OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3757, 16 March 1926, Page 30

OBITUARY.

A message from Sydney announces the death of Air George Winter, director of the Labou. Council’s Research Bureau. He was a native of New Zealand.

The death occurred on the Bth at the Dunedin Hospital of Air James Gilligan, a well-known resident of Alosgiel. The deceased was a son of Thomas and Mary Gilligan, of Alosgiel, and a brother of Sergeant Gilligan, of the Dunedin Central Police Force.

An Auckland message announced the death of Captain Theodore Haultain, aged 74. The deceased was for 40 years in the service of the Northern Steamship Company.

The death occurred in Dunedin on the 7th of Miss Rachel Alarion Scholcfield, daughter of the late John Hoick Seholiield (at one time head master of the NorthEast Valiev School), and- sister of Dr G 11. Scholefield, of Alasterton. Born at Riverton. Miss Scholefield was educated at Alilton, and resided there for many years. She went to England in 1903, and lived for some time in France. During the war she served in that country with the head quarters of the American Expeditionary The first death in the Balclutha Hospital occurred on the 7th, when Airs J B. APKinlay, of Fnchelutha, passed away, at the age of 57 years. The deceased had been in failing health for some time, and was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday last. She succumbed to an acute attack of jaundice. The deceased lady was born at Romahapa, where she spent her early life, and after her marriage resided in the Stirling and Jnchclutha districts, where she was well -known and highly respected. Her husband predeceased her two years ago, and a family of three sons and three daughters are left to mourn their loss. One son was killed in the Great War. Force. The funeral took place at Milton on Wednesday, the Rev. Canon Small officiating at St, John’s Church and at the graveside.

MR ROBERT KERMODE SMITH. On Thursday, February 18, there passed away at Dunedin Mr Robert Kennode Smith, one of Otago’s leading sheep farmers. His death is a great loss not only to the district in which he lived during recent ve-ars. but to tho Dominion as a whole, for hia knowledge of tho fine woollcd breeds of sheep, merino and Corriedale. was profound. He was ever ready to impart hi* knowledge not only to his neighbour* who sought and greatly appreciated hi* advice, but also to hosts of others, mostly of the younger generation, to whom he greatly endeared himself. Many of the young men who received their training from him and learnt his methods of sheep station management and farming in general—for

he was ,a skilled farmer and air instructor,—are now to be numbered amongst the most successful and progressive of the young farmers of ttys countiy ami of other countries in which they have settled.

Mr Smith’s kno.vledge was not confined merely to farming as that term is generally understood, though hfr was facile piinceps both as regards sheep breeding and farm husbandry. He had a most versatile brain and possessed great initiative, which led him to make a special .tud.y of the climatic and other conditions of the various propetties that he managed for ethers, and subsequently of the places he himself owned. So far as Central Otago is concerned—a region where the rainfall is slight and tho country practically devoid of trees—Mr Smith was a pioneer ir\ devising successful irrigation and afforestation senemes. It is now recognised that Mr Smith’s exampio in handling the problems of water and trees for Central Otago has been a powerful factor in (hawing the attention of others, including the Government, to the immense advantages that are to be gained bv the adoption of proper systems of irrigation and tree planting not only in Central Otago but also in other parts of New Zealand. From the foregoing it may be seen of what inestimable value to the country at large are men who have the ability, knowledge. experience and public spiritedness of the late Mr Smith. '1 he work that he accomplished in transforming the arid Tarris district of Central Otago into a most fertile and prosperous farming centre will be a perpetual memorial to his name. The foilovving facts about Mr Smith’s career and family mav be of interest. Mr Smith, who was born in the M'Kenz.ie Countrv. South Canterbury, in 1872, was the sixth son of the late Air A B Smith, himself a sheep farmer, and was educated in Timaru. His first training in countrv life he received on his father s station, hut in 1890. in order (o gain further experience on a larger scale, he entered the service of Messrs 11. Campbell and Sons. whose Renmore station in the Upper Waitaki Valiev was one of the largest stations m the South Island. At Ber.more he remained for about four years, during which period the station was under the management of the late Mr Thos Middleton. Subsequently Mr Smith was on a North Island station for a short time. In 1894 he was appoinied bv Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., as manager of the late Mr Christopher Basstian’s Dunrobin station, in Southland, and shortly afterwards this company placed some other stations in the same district under his management as well. For a brief period Mr Smith managed the Gore branch of Messrs Dalgety and Co.. Ltd., and m 1906 this company appointed him to the management of their famous Morven Hills •station in the Tarras district of Central Otago. This position he held until the sub division of the property in February of 1910.

Whilst managing that station he purchased on his own account Air James Preston’s Black Forest station in the M'Kenzie Countrv. and later on he bought out the late Mr John M’Rae’s farm at Tarras A little later he acquired the Cluden block of Morven Hills station. In the intervening period he disposed of Black Forest station and after that he purchased the Tarras homestead block, which adjoined his previous purchase of the late Mr John Al'Rae’s farm.

After the development of his irrigation scheme at Tarras, about two years ago. he subdivided and sold all his properties in that district Negotiations for the purchase of another property were in progress at the date of Mr Smith’s decease. Mr Smith married a daughter of the late Mr J Cotton Rowlev. of Hamilton station Otago) and Avondale station (Southland). This ladv died a few vears ago. The family surviving are three daughters, Mrs Hvde (Timburn station!. Miss Griseldu Smith, and Miss. Prudence, and two sons, Thomas, who is learning sheep farming with Mr D. Jardine. of Kawarau Falls and Glencoe stations, and Robert, who i< at '’’•'ltat-* TUerh School. A gap was made last Friday among the old identities of the Gore district by the sudden death of Airs Duncan Campbell, of Ardwick street. The deceased was the daughter of the late John Craig Thomson and his wife, Alargaret Thomson, who arrived in New Zealand by the Seville. She was born at Maori Hill 65 years a .o, and was educated at the Middle District Scho 1 under Air Hallaway. She was married at an early age to Air John Thom, eldest son of William Thom, of Alaori Hill. She removed to Alelbourne fter marriage, her parents having previously taken land at Al'Xab. Air Thom worked on (he Alelbourne tramways, where he met with an accident, from which he never fully recovered. He was ti ansferred to the signal branch, but died shortly afterwards, leaving his widow with two young children —William, now of Wellington, and ALirgaret Reid Currie, of Whitecliffs. His widow returned to New Zealand, and, coming to Gore, started a boarding-house in Alersey street. Here she met and married Duncan Campbell, son of the late Duncan Campbell, of West Taieri, five years after her first husband’s death. She then lived a few y ars at Fortrose, where a daughter, Jessie (now Airs Poppclwell, of Balfour), was born. AL Campbell then moved to Outram, shortly afterwards returning to Gore, where lie was engaged in dredging during tin boom. Since that time Airs Campbell lived in and about Gore, where she endeared herself to a wide circle of friends by her cheery disposition and kindly ways. Airs Campbell was a member of the Otago and Gore Early Settlers’ Association and also of the Gore Highland Society, at whose gatherings her cheerfulness and joviality made her a very popular member. Accidents to her Husband (involving the loss of an eye and a fractured leg) and to a grandson, who lived with her, and was twice nearly killed, tested her fortitude under severe troubles, but her courage enabled Ler to liso superior to them and to keep 1 or spirit high. Her hospitality was unbounded, and her passing will leave a gap among her relatives and friends which memory alone can fill. The blow fell very suddenly after only a few hours’ illness, her husband being alone with her at the time. Aluch sympathy will bo felt throughout the district with the sorrowing husband and family.