NOTABLE RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23060, 10 June 1938, Page 13

NOTABLE RECORD

j CHEMIST HONOURED AUCKLAND INSTITUTE 65 YEARS* MEMBERSHIP The 65th anniversary of the election of Mr. J. A. Pond, of Itemuera, as a member of the Auckland Institute and Museum was celebrated yesterday at a gathering of past and present members of th-j council held in the board room of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, at which Mr. Pond was the guest of honour. The president, Mr. C. It. Ford, in expressing the pleasure of those present at being privileged to entertain Mr. Pond on such a remarkable occasion, said that it was more than 50 years since their guest was president of the institute. His work during his term of office and throughout the many years of his membership of the council had been of great value to the museum. Being nearly 92 years of age, he was now the oldest member of the institute and, it was believed, the oldest member of the New Zealand Royal Society. Mr. Pond was Government analyst from 1882 to 1911 and was for many years a prominent pharmacist in Auckland. Mr. Ford said that his work as an analyst made him one of the outstanding figures among the pioneer scientists of the country. After thanking the president for the honour which had been done him, Mr. Pond gave some interesting reminiscences of the early history of the 1 museum. It was in 1870 that the old Post Office and surrounding land at the top of Shortland Street had been given for the museum, said Mr. Pond. As the result of an appeal circularised to Auckland members of Parliament in 1881 bv the president of the institute, Mr. T. Peacock, and the

curator of the museum, Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, and through the good offices of Mr. S. Percy Smith, Commissioner of Waste Lands, the Government endowed the museum with property in the Piako, Poverty Bay and Coromandel districts, which was finally disposed of for nearly £25,000. From that time the museum had been securely established.