OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 21895, 22 December 1932, Page 11

OBITUARY

MR H. L. TAPLEY. PROMINENT SHIPPING MERCHANT. LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, December 21. The death occurred to-day of Mr Harold Livingstone Tapley, C.M.G., aged 56, ex-M.P. for Dunedin North and an ex-Mayor of Dunedin. He was well-known In shipping circles. Mr Tapley, son of Mr E. C. Tapley, was born at Semaphore, South Australia, In 1875, was brought up in that State, and came to Dunedin _as a lad of eighteen. His first position there was in the office of Mr W. E. Reynolds, who at the time was agent for the Queensland Insurance Company, and it was there that Mr Tapley became initiated into the insurance business. In 1900 he established his own firm as shipping, stevedoring, and insurance agents. From the first the business grew vigorously, and in his later days Mr Tapley had control of a very wide range of affairs as managing director of a firm that is agent for the Commonwealth and Dominion Shipping Line, the Canadian Steamship Line, the Canterbury Steamship Company, G. H. Scales Ltd., the British Phosphate Concessions, the Northern Insurance Company, the Canton Insurance Office, the Indemnity Mutual Marine Insurance Company, and other concerns, whilst his firm was also the receiving and delivering contractor for the Otago Harbour Board, arid the claim-settling agent for several important foreign insurance companies, and Mr Tapley’s personal position included that of chairman of the Marine Underwriters’ Association until he resigned this year. High public honours were conferred on Mr Tapley. From 1907 to 1911 he represented Bell ward in the City Council. He unsuccessfully contested the mayoralty with Mr T. Cole in 1910, but on his re-entry to the City Council in 1921 he advanced to the mayoralty, and filled the chair with such acceptance that he was returned to the mayoralty two years later without opposition. He was appointed as one of the sinking fund commissioners in 1922, but resigned when he made a trip to England in 1927. As one of the originators of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition of 1925-26, he served as chairman of the Organizing Committee in its initial stages until the company was formed, whereupon he was made a vice-patron and a director. His work in that connection coincided with his duties as mayor, and Dunedin will long remember his gracious' and knowledgable manner as the Dunedin host—it is often spoken about to this day. Official recognition of his services to the Exhibition was his being made C.M.G. in 1926. Mr Tapley entered Parliament in 1925 by defeating Mr J. W. Munro for the Dunedin North seat. He stood as an Independent Reformer, and throughout the three years attended to his duties acceptably. At the General Election of 1928 he was beaten by Mr Munro. To state in detail the public services that Mr Tapley undertook would be to compile a long list. He was on the Otago Hospital Board from 1908 to 1911; a member of the Otago Harbour Board from 1913 to 1920, and chairman for two years; sat on the High Schools Board and the Council of the King Edward .Technical College, but vacated those positions on his retirement from the mayoralty ; did good work on the Ocean Beach Domain Board; held office as president of the Overseas Club from 1922; was a member of the Dunedin South Licensing Committee from 1921 to 1923. In his younger days Mr Tapley was a very active volunteer. He was a cadet in the A Company of the Second Regiment in South Australia; on coming to Dunedin joined the Dunedin Naval Artillery as a lieutenant; in 1899 he was elected a junior lieutenant of B Battery, and in 1903 was made captain after Mr T. Chalmer s retirement; and during the Great War he was transferred from the reserve to take command of B Company Coast Defence Infantry. Athletics claimed part of Jus leisure as a young man, he being a playing member of the Otago Golf Club and the Dunedin Hockey Club, captain of the D team of the Carisbrook Cricket Club, and secretary of the Otago Lawn Tennis Club. In 1000 Mr Tapley married Miss Jean B. Burt, daughter of the late Mr Thomas Burt. This lady died five or six years ago. The members of the family are Reginald, Guy, John," Colin, Brian, and Jocelyn. John is settled in Marlborough, Brian is at Christ’s College, the others in Dunedin, Jocelyn a pupil at St. Hilda s College. The funeral is to be from Mr Guy Tapley’s residence, 53a Royal terrace, at 11 a.m. on Friday.—Evening Star.