PIONEER SHIPBUILDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19939, 7 May 1928, Page 10

PIONEER SHIPBUILDER.

DEATH OF MR. W. H. BROWN. " V * EARLY DAYS ON WAITEMATA. COASTAL VESSELS CONSTRUCTED One of the pioneer shipbuilders on the Waitemata, Mr. William Hoile. Brown, died yesterday at the age of 90 years. Mr. Brown knew Auckland at a time when all Jhe coastal trade was carried out l>y sailing craft, and alone, or in conjunction with his partner, the late Mr. John Sims, ht built about 50 vessels. Mr. Brown was a native of Kent, and as a lad of 17 he went to California, later coming to Auckland. Almost immediately after arrival here he was apprenticed for seven years' to Mr. Henry Niceol, who conducted one of the earliest shipbuilding yards. The location of this yard was Mechanics' Bay, about where the overhead railway bridge now crosses Parnell Rise. Soon after attaining his qualification as a journeyman, Mr. Brown entered into partnership with Mr. John Sims), who had been a fellow-worker at the Niccol yard. Thereafter, the firm of Sims and Brown was a household word on the Auckland waterfront. Two Yards Conducted. Their first yard was uader tho shadow of Point Britomart, which extended into the harbour from the end of Princes Street. Later, the firm removed the principal centre of its operations to tiie Devonport foreshore. Later again, the firm came back to the south side of the harbour, and was located in the nest of shipyards at tho end of Smales Point, near the foot of Hobson Street, but it still retained the Devonport yard. When Mr. Sims died, Mr. Brown continued to carry on the North Shore business, and it was only in 1913, when he was 80 years of age, that he relinquished active work.

One of the earliest vessel;? in the construction of' which Mr. Brown was concerned was the Noko, which was the pioneer of the Auckland-Giiborne trade. This firm built for Captain Jeremiah Casey the steamer Gemini, which was long employed between the city and Riverhead. The firm built others of Captain Casey's coastal fleet, and for the Island trading firm of Donald and Edenborough the firm launched about 13 sailing vessels, mostly schooners and barques or barquentines. A notable sailer from the yard was the schooner Sovereign, which at one of the Anniversary Day regattas won the schooner race, then one of the principal events of the day. Another cutter, the Lady Wynyard, named after the wife of Colonel Wynyard, for a time Administrator of the Government of New Zealand, was also a regatta winner. They als«- built the first pilot vessel placed by the Government on Kaipara Harbour.

Service on Local Eodies. In the Maori Wars, Mr. Brown served with the .New Zealand forces as a volunteer. From the beginning of his residence at Devonport, in 1863, he took an active part in public affairs. He was a member of the Devonport Highway Board for 15 years, and ho was elected to the first Boiougli Council, on which he remained until 1894, when he resigned owing to pressure of business. For many years Mr. Brown was Devonport's representative on the Auckland Harbour Boar 3, and president of the Master Shipbuilders' Federation. For more than 30 years he was superintendent of the Anglican Sunday School at Devon port. He also served for a number of years on the local school committee. Mr. Brown is survived by a widow, three sons, Messrs. Walter, Frederick and Harold Brown, of Auckland, and four daughters—Mrs. T. Farquharson, Mrs. (Captain) R.chards, and Mrs. E. Pike, of Auckland, and Mrs. (Captain) Hardy, of Dunedin. There are 23 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.