Mr. C. A. Munro’s Death Ends 80 Years In District

Northern Advocate, 6 September 1939, Page 3

Mr. C. A. Munro’s Death Ends 80 Years In District

Association with the Whangaroi district for .a period of 80 years was terminated yesterday morning by the death, in the Whangarci Hospital, of Mr Charles Augustus Munro. of King Street. Kensington, at the erge of 89. Born in Athlone, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1850. Mr Munro came to New Zealand with his parents and brother at the age of four in the ship Caternach. arriving in Auckland. A previous attempt had been made to come to the Dominion two years earlier in the ship Polar Star, which, however, caught fire, the passengers being landed at St. Helena and then returned to England. Mr Munro's father was in the army, which was engaged in the Maori war, and the family settled in Auckland, then only a small town. Mr Munro remembered boats sailing up what is now lower Queen Street.

In 1860 the family moved to the Whangarci Heads, whore Mr Munro lived with the late Mr Kenneth McGregor until he was IG, when ho was engaged in various occupations in several parts of the district. Later he took up farming, in which he was engaged until he moved to Whangarei 40 years ago. After following several occupations, Mr Munro was engaged* by Dr. S. H. Ward ,as gardener, serving in that capacity until 14 years ago, when he retired. Mr Munro was a cousin of the late General Sir Charles Munro. who was on Gallipoli with the English forces, and .a nephew of the late Lieut.-Col. Andrew Munro, of Scotland. In 1883. at Auckland, he married Miss Louisa Morey, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Henry Morey, old pioneer settlers of Parua Bay. Mr Munro, who had been .ailing for some years, is survived by his wife and 10 of a family of 12. There is one son, Mr C. K. Munro, of Hikurangi, and nine daughters: Mesdarnes H. Clements, of Matapouri, H. R. Snell, of Ngunguru, E. T. Armstrong, of Ngunguru, J. S. Dickey, of Waharc.a, J. C. Donaldson, of Hikurangi, J. N. Munro, of Whangarci, W. H. Davis, of Whangarei, B. Duncan, of Auckland, and Miss H. Munro, of Whangarei. There are 33 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.