BIRTHDAY HONOURS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23829, 8 June 1939, Page 12

BIRTHDAY HONOURS

DOMINION AWARDS TWO KNIGHTHOODS PROFESSORS BENHAM AND HUNTER WOMEN PROMINENT IN LIST <Peb United Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 7. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral (Viscount Galway) has announced that his Majesty the King has been graciously pleased on the occasion of the celebration of his birthday to confer the following honours in recognition of services rendered ' the Dominion: — CIVIL DIVISION Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. [K.B.E.] Professor William Blaxland Benham, Professor Emeritus, Otago University. Professor Thomas Alexander Hunter, of Wellington. Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. [C.M.G.] Mr Henry Tai Mitchell, of Rotorua. Mr Arthur Tyndall, Under-Secretary of the Mines Department and Director of Housing Construction, Wellington. Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. [C.8.E.1 Mr Norman Edwin Hutchings, assistant Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department, Wellington. Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. [0.8.E.] Miss Jane Rhoda Barr, of Wellington, formerly principal of the Girls’ High School, Timaru. Mother Mary Gonzaga, matron of the Mater Misericordise Hospital, Auckland. Colonel William Douthwaite Holgatc, of Auckland. Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. fM.B.E.] Miss Teresa Butler, former matron of the hospital at Rarotonga, Cook Islands. 1 Miss Mary Blythe Law, former teacher in the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, Auckland. Miss Blanche Eleanor Carnachan, J.P., of Auckland. Mr Frank Reed, of Auckland, formerly Government Chief Inspector of Mines. MILITARY DIVISION Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. [0.8.E.] Flight Lieutenant Cyril Eyton Kay, Royal New Zealand Air Force, of Auckland,

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, [M.B.E.] Mr Albert John Lee, Commissioned Engineer, R.N., of Auckland. Captain David Nicol, district ordnance officer, Southern Military District, Christchurch. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES SIR WILLIAM BENHAM Sir William Benham, who has had a distinguished career in the world of science, was professor of biology at the University of Otago, and curator of the Otago Museum, from March, 1898. until February. 1937. In addition to the general course of biology, which

in those days included a fair amount of botany and zoology, he gave a course in palaeontology, or the anatomy o f extinct creatures, until 1911, when it was taken over by the department of geology. He also undertook to give a course in dental anatomy from the time when the Dental School was established in 1907 till 1924. when the school took it over. Each of these courses involved lectures and laboratory work. In 1913, at the request of certain students. Sir William instituted a course of botany for B.Sc. up to the honours stage, and he carried this on until 1917, when one of his students was sufficiently prepared to take over the position of lecturer. All his teaching work was carried on in addition to his duties as curator of the museum. Sir William has had published more than 100 papers and articles on zoological suojects in various journals and transactions of scientific societies in England. Australia and New Zealand. the subjects varying from the brain of a chimpanzee to earth and marine worms, most of the groups in the animal kingdom being covered. His first contribution was in 1883, before he had taken his degree, and his last, on. fossil whales, in 1937. He also contributed chapters ■ on his special subject to several text books. He was entrusted by the Australian Museum, and later by the British Museum, with the examination of the marine worms collected in the Antarctic by the Mawson and Scott expeditions., and his findings were published in quarto monographs. Before that he reported on the marine worms collected by the Australian Fisheries ship Endeavour. Sir William Benham was awarded the Hutton Memorial Medal (New Zealand Institute) in 1911 and the Hector Medal and Prize (Royal Society of New Zealand) in 1935. while he received the Coronation Medal in 1937. A member of the New Zealand University Senate for several years and of

the Board of Studies until 1926, he was also a member of the Otago University Council as a representative of the Professorial Board, for 16 years, and was chairman of the board and dean of the arts faculty for a term. His chairmanships included those of the Hocken Library Committee and of the Marine Fisheries Investigation Station at Portobello, and he was president of the Otago Institute in 1904 and 1912 and president of the New Zealand Institute in 1917-18. He was also president of the New Zealand Eugenics Society till its death in 1914, and he was a member of the council of the London Eugenics Society. SIR THOMAS HUNTER

As vice-chancellor of the University of New Zealand, a position which he has held since 1929, Professor Sir Thomas Hunter is the executive head of the university. He is also principal of Victoria University College, Wellington, a recently-created post, and has been professor of mental and moral philosophy at Victoria College for many years. Born in London in 1876, Sir Thomas Hunter came to New Zealand at an early age, and was educated at Port Chalmers High School and the University of Otago, where he graduated bachelor of arts in 1898. In the same year he was awarded a University of New Zealand senior scholarship in mental science. He graduated master of arts with llrst-class honours in mental science in 1899, bachelor of science In 1903, and master of science in 1904. He was appointed senior house master and assistant master at Waitaki Boys’ High School in 1899, and in 1904 became lecturer in mental science and economics at Victoria College, Wellington. In 1907 he was appointed professor of philosophy and economics, and on the establishment of a separate department of economics in 1909, he continued as professor of philosophy, a position which he still holds. He has been a member of the Victoria University College Council since 1920. and w r as chairman of the Professorial Board in 1911, 1912, 192 C. and 1921 A member of the Council of Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North, from 1923 till recently, he served as its chairman for over two years. He became a member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand in 1912 and Vice-Chancellor in 1929.

Sir Thomas has taken a keen interest in adult education. He was president of the Workers’ Educational Association from 1916 to 1919, and was the director of tutorial classes from 1924 to 1929. He is chairman of the Council of Adult Education set un some time ago by the Government, and has been president since its inception over four years ago of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Author of many pamphlets and articles to periodicals on philosophical, educational, ecqnomic, political and allied subjects. Professor Sir Thomas Hunter has been a member of the International Committee of the Congress of Psychology since 1929 and was president of the Australasian Association of Psychology and Philosophy in 1927 MR L TYNDALL. C.M.G. Mr A. Tyndall, who is Under-secre-tary of the Department of Mines and Director of Housing Construction, is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, a solicitor of the Supreme Court, and has studied accountancy. He was appointed Under-secretary of Mines in

December, 1934, and in September, 1936, he was given charge of the Housing Construction Department as well. Before his appointment to the former position he was chief engineer to the Main Highways Board for nine years. Mr Tyndall was born in Dunedin in 1891 and was an engineer in the Public Works Department till 1914, when he became assistant engineer to the Dunedin City Council. In 1915 he rejoined the department, and after being engineer in charge of construction at the Featherstone military camp and works engineer at Trentham, he became engineer in charge of the Public Works Department in Western Samoa. In 1923 he toured and studied in the United States, Great Britain and Europe. MR H. T. MITCHELL, C.M.G. One of the best-known Maoris in New Zealand, Mr Henry Tai Mitchell, has for years played a prominent part in Native affairs in the Bay of Plenty district. After spending many years as a surveyor, first with the Lands and Survey Department and later on his own account, he joined the Native Department in 1926 as a ludge’s assistant and consolidation officer, and since the inception of the Arawa District Trust Board has been chairman. He has also identified himself with the preservation of natural scenery in the Rotorua i Lake district and has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his race. He has been a member of the Rotorua Borough Council for the last three terms. In sport, Mr Mitchell was formerly a Rotorua and Thames Rugby and Association football representative. He was the first secretary of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and also for many years secretary of the Rotorua Subunion. At present he is president of the Bay of Plenty Sub-union. MR N. E. HUTCHINGS, C.B.E. * Mr Norman Edwin Hutchings is the youngest son of the late Mr and Mrs E. A. Hutchings, of Whangarei, and later of Mount Albert. Auckland. He was born in Whangarei and educated there. He joined the Public Works Department in Whangarei as a cadet in 1916. 'After some years’ service he was transferred to the head office in Wellington in 1921, In 1926 ho was apoointed a Ministerial private secretary, and served in that capacity to six successive Ministers of Public Works, these being Mr K. G. Williams. Sir Alfred Ransom, Mr W. B. Taverner, Mr J. G. Coates. Mr J. Bitchener, and Mr R. Semple. In 1937 Mr Hutchings returned to the department to occupy the position of head office chief clerk. In 1938 he was promoted to the head clerical position of the Public Works Department, that of Assistant Under-secretary, which position he still occupies. Mr Hutchings is well known in local body circles throughout New Zealand. MISS J. R. BARR, 0.8. E. Miss J. R. Barr, who retired about a year ago from the position of headmistress of the Timaru Girls’ High School, is now living in retirement m Wellington. She held her Timaru appointment for 14 years, and before going there had been headmistress of lona Girls’ College in Hawke’s Bay and of the New Plymouth Girls’ High School. She was born at Oamaru in 1880. and was educated at the Waitaki Girls’ High School and Otago University. Miss Barr, who uas had a distinguished educational career, took an active part in the work of relieving distress among women in Timaru during the depression.

REV. MOTHER MARY GONZAGA, 0.8. E. A life of outstanding devotion and service to the sick has been that of the Rev. Mother Mary Gonzaga, Mother Superior of the Sisters of Mercy at Mater Misericordiae Hospital (Auckland). of which she has been the executive head since she and three other sisters established it at the beginning of the century. Mother Mary Gonzaga was born in Marlborough, and entered the Order as a young woman, working in a number of its institutions until m the late nineties the sisters took temporary charge of the Coromandel Public Hospital, which had found difficulty in obtaining a nursing staff. In 1900 she and three associates arranged for the purchase of a property on which the present Mater Misericordiae Hospital stands. Since then she has remained at the head of the institution, and it was after a visit bv her and the Rev. Mother Mary Agnes to the United States in 1930 that she. in collaboration with the city architect, worked out a design for a thoroughly modern hospital of 75 beds which became in 1933 the nresent hospital.

COLONEL W. D. HOLGATE. 0.8. E.

A conspicuous part in the development of coal mining in the Auckland province has been played by Colonel W D. Holgate, 0.8. E., of Auckland. His interest in coal mining began with the Taupiri Coal Company and extended to the Hikurangi Coal Comoany, of which he was managing director for 22 years. Since 1926 he has been president of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association and he is present chairman of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, Ltd., and director of many other concerns. Colonel Holgate was born in Yorkshire in 1862 and came to New Zealand in 1890, aftei having spent some years in Victoria, where he was prominent in military circles. He pioneered the mounted rifles movement m Auckland, being captain of the first corps and colonel of the first regiment. MISS T. BUTLER. M.B.E. Long nursing service in the tropics stands to the credit of Miss T. Butler, who in February retired medically unfit from the position of matron of the Awarua Hospital, Rarotonga, and is now in New Zealand. She trained for her profession at the Christchurch Hospital and did her midwifery course in Melbourne. Miss Butler was in England on a private visit in 1914 and on the outbreak of the war she offered her services to the Imperial authorities. They were immediately accepted and she was one of the original nurses to serve in Belgium with the British Army, arriving there within three days of the outbreak of the Great War. Later, she transferred to the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, with which she served for the remainder of the war. After her return to New Zealand she was for brief periods at the Trentham and Pukeora Hospitals. She went to Western Samoa in 1922. and later nursed at Niue. She had been matron of the Rarotonga Hospital for about eight years up to the time of her retirement.

MISS M. B. LAW. M.B.E. Unremitting attention to the interests of the children who have passed through the school at the New Zealand Institute for the Blind in Parnell has distinguished the life of Miss Mary Blythe Law, M.B.E. She recently retired from the position of head mistress of the school after nearly 40 years’ service. MISS B. E. CARNACHAN. M.B.E. An active interest in the improvement of conditions for women and children has long been taken by Miss B. E. Carnachan, M.8.E., of Auckland. She was among the first women justices of the peace and was later appointed a special children’s magisFormerly a school teacher. Miss Carnachan became a member of many Auckland organisations on her retirement, taking a special interest m those associated with the welfare of women and children. Miss Carnachan was appointed by the Unemployment Board in 1931 as a member of a special committee to consider the question ot unemployment among women. MR FRANK REED, M.B.E.

A prominent mining engineer Mr Frank Reed, M.8.E.. M.lnstit., M-M----(Lond.), who lives in retirement .n Auckland, has aprofessional record extending over 59 years. Mr Reed came to New Zealand early in 1800 and was appointed manager of the newly-formed Mokihinui Coal Company, Buller coalfield. He later dis_covered and took up for himself and some friends an area now known as the Seddonville coalfield. In 1891 he went to Western Australia and was appointed an engineer in the Public Works Department. He developed tne first coal mine in that State, and also discovered the first artesian water in Western Australia, for which he was specially thanked by the Government. On the discovery of the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie goldfields, Mr Reed wav appointed the first West Australian Government Inspector of Mines for tlv* central goldfields. He was subsequently Government Mining Engineer and Statist until he resigned in 1898 to become general manager of the then famous Peak Hill Goldfield Company, Ltd. In 1901 Mr Reed was appointed general manager of the Doric Gold Mines. Ltd., Colorado, and four years later he came to New Zealand as Inspecting Engineer to the .Mines Department, a post to which was subsequently added those of Consulting Engineer to State Collierjes and Chief Inspector of Coal Mines Mr Reed was a member of the New Zealand Royal Commission on Mines in 1911. He retired in 1922, and in 1937 the Government awarded him a special grant of £SOO for distinguished services to the mining industry. Mr Reed holds many professional qualifications. His only son, Lieutenant P. F. H. Reed, M.C.. was killed in action in France in 1918. FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT C. E. KAY, 0.8. E. Flight-lieutenant C E Kay. with Squadron-leader J. D, Hcwett, took part in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race of

1934, and on November 14 of the same year they left the Richmond aerodrome, Sydney, for New Zealand, at 5.45 a.m. (New Zealand time). They sighted New Zealand at Westport at 5.30 p.m., and flew up the coastline and across Golden Bay to over Blenheim. carrying on to Palmerston North and landing at the Milsom aerodrome at 8.4 p.m. At the present time Flightlieutenant Kay is on his way to England to assist in bringing out the first flight of bombers that were recently ordered by the Government for the Royal New Zealand Air Force

COMMISSIONED ENGINEER A. J. LEE. 0.8. E. Long service with the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy has marked the career of Commissioned Engineer A. J. Lee, 0.8. E., engineer officer in H.M.S. Philomel and assistant manager of the Devonport Naval Base and Repair Dockyard. Commissioned Engineer Lee entered the Royal Navy in 1915 and saw active service in the old H.M.S. Leander and in the destroyers .Sylvia and Marmion with the Grand Fleet. He first came to New Zealand as a member of the crew which brought H.M.S. Chatham to New Zealand in 1921 to act as training ship for New Zealand, and he later served in the Dunedin and the Diomede before returning to England in 1928. He came back again in 1932 and has been in New Zealand ever since. He was promoted to the rank of commissioned engineer on April 1, 1936. CAPTAIN D. NICOL, M.B.E. Captain David Nicol, M.8.E., has since 1934 occupied the dual position of ordnance officer, Southern Military District, and officer in charge of the Burnham military camp. Ho was born at Cathcart, Scotland, in 1891, and as a young man served with the 145th Field Battery, Territorial Army (Scottish). He came to New Zealand in 1912.

Captain Nicol was in ill-hcalth when the Great War was declared, but enlisted in the Vth Reinforcements in 1915. He joined the New Zealand Ordnance Corps in 1918, and until 1934 was stationed at the Trentham military camp. He was transferred to Burnham in his present dual position in 1934. Since his appointment to the control of the Burnham camp the camp has undergone many changes, particularly in increasing the number and size of the camp buildings. All the work has been carried out, not by private contractors, but by day labour, under the personal supervision of Captain Nicol.