NOTABLE SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 14

NOTABLE SERVICE

HONOUKS RECIPIENTS k SIR ERNEST DAVIS' CAREER WIDE' PUBLIC ACTIVITIES WORK OF PRINCESS TE PUEA Biographical ' sketches of tho men and women whose names appear in the Coronation honours list, published on another page, arc as follows: — 1 SIR MICHAEL MYERS The Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers, K.C., G.C.M.G., P.C., was born at j Motuek'a in 1873, son of the founder of the firm of Judah Myers and Company. Educated at Thorndon School, Wellington, he distinguished . himself at tho age of 12 by winning a primary Education Board scholarship. This was one of many honours that fell to h'im during his student days. In 1892 Sir Michael joined the staff of the legal firm of Bell, Gully and Izard, ahd seven years later he became a partner, remaining with the firm until 1922, when he was made a King's Counsel. He has been the only member of the profession so far to take silk and practise as a barrister only. He came to bo recognised as tho. foremost lawyer in the Dominion and on the death of Sir Charles Skerrett in 1929 he was appointed to succeed him as Chief Justice. With the next New Year's honours ho was knighted, and in 1931 he was .appointed as a member of the Privy Council. SIR ALGERNON THOMAS Sir Algernon Thomas, M.A., F.L.S.. F.G.S., professor emeritus of the Auckland University College, was one of the original'staff of professors at the foundation of the college in 1883. Sjr Algernon was born in Cheshire in 1857 and educated in Manchester and at Balliol. College, Oxford. Taking up his duties in Auckland at the age of 26 he continued to serve the college as professor of biology and geology until his retirement in 1914. Since then he has given a- great deal of his time to his duties as chairman of the Grammar Schools Board of Governors, of which he has hecn chairman since 1916. Two years ago he completed 50 years of Service to the Auckland Institute and Museum, and he is still an active member of the council and is chairman of the trustees of the institute. He is also at the present time vice-chairman of the Dilworth Trust Board.

On the University College Council Sii Algernon has served as vice-chairman and for a time acted as chairman during the absence of Sir George Fowlds. He was also for several terms a member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand. For more than half a century he has been one of the most active educational leaders in Auckland, and his'interest in men and affairs and his thorough knowledge of such a variety of subjects as plant life, indigenous fauna, agriculture, geology, languages,- painting, photography, art collecting and music have long made him a figure of distinction in the community. He is a devoted and skilful gardener, and is specially well-known for his suck's with wide varieties of early daffodils. / SIR ERNEST DAVIS Sir Ernest Davis was born in Nelson on February 17, 1872, the son of the late Mr. Moss Davis and Mrs. Leah Davis. He was educated at the Bishop of Nelson's School .and the Auckland Grammar School. He started his commercial career in the warehouse of William McArthur and Company, iron plerchants and warehousemen. He subsequently joined his late father in the firm. of Hancock and Company, Limited, , eventually becoming the managing - director. Throughout his business career he has been actively, associated, .with companies identified closely with the development of Auckland, and is still a member of the directorate of over a dozen important commercial concerns. Sir Ernest was keenly interested in volunteering in the early days of the movement, and was a member of the original A Battery of artillery, and was a lieutenant of the Devonport Naval Torpedo Compan.y for over 10 years. He first entered public life as a member of the Newmarket Borough Council over 30 years ago, and served two terms as Mayor of Newmarket. He: was for two terms a member of the' Auckland Hospital Board, a member of the Auckland Harbour Board for three terms, a member of the Auckland Fire Board for one term and some years ago served for two terms as a member of the Auckland City Council. Since May, 1935, he has been Mayor of Auckland and chairman of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board, ,and has pursued a progressive policy that has done much to assist the city through a difficult period. ■ ■ ' There is practically no form of sporting activity or social work in Auckland with which Sir Ernest has not been connected. He holds leading offices in 94 organisations, including ]1 which are Dominion-wide in their scope. His principal hobby, is yachting. For many years he sailed tiie big ketch Viking, which he recently presented to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy as a training vessel for bovs. and he now cruises in the larger schooner Morewa. He is one of the oldest active yachtsmen in New Zealand.

SIR CHARLES NORWOOD Sir Charles Norwood, chairman of directors of Dominion Motors, Limited, was born in Queensland in 1871 and came to Wellington in 1897. He began his career as a mechanical engineer and afterward joined the staff of the Wellington Gas Company, rising to an ' executive position, and resigning in 1912 to found the business he now heads. He has a long and notable record of public service, being a city councillor from 19.16 to 1923. when hn founded the milk depot and was chairman of the controlling committee, and being Mayor from 1925 to 1927. As Mayor he founded and became chairman of the Wellington Fire Board. Recently he has devoted much of his time to the cause of crippled children, being a member of the board of trustees of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society. DR. R H. HOGG Dr. R. 11. Hogg, C.M.G., who in 1936 was elected president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, practised in Invercargill for more than 40 years. From 1915 to 1919 Dr. Hogg was engaged in hospital work with the No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital in Egypt and England. He was promoted major and for a considerable time was in charge of the New Zealand officers' Hospital nt Brockenhurst. On his return to the. Dominion he resumed practice in Invercargill and was subsequently elected a foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. MISS E. M NUTS JOY Miss Emily May Nutsey, M.8.E., is ladv superintendent of the Auckland hospital, having been appointed to that position in 1928. Miss Nutsey was trained at the Auckland Hospital. Leaving the Dominion in 1915 with the first contingent of nurses for active service, she had four and a-half years'

service abroad She was mentioned in despatches in 1916 for bravery and was also awarded the decoration of the Roval lied Cross in England. On returning to the Dominion in 1919 sho acted as matron of the Opotiki Cottage Hospital for a few later joining the Department of School Hygiene as a school nurse. After serving two years in this capacity, Mis.® Nntsey went to South Africa, where she remained two years, being engaged mostly in surgical nursing. Soon after her return to Now Zealand, Miss Nutsev was appointed matron of the Stratford Hospital and later took up a similar position at the Hawera Hospital.

PRINCESS TK PUEA HE RANG I Princess Te Puea Herangi, C.8.E., was born a little over 50 ycyirs ago in the Waikato, the daughter of Te Tahuna Herangi and To Aliuia, the eldest child of King Tawhiao. For a number of years past she has devoted herself with self-sacrificing enthusiasm to winning back the land of her people at Ngartiawahia and restoring it to its former fertility. Sho has had before her the ideal of establishing a tribal centre which would always be regarded as a home for her people and to which visitors could be welcomed according to the old tribal ritual. She gave her •support to tho communal farming scheme of Sir Apirana Ngata, and won over her people to support it. The results so far have fully justified her faith, and much has been done under her inspiring leadership to improve the lot. of her people. One of her chief tasks at the present time is supervising the building of seven canoes to represent at the centenary celebrations of 1940 the original seven which brought the first Maoris to New Zealand. Within her own home, which is a beautiful example of varied Maori arts and crafts, Te Puea has entertained many distinguished guests, including the former Governor-General, Viscount Bledisloe, who displayed a deep and heart-felt interest in the magnificent work she had done to preserve the best in tho life and culture of her people.