SPORTSMAN'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 8

SPORTSMAN'S DEATH

MR. WILLIAM HELLABY

an adventurous career

The death of Mr. William Hellafcv occurred :i week ago at Papua, >"e\r Guinea. Born in Grafton P.oad, Auckland, Mr. Hellaby began his education at the then widely known private school of Mrs. Williams in Wynyard Lane, passing on to the "Auckland College and Grammar School," as it was at that time known. Mr. Hellaby distinguished himself at athletics, and played for the first fifteen. He was a good shot and a lover of horses and sporting dogs. He was always well mounted, and for many years was a keen member of the Pakuranga Hunt Club, also competing regularly in the riding and driving events of the Agricultural Show. He was a boxing enthusiast, and for several seasons played cricket for Grafton. About 1910 Mr. Hellaby sold his interests in the firm of P>. and W, Hellaby. Limited, and moved to Australia. Here he found almost unlimited scope for his adventurous spirit, and tackled pretty well every activity from sheep station owning to gold ar.d oil prospecting. On the outbreak of tie world war he paid his own fare to England to join up with the Eoyal Artillery, and served with distinction in France, being promoted to commissioned rank. He was later badly gassed Find never fully recovered his earlier robust health. Mr. Hellaby invested in all sorts of enterprises of the post-war boom period of England. At one stage he was the owner of a fleet of nondescript cars, which he successfully hired out for race parties and to American tourists. Like many other such ventures, it faded in 1920-1921. and Mr. Hellaby returned to Australia, where he married.. Never able to settle down, Mr. Hellaby continued to try one enterprise after another until this; month he suffered an attack of appendicitis on the New Guinea goldfields.