OBITUARY

Putaruru Press, Volume XXVI, Issue 1351, 13 October 1949, Page 4

OBITUARY

MB JOHN CAMPBELL Mr John Campbell, Tokoroa’s best known pioneer settler, died at his, home in Auckland on Friday, October 7. With his passing ends a phase in the development of the pumice land and the part he played in this is well worth reviewing. Bom in Canterbury 78 years ago, he worked on sheep stations in .Canterbury and Hawkes Bay and had wide experience with horses, being at one time in charge of a large number of horses used by Strange and Co. for delivering goods in Christchurch. In 1918 he was appointed man-* ager of the Matarawa Land Company by his uncle, Mr Hugh Campbell, who was chairman of directors, ' The company had bought 9000 *

acres of land at Tokoroa in its > native state, and began on the hugs task of breaking it in. Tractors were tried but without success, and the first farms put up for sale were broken in with horse work. The company experienced all sorts of difficulties —the prices for wire, fencing posts and building materials being very high—but they kept to their original plans and by the end of the ’twenties had their block * in grass, barring one portion which » was sold to the N.Z. Perpetual Forest Company. When the first of the individual farms were taken up It * was found that bush sickness caused serious trouble. Whole herds lost ' 50-60 per cent, of their cows within two years, and calves were impossible to rear. Several settlers had to walk off their farms. By the time the depression hit us in 1929, fin whole position was desperate, bulk Mr Campbell refused to give tqj hope. He kept in touch with the Department of Agriculture through

their head man, Mr Ashton, and their local man, Mr Taylor, of Rotorua, and tried every remedy they suggested. In 1931 Mr Taylor used limonite and from then on progress was made in curing bush sickness, until by 1937 the use of cobaltised superphosphate was an established practice. The problems of keeping stock healthy and rearing ealves were solved.

During those 19 tears Mr Campbell’s position was a most linen vi-' able one, and it is doubted if any other man would have stood, by Tokoroa as he did. All the worries of , the settlers were heaped upon bin shoulders, but he was a big enough man to carry them, until the use of cobalt made the farms prosperous. However, his courage, tenacity and- ’ foresight were rewarded, for he had. the satisfaction of seeing Tokoroa developed from a most unpromising area into one of the most prosper-, ous dairying districts in -the Waikato. During his long period in the district Mr Campbell took a very active part in local affairs. He firaa a Justice of the Peace, a director of the Tokoroa Dairy Cqjnpany, a member of the Tokoroa ' Rabbit Board, president of the -Tokoroa A. and P. Society, Tokoroa member of the Putaruru Patriotic Committee, Tokoroa National Party representative in Hamilton, and a member of the Tokoroa Progress League. Bte was a member of the PutaruruTaupo Railway Board which tried unsuccessfully to take over the Taupo Totara Timber Company’s line and convert it into a Government line. One very important thing it accomplished was the reduction of railway freight on manure from Putaruru to Tokoroa. Mr Campbell had wide sporting interests, including the Tokoroa Football Club and the Putaruru Hunt Club. He was a keen bowler, at one time having a rink near his homestead at Tokoroa and later joining the Putaruru Club. He was a very strong supporter of the Pu-taruru-Tirau Dog Trial Club, of which he was patron for many years, and a well-known personality at the trials. He oftep judged horse events at local sports meetings. <* A large man physically, and with a large voice, Mr Campbell was r What is known as a character. He had a broad outlook, strong opinions and the courage of his convictions always, but above all it was his vitality and enthusiasm that one remembers him for. The part he played in the progress of the district was indeed a large one and our debt to him is considerable. He is survived by his wife, two sons and one daughter.