OCTOGENARIAN'S TRIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22991, 19 March 1938, Page 25

OCTOGENARIAN'S TRIP

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA MRS. JANE POPE'S CAREER KEEN INTEREST IN FLYING Although an octogenarian, Mrs. Jane Pope, of Hamilton, plans to leave Auckland for Sydney by the Awatea on Wednesday to spend two months in Australia with her daughter, Mrs. H. O'Brien, of Kaiama. .She will travel alone. Born in New Plymouth over 82 years ago, Mrs. Pope has had a varied and interesting experience of life. Her eldest sister was the first white child born in that province. So intense was the racial bitterness in Taranaki that Mrs. Pope's parents moved southward and settled in Picton. q After spending several years in the Nelson province the family moved to Kniumn, near Pelorus Sound, and when she was 16 years of ago fliey moved to Wanganui. Two years later they returned to the Sounds. Mrs. Pope was married in Havelock and lived there for over 45 years. During her long stay in Havelock Mrs. Pope became a firm friend of Mrs. Rutherford, mother of the late Lord Rutherford of Nelson. Sho was well acquainted with the great New Zealand scientist during his boyhood. Speaking of Lord Rutherford, Mrs. Pope said, "Ernesit was always a very quiet boy. Ho would often call in when there was sickness in thp house to see if he could be of assistance." Mrs. Pope and . her brother, Mr Robert Climo, of Hunterville, are the only remaining members of a family of 14. Mrs. Pope invariably drinks from 10 to 14 cups of tea each day. She does all her own housework and keeps her flower garden in order. In addition she sometimes walks as far as five miles in an afternoon, visiting friends. She seldom has a day's sickness. Mrs. Pope is very enthusiastic about aviation, and has twice flown across Cook Strait. One of her few regrets concerning her forthcoming voyage is that sho is unable to span the Tasman by air. Her forthcoming trip will be the fifth occasion on which she has visited Australia.