OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 1 June 1920, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR ALFRED GREEN HELD. A very old and esteemed settlor, in the person of Mr Alfred Greenfield, passed away at iiis residence, Torystreefc. yesterday, at the advanced ago of 91 years. Deceased was closely identified with the early history of the province, and passed through many stirring experiences in the early ciays of the /settlement. The late Mr Greenfield was born at Goswell Road, Islington, Hants, on 16th February, 1829, being the fourth son of Thomas Greenfield, solicitor. Ho was educated at a large boarding school in Surrey, named “Mordon Hall Academy a and afterwards entered his father’s office, hiit in 1861, not liking the drudgery of office work, he took advantage of an otter to come to New Zealand, sailing on 15th March in the barque Clara, in company with Captain Fraser and family, who were proceeding to Nelson. On arrival at Nelson the late Mr Greenfield lived at the Rev. Nicholson s house at the ton of Collingwood-strcet, anil tafcci he stayed with Captain Frascrt family at the corner of Nile anil Miel bournestreets. "One of hj,s first trips fiom Nelson was with Mr Walter Long Wrev, with a mob of horses to Mi Tinlnm's Run in the Amuri. Afterwards he wont with Mr Henry Handyside and Mr Morrison to ‘Golden Bay for a month, cruising along the coast in a canoe with a hired Maori. He then went to Captain Nicholson's Farm at Stoke as a cadet, where ho stayed about nine months, when he was offered and accepted the office of clerk to the first Superintendent of Nelson i Sir Wm. Stafford) and entered on these duties on Ist Jammary, 1864. This saw the commencement of Mr Greefifield’s striking career in the Provincial Government. Ho soon became Provincial Secretary and Provincial Treasurer, Immigration Secretary, Sheriff, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Provincial Auditor, Agent for the Crown under ‘‘The Westland and Nelson Coal Fields Act, 187 1 A Justice of the Peace, Warden of the Nelson South-West Goldfields, Stipendiary Magistrate; a member of the Board of Education to represent the Provincial Government; Provincial Auditor of Road Board Accounts; member of the Hospital Board of Management; Judge of Assessment Court; Commissioner of Crown Lands for Nelson : I Commissioner under Land Claimants’ Ordinance; Stipendiary Magstrate at Clyde, Thames; four times relieving S.M. at Wellington; Warden Westport and Palmerston North; Chairman Wardens’ Conference re Amendments to the Mining Act; Chairman Nelson School Commissioners. While chairman he was largely instrumental in starting the Girls’ College. Ho suggested that the revenue derived from Reserves be set, apart for secondary education, and placed in the bank on fixed deposit until a sufficient sum accumulated to establish a High School for Girls. This was unanimously agreed to by the Commissioners, and so soon as a reasonable sum bad accumulated the Commissioners applied to the College Governors to establish a High School for Girls,, which the Governors at once agreed to do when the Commissioners handed over the accumulated funds and agreed to guarantee an annual income, and the Nelson Girls’ College is the result. During his career the late Mr Greenfield held six Royal, Commissions, as follow:—(1) To report on claims for compensation by owners of land on the banks of the Aorere River, Collingwood, river to be proclaimed a sludge channel uudar the Mines Act; (2) Appointed with Mr Browning to settle rents to be paid by settlers on Hie Colliery Reserve,. Westport; (3) Appointed witlr Mr Macintosh u Board of Enquiry under “The Civil Service Act, 1871” ; (4) Appointed to ’ assess amounts to be respectively paid by the “Sluggish River” and Horseshoe Drainage Boards for future maintenance of the main drain ; (5) Appointed with' Mr Whitcombe a Board ‘of Enquiry under “The* Civil Service Act, 1871”; (6) Appointed to deal with petition for alteration of the boundaries of the Borough of Fcilding

Two sous —Mr. Frank Greenfield, of the Survey Department, Christchurch, mu! Mr. Fred. , Greenfield, of Wanganui; and. two 'daughters—airs. Kidd, of Kiwitea, Feilding, and Miss Bessie Greenfield, of Nelson, are left to mourn their loss. Mrs. Greenfield predeceased her husband in 1911.