GOLDEN WEDDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19697, 25 July 1927, Page 10

GOLDEN WEDDING.

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE WOOD.

The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. George Wood, of Birkdale, will be the occasion of a reunion of members of the family to-day. The son of a Western Australian farmer, Mr. Wood engaged in farming shortly after arrival in Dunedin in 1874, taking up a holding of 200 acres at Chatton, in Southland. Subsequent to his marriage in 1877, this area was increased by the addition of farm to farm, until it aggregated 1800 acres. Later, Mr. Wood, in conjunction with Mr. A. A. Mac Gibbon, carried on an auctioneering business at Gore for five years. He was a member of the Borough Council and belonged to the Gore Rifle Volunteers. He won the company's gold medal and cup for rifle shooting, also the silver medal for the best shot in the Southland district, and the gold medal for the best shot in the South Island.

Returning to the land, Mr. Wood purchased 450 acres of land at Wendon, and subsequently another 1000 acres. Ten years later he sold tho property in order to come to the North Island, purchasing 1000 acres at Avvahuri, near Feilding. Disposing of this two years later, he started a drapery business at Feilding, but soon went back to the land, ultimately settling at Te Aroha West, where be still has farms. Mrs. Wood was born at Green Island, near Dunedin, her father being the late Mr. John Johnston, of Kaihiku. There is one son, Mr. W. G. Wood, of Birkdale, and six daughters, Mesdames William Stevenson, of Wendon, Robert Swan, of Hawera, A. A. Garvey, of Hamilton, Norman Mcl'ndoe, of Hamilton, Madam Annie Morris, of Auckland, and Miss J. M. Wood, of Birkdale.