EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20105, 16 November 1928, Page 15

EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY.

SEVENTY YEARS A COLONIST.

MR. J. A. BEALE, OF AUCKLAND.

EARLY MEMORIES RECALLED. Celebrating his 80th birthday last Wednesday, Mi. John A. Beale, of Lucerne Road, Remuera, is able to recall memories of Auckland that date back to the very infancy of the city. Mr. Beale arrived in the Waitemata on the barque Tamar as a boy of 10 years, on January 28, 1858, the day before the Anniversary Day regatta, so that one of his first spectacles in the new country was that of stalwart savages, almost naked, contending in their war canoes, always one of the great features of tho early water sports. Mr. Beale's father, Mr. J. 11. Beale, who became one of Auckland's first teachers of music, and conductor of tho Choral Society, had been induced to come to New by tho prospects held out by a brother of his wife, Captain William Butler, who had been settled at Mangonui for some years as a trader. It was through an advertisement in an English paper asking that his sister, if alive, should communicato with him, that Mr. Beale became aware of tho whereabouts of his brother-in-law, and a correspondence followed that led the family to emigrate. It was to Mangonui that their footsteps wero first bent, and there that young Beale and his family spent their first six months of colonial life. He remembers that it was a common sight to see 20 or more whaling vessels anchored in Mangonui Harbour, and it was with them and the Maori producers of kauri gum that Captain Butler chiefly carried oi} business. Old School at Parnell. It was at the school known as the Lyceum, conducted by Mr. William Lysnar, that Mr. Beale received his educa tion, on returning to Auckland. Then lie became a student at tho Church of England Grammar School, Parnell, of which the Rev. Dr. Kinder was principal. Later he was articled as n student of law to Mr. Thomas Shailer Weston, afterwards a Judge of the District Court, and in 1873 he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor by Judge Johnstone. Directly afterwards he went to England, to his native town of Reading, Berkshire, of which one of his uncles, Mr. Alexander Beale, also a lawyer, was Mayor. While employed in his uncle's office, Mr. J. A. Beale acted as returning officer for Reading in the first Parliamen- , tary election held there under the ballot system. His experience in failing to obtain recognition of his colonial status as a lawyer brought him under public notice, and led up to legislation on the subject in the British Parliament.

Returning to New Zealand, Mr. Beale went to Cambridge to open and manage there the office of Messrs. Whitaker and Sheehan, in the busy days of native land purchase. Mr. J. P. Campbell, who died two or three years ago, as the Hon. J. P. Campbell, M.L.C., was accountant to the firm, and Mr. Robert McVeagh was then a young member of the office staff. After spending two years at Cambridge Mr. Beale returned to the city, and established himself in the law practice.which he carried on until he retired from activo city life three years ago. Early Election Oustoms.

For many years Mr. Beale was 111® principal returning officer for the Parliamentary elections in Auckland —this at a time when the nomination of candidates took place in a public ceremony on open hustings. When Parnell was a separate municipality he was a member of its borough council, and ho has also served on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and the Grafton Road School Committee. In volunteering matters lie was a member of the Rutland Rifles and the Parnell Rifles of the early days. Incidentally, he was one of the guard of honour to the Duko of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, when ho visited Auckland in 11.M.5. Galatea in the late 60's. As a musician, Mr. Beale has been organist at three of the principal Anglican Churches of Auckland, St. PauVs, j St. Mary's and All Saints'. For more than 20 years he was, as a 'cellist, a member of the orchestra of thie Choral Society, and was playing with it at the period when the Duke of Edinburgh appeared at the Choral Hall as a violin soloist.

At Mr. Beale's invitation, a number of his relatives and friends assembled at his residence on Wednesday to celebrate his birthday. Among those present were Sir James Coates, Messrs. George "and Clarence Beale, David Hay, It. McVeagh, W. J. W. I'hilson, E. V. Miller. J. H. Woodhouse, J. E. I). Spicer, J. Kenderdine and G. A. Martin.

Sir James Coates, in proposing the health of Mr. Beale, recalled many pleasant memories of the Parnell Church of England Grammar School in the early sixties. The number of "old boys" of that period now surviving could, he said, be counted on the fingers of one hand. They included Sir Francis Bell, Sir. Hay, their host, and himself. Mr. McVeagh spoke of the early dnv3 of the Waikato, and Cambridge in particular, and his association with Mr. Beale in the office of Messrs. Whitaker and Sheehan. Mr. Beale responded to the toast.