for three years employed in a merchant’s office in London. Following the failure of the Agra Bank, Air Thomson’s familv came to New Zealand, arriving in Southland in 1868. In 1872 lie • joined the staff of the Otago High School, and for many years was master at both the boys’ and girls’ institutions He was the inaugurator and one of the founders of the Technical School at Dunedin in 1889, and for eleven years filled the position of lion, secretary and superintendent. For ma sy years he was secretary, and afterward became president on two occasions of the council of the Otago Institue, and for a long period was an active member of the Otago Acclimatisation Societv. In the later connection he was the chief mover in attempts to introduce marine fishes into New Zealand sous. As a close student. of botany and zoology he published several works.

For a long period Mr Thomson was honorary secretary of the Australasian Society for the Advancement of ■Science. He was one ot the original members of the society, and organised and carried out the Science Congress in Dunedin in 1904. Mr Thomson founded, and for some years was president of the Dunedin City Mission, and also the Dunedin Choral Society. He founded and was an original member of the Dunedin Football Club, was captain of the <hh for a time, and an Otago football representative.' He was also the founder and for many years president cl the Pirates Football Club at Dunedin. As president of the Dunedin Young Men s Christian Association he did good work. '■ He was one of the original members of the Dunedin Conservation Society, and a member of the boaid. and was at one time a member of the IS Battery, and for several years *aptain in the Volunteer Artillery. lie was also a member of the advisory committee of the Free indergarten Association at Dunedin. Mr Thomson was a devoted nv lnber of Knox Presbyterian Church. Dunedin. He was elected to the cilice .if elder in 18SG during the mini lory of the lato D. M Stuart, D.l) It was in 1908 ' that Mr Thom on entered Parliament, being. returned m hat year for Dunedin North, tie was elected again three 'years later, ;c-i-v----.ng altogether six years in the Lower House. He was appointed to iluUpper House in 1918, and renppoinr.ed in 1925. His term expired wicn several others not reappointed last par.