OBITUARY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 59, 21 February 1931, Page 5

OBITUARY

EUSTACE LANE. There passed away at Wairoa this week a well-known Wairoa and Hawke’s Bay figure, in the person of Mr. Eustace Lane, of Kiwi. Deceased had been in poor health for a number of years, and this to a large extent prevented him from participating actively in the commercial and political life of this district. No doubt this was galling to a man of Mr. Lane’s active temperament, but despite this, by means of his pen —for lie was an able journalist—be kept abreast of current affairs, and made himself something to be reckoned with. Although many of his ideas may have been ahead of the times, some of them and the suggestions he made, were sound and of sterling merit. Mr. Lane was a fine, progressive settler, and took an active interest in t ie Farmers’ I non and was a member of the Wairoa A. and P. Society. He evinced keen interest in politics nnd stood for the Hawke's Bay and Napier seats as an Independent, but without success. He was a hard hitter and wrote and said things in the heat of action that may have hurt his opponents, but all knew the kin nature of the man beneath, and knowing bis temperament, forgave him and remained his friends. When the controversy over the Napier inner and outer harbour development schemes was at its height Mr. I ano was a keen partisan of the former In later years, Mr. Lane advocated making use of the waste pumice lands at Taupo by a connecting railway from that piece to Napier, and the erection of largo fertiliser v.orks at that port. The late Mr. Lone was horn at Broom Court, Warwickshire, England, in 1871. He was educated in the Homeland, and on leaving college was apprenticed to Taunk.il, Delfond, Lane and Co., mechanical engineers, London and Birmingham. At the age of 21 he came cut to Western Australia, and look up fanning pursuits in the Northwestern portion of that State for a number of years He visited New Zealand in 1895. On bis return to Australia he joined the finn of Burns, Philp and Co., in Geraldton, and remained with them for 18 months, afterwards entering the merchandise business of Lee, Steere and Co., at Cue, as one of the principals. Mr. Lane hod always a liking for journalism, and on the outbreak of war in South Africa, was sent there as n representative of the Melbourne Herald, and went through the whole of the campaign. In WOO Mr Lane married Miss Alice Rose Burges, whom he leaves to mourn her loss and a family consisting of five sons and three daughters, namely, Mrs W. B. White (Tuhara), Misses Annette and Jean, Messis John (Riiukituri), Victor (Wairoa), Charles (Petane), Hazelbur and Richard Lano (Wairoa). The bite Mr. Lane had brothers and sisters resident in England and New Zealand. Theatre as follows: Mrs Postelwaite and airs Fosbrooke, England; Mr John Lane, Havelock North; Mr H. C. Lane, Christchurch, and Messrs Douglas, Victor and Percy Lane, England.

After his marriage Air Lane came to New Zealand again—in 1903—and took up farming at Te Ranga, near Te Ante, leaving alter six years to commence business in Napier with Mi McCarthy as land and estate agents. When the Ing Kiwi estate was cut up for closer settlement by Messrs Chambers Bros, he bought the homestead block and settled on it in 1915, and had farmed there ever since. His well-known figure will be greatly missed by a large circle of friends, whose sympathy will go out to his widow and family. His ago was 60 years.