OLD RESIDENT’S DEATH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19692, 26 July 1938, Page 4

OLD RESIDENT’S DEATH

MR. A. JOSEPH FYSON' 59 YEARS IN GISBORNE One of the first postmen in the Gisborne district, Mr.* Albert Joseph Fyson, died this morning, at the age of 86 years, after an illness lasting for a month. Although his death' was not unexpected, it will come as a shock, to his many old friends and their sympathy will be extended to his family in their bereavement. Despite his , years, Mr. Fyson enjoyed good health until his last illness. The late Mr. Fyson* was born on August 31, 1852, at a village called Highan, which was seven or eight miles from Bury St. Edmonds, England. After attending school at the village Mr. Fyson went to college In Suffolk and remained there until 1863. Then at the age of 16 years he felt the urge to travel and went to sea in sail. ’He made the trip from the Old Country to Madras and to Melbourne several times before he gave up sailing vessels and went over to steamships. In the latter vessels he visited various parts of the world. His first voyage out to Madras, India, took 156 days and the only port of call was St. Helena, at which point the vessel called ‘to take in fresh water, vegetables, and meat. Long Post Office Service When he came to New Zealand he was still a young man and travelled as a passenger on a sailing vessel. Leaving England in the latter part of 1876 the ship touched Auckland 96 days later early in 1877. Mr. Fyson spent a short time in the Waikato district and came to Gisborne 59 years ago. At that time he was doing survey work and two years later he entered the mail-room of the Post Office in Gis-

borne. ; At that time there were only about 500 whites in Gisborne, but there were > many Maoris on Kaiti. There were no bridges then and he well Temembered the old punt at the present site of the Kaiti bridge. Mr. Fyson was one of the two postmen on the staff of the post office then and he used to walk on his rounds, al-

though his district included from the post office to Roebuck road, the boundaries ‘being the Taruheru River and the Waikanae Beach. Kaiti was a long , road, ibut the residents were few. Living in Retirement After 40 years’ service he retired 19 years ago and had been living with one of his married daughters, Mrs. L. Rhodes, Rutene road. His wife predeceased him five years ago. There remain to mourn their loss four sons and four daughters, Mr. A. K. Fyson, Hawera, Mr. A. F. Fyson, Wairoa, Mr. E. M. Fyson, Dunedin, and Mr. G. W. Fyson, Gisborne, and Mesdames A. Cassin, E. Woodrow, and L-. Rhodes, all of Gisborne, and Miss R. E. Fyson, Whangamomona. After a short service at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow at the residence of his daughter, Rutene road, the funeral will leave , for the Taruheru cemetery. DEATH OF PIONEER An early pioneer of Palmerston North, Mr. T. Wood, has died, aged 86. He was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and came to the Dominion with his parents when four years old. The voyage was made in the 450-ton sailing vessel Sea Snake and occupied five months. A landing was made at Lowry Bay, Wellington, and the family lived in a mud hut in the bay for about 18 months. Later a bush section was taken up at Wainui-o-mata, and there Mr. "Wood grew up to inherit all the pioneering qualities of his parents. His father died when the young pioneer was but 15 years of age, and on him fell the responsibility of running the farm. Mr. Wood is survived by a widow, who is 86 years of age, and a family of five daughters and three sons.

Mr. Arthur Lloyd, a former member of the Devonport Borough Council, who took part in the landing of the Expeditionary Force at Samoa, has died aged 76.