OBITUARY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18761, 18 July 1935, Page 2

OBITUARY

MR. ROBERT ROBERTSON , DEATH AT MEETING Tin, sudden death of Mr Robert RohuitKou at a meeting of the High Seitoo Hoard of Governors last evening, will come as a shock to his many friends. Not loim after the commencement of tiie meeiing lie collapsed and altlio-ug i a doctor was immediately summoned Alt' Robertson passed quietly away. Horn in East Linton, East Lotfnans. .Scotland. 10 years ago, Mr Robertson vjus the third sou of Mr James Hope Robertson, and at an early age was a oorentieed to tin- clothing and mercery trade. He came out to New Zealand with bis parents and other members ot the family in a sailing vessel is 18btf and landed at Auckland. Feu- = time Mr Robertson was in the employ ol AH Henry Atkin, a clothier and mercer in (luoeu street, Auckland, and about 46 years ago lie came to Gisborne. where lie joined the firm of Mr William Allan itl ,d was in charge of the elotlung and -mercery department. Hater Mr Robertson. with Mr h Adair as partner, bought out Mr W • Adair and the new iirm was known as Messrs Robertson and Adair. When m Robertson started in business, alone_ til e old firm became Messrs Adair Rrotners. Limited, and the first premises which were occupied by him were, on the site just below the Kings theatre. Latei he moved to what is now known as Phillips’ corner, and then he built the premises now occupied by .Messrs Me(jiuer and Company. Limited. which iirm lionght him out in ,1918. Since that date Mi Robertson has lived in retire-,, incut. KEEN INTEREST IN TOWN AFFAIRS Taking a keen interest in the development oft In- town. Mr Robertson served on the. Borough Council for two terms. Al ilie time of his death he was chairman of the Gisborne Permanent Pudding Society and chairman of Messrs Grundy and Sherman. Limited, while for several years he had been, a member of Hie High School Hoard of Governors. He was prominent in Freemasonry, being a past master of the Lodge Ttiranganui K.C.. and also the secretary. He held lank in Grand Lodge as deputy senior warden. Mr Robertson was a trustee of the” Foresters’ Lodge, and was also senior elder of the Presbyterian Church. He took a keen interest in bowls, and - as. a past president of the Gisborne Howling Club was also the oldest surviving member of that club. Besides his widow, there remain to mourn their loss two daughters Mrs \V liav. Tiinarn. and Miss Lillian Robertson. Gisborne, and two soils. Dr. Walter Hope Robertson. Wellington, and Mr Robert Douglas Robertson, Gisborne. Surviving brothers are Messrs Chris. John and Joseph Robertson. Auckland, and Mr Thomas Richard Ro >- fci-tsoii. Gisborne. The funeral will leave deceased s residence in Tranui road at 2.60 p.m. on Saturday for the Makaraka Cemetery. TIIE MAYOR'S TRIBUTE Reference to the death of Air. Robertson was 'made at the Borough Council .meeting last night, when a tribute was paid by the Mayor, Alt. I). \V. -Coleman, AI.P., to Air. Robertson’s work in the interests of the borough. "Air. Robertson was an ex-member ol the Borough Council,” tiie Mayor said. “Fur some years he represented the electors faithfully, and I am quite sure that the news of his death will be received with the utmost regret by the people oi Gisborne-. , ‘■Never an aggressive map,"’ Mr. Coleman /added. 1 * AVI r. Robertson endeared himself in the hearts of the people, and hof .was. very highly esteemed. Me was the borough 'representative on the High School Hoard, of Governors. He died while, attending a meeting of the High School Board, and one might say that lit-died in harness. I know that I voice the feelings of the people of Gisborne when 1 extend to the relatives our sincere and heartfelt sympathy.” On the Mayor’s motion, the council stood in silence as a mark of respect.

A MAORI VETERAN HA TARA TE A W A R A U TherC passed away at Waipiro Bay early this week a widely known and highly respected Maori resident of the Coast, and one who gave splendid services to the country during the Great War. The deceased was llatara Matehe Te .Awarau, of Waipiro Bay. who had reached tile age of 6C years, his later life being clouded by ill-health. The late .Mr. Te Awarau was a man of considerable influence among his compatriots on the Coast, and from his boyhood days, when lie was educated at '!> Ante, he had enjoyed some prominence, lie was a fine footballer in !iis youth, and his family name has still a close connection with the game on the Coast. As a young man, he qualified for an interpreter’s license, and was a regular attendant at the sittings, of the Native Land Court and other tribunals in his district. One of the first of the Coast Maoris to signify his willingness to serve abroad during tiie war. the late .Mr. Te Awarau

was on Gallipoli Peninsula with the Maori Battalion, and was invalided home after giving valuable service, lie was then commissioned as a recruiting officer, and continued his service in this capacity 'or some time. The deceased had takei'i a keen in evest- in native politics, and had also given his services as a member ol the vVaiapu County Council, representing he l’iritiran riding. Four sons and three daughters survive Hie late Mr. Te Awarau. the eldest ol his sons. Mr. W'aipnina Te Awarau. M.A.. LL.R.. being associated with Sir Apiraua Ngala in bis work lor the beienrient of the Maori race.

CAPTAIN R. OWENS GO YEARS AT SEA A well-known seafarer. t aptain Robert Owens, died at Auckland on Monday night, at the age ol 86. Gut 'of the 60 years he spent at > sea. taplain Gwens was ’’in steam lor only six months, being lor that time first officer of the Auckland-owned steamer, the Little Agnes. Although he had been wrecked three times, he had never sub If red a day’s illness ol any kind until a slight- paralytic stroke, which occurred it Newcastle in 1025. forced him to leave the sea. Signing on a schooner at his birthplace. Port Madoc. Wales, as a hoy in i<’6s. -Captain Owens made a number of trips to the Baltic and later joined ~ lie Moderator, a full-rigged ship engaged in tiie Indian trade. Iwo years Inter he was oil a schooner, which was run down hv a steamer olt Lundy Gland and s.,iik in two minutes. Ca|>lant Owen’s first command was the Excelsior, vvhieh he ran for several years lo the Mediterranean and the .West Lillies. SEQUEL- TO A WRECK. Through disaster Captain Owens and his crew found themselves on the way In N’r-w Zealand. The Maria Agathia. no a homeward voyage from the West Indies, was dismasted in a storm in the Bay of Biscay. Her boats were swept .iwav and the outlook was forlorn wiiiii' tho New Zealand clipper Rangilikei. outward hound with emigrants for New Zealand, came up. Abandoning the wreck, the crew went on board the Rangitikei and reached And; land on May 17, 1833. Captain Owens had the experience r.l arriving in the country without clothes if his own and without a penny. The captain of the Rangilikei invited him lo remain on hoard while he sought lor a job. and in two >veeks he became mate of the Auckland-owned schooner fda ('. Owen, running bet ween New Zealand and Australia. Later he sailed the Forest Queen, a ketch ol 42 tolls and then 40 years old. to Australia, and retiirped to marry his fiancee, who had in the meantime arrived from Wales. SOUTH SEA ADVENTURE He later sailed on the Energy and was back oil the Ida C. Owen as master when that- vessel ran on a reel at Papeete when under a pilot’s control. Mrs Owens and her infant son were on hoard at the time. The ship was lost. Ind there were no casualties. The six months in steam followed. Back to- sail. Captain Owens was on the brigantine Nautilus, running under the Chilean flag in the pearl shell trade in the South Pacific. Tho vessel was wrecked on Uarihni-itui [slam! and for 74 days Captain Owens lived on coconuts and fish. After various commands on island boats the captain took command of the barquentine Pendle Hill, and lie sailed her in the intercolonial trade for over 10 years without mishap of any kind. His fastest voyage between .Sydney and Auckland was ■ seven days. During the war’be 'was running the barquentine Wanganui, which made two voyages to Sail Francisco.—Auckland Herald.

REV. PETER JOHN HAIRS (Per Press Association.) FOXTOX, this day. The death occurred this morning of the Rev. Peter John Muirs, a former well-known minister of the Primitive Methodist. Church prior to the amalgamation. He was stationed in the Taranaki, Waikato, Doriniston and Mannwain districts. Ho was aged 71 vears.