Mr. G. W. Bennett

Northern Advocate, 19 February 1940, Page 6

Mr. G. W. Bennett

OBITUARY

At one time one of the best known officers in the Railway Department, and for the past 16 years a highly respected resident of Whangarei, Mr George William Bennett, of Main's Avenue, passed away at a private hospital on Saturday night at the age of 71 years. Born in Featherston, Mr Bennett entered service with the Post and TeleI graph Department at the age of 13, and later transferred to the Railway Department, serving in various centres in the Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki districts. He retired in 1923 when he was stationmaster at Eltham, and came to live in Whangarei. Mr Bennett took the liveliest interest in many local affairs —social, religious, sporting and political. Once he had given mature consideration to a subject and decided upon a line of action, he followed it through with the greatest steadfastness of purpose. In this connection, his part as organiser in local and general elections is particularly well remembered. He was a good and loyal friend, the soul of kindness, and a man in whose word the utmost reliance could be placed. As a young man he captained cricket teams in the Taranaki district and, until his health prevented it, he was regarded as the most reliable umpire in Whangarei. He was a vicepresident of the Whangarei Cricket Association, and was also connected with the administrative side of boxing, in which he was greatly interested. When the Northland Trotting Club was functioning he was its treasurer, being interested in the sport purely for the sake of the sport. Mr Bennett had a particular flair for organising social functions, and his efforts >in this respect netted many pounds for deserving causes. For a period he was a vestryman of the Whangarei Anglican Church, and until the last was a worker in this interest. His survived by his wife.