PIONEER AND SOLDIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17597, 9 October 1920, Page 8

PIONEER AND SOLDIER.

•-• ~vyr : i . ■.■■■ '*..-- '. ; - • V LATE MR. G. E. COOPER. ONE OF YON TEMPSKY'S. MEN. END OF aV|NTFUL' CAREER. ' One of Auckland's early pioneer soldiers, Mr. G. & Cooper, passed away in Km eighty-fifth year yesterday, at his residence, Westcroft, Dominion Road, Mount Eden. For eighteen years he held the position of janitor at. the Auckland Museum, retiring about ten years ago. , A man of splendid constitution and ever cheerful temperament, Mr. Cooper had a more, than usually long and eventful experience of life in a young colony. Born in Trowbridge, -Wiltshire, he arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and soon afterwards eefc put for the diggings, working for many years' the goldfields at Ballarat, Castlemaine, and Bendigo. When Gabriel Reed discovered gold in the gully named after .him in Otago, Mr. Cooper left for New Zealand, landing"at Dur&din in August in 1861. After working on the Molyneu% River for a considerable time, he decidediio return to Australia, but on arriving in Dunedin. was persuaded by Captain Anderson, who was raising men for the war in the Waikato, to take, charge of a number of men and proceed to Auck-, land. He arrived in Auckland in August, 1863, joined the 2nd. Regiment of the Waikato militia, and. was at once sent to the front. He was posted to the Plying Column, stationed at Mount Calvert, Wairoa, near Galwaye Redoubt. After scouting in the Hunua Ranges for some months he and his company were sent to Kawhia, and thence to the i Waikato, being stationed for some time at Kihfkihi.

Mr. Cooper vras : the first to give warning of the natives taking up their position at Orakau, and be participated in the three days' fighting. Soon afterwards the column was sent to Waipa,, to form the town of Alexandria, now called Pirongia, and remained on doty there till 1866. Early in 1868 he joined the Armed Constabulary in the Waikato, and became one of Von Tempsky's Division, with the rank of first-class sergeant. Soon after he joined, fighting broke out on the west coast with THokowaru. Von Tempsky and his division defended the first attack of Te Ngutu-o-temanu, also • the second disastrous .attack a month later, when Major Von Tempsky and so many officers and men lost their lives. Hist division being disbanded soon afterwards Mr. Cooper rejoined No. 2 Division A.0., under Major Scannall. He was present at the Moturoa engagement, under Colonel Whitmore. Soon after this his division was sent to Whakatane, to assist in hunting Te Kooti. Mr.Cooper took part in the expedition through the Urewera Country, and was. at the taking of the Buatahuna Pah, and nearly all other skirmishes in the different expeditions. After the fight with Titokowarn and Te Kooti was ended, Mr. Cooper was sent to the Waikato, and for some years was sereeant in charge of the constabulary at Kihikihi. For his services during the war he was awarded the New Zealand medal, also the long service medal. During the Russian war 6care in 1885. Mr. Cooper was sent to Auckland with his division, and commenced the fortifications at Port Cautley and Takapuna. He finally retired from the force when reductions in the service were made, and shortly afterwards was appointed janitor at the Auckland Museum. .

• Although fast failing and confined to bed, Mr. Cooper was able to celebrate his golden wedding on September 17, members of his family coming from a considerable distance to take- part in the reunion. He is survived by .a. widow, a grown-up- family, and eight - grandchildren.