OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 23791, 13 April 1939, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR WILLIAM RENNIE One of the oldest surviving early | employees of the borough of Invercar--1 gill, Mr William Rennie, died in the I city yesterday. He had a record of service of a quarter of a century to the corporation covering a period of 45 years and dating back to the first five years of the history of the municipality. For 20 years he held the important position of chief sanitary inspector. Mr Rennie came to New Zealand with his parents in 1870, arriving in the ship E. P. Bouvrie. Efe spent most of his first five years in the Dominion mining on the West Coast. In 1876 he received the appointment as foreman and inspector of the Invercargill Borough. The town was then a very small community, having been declared a borough only five years previously. One of his first tasks was the laying of wooden kerbing from Spey street to Esk street along the western side of Dee street. The streets were in a primitive state at this time and in wet weather the driving of drays along Dee street north of Spey street was a difficult task. The Borough Council decided to raise a loan for street and footpath improvements and then followed an era of spending for road formation and drainage. After five years in his municipal appointment, Mr Rennie resigned to become machinist on the staff of The Southland Times and for 20 years the printing of the paper was his responsibility. When he relinquished the position in 1902 it was said of him that he had not once been late in arrival at the office at 3 o’clock in the morning to bring out the edition. In 1902, Mr Rennie applied for the position of chief sanitary inspector of the borough and was appointed from 27 applicants. He was an extremely energetic officer and devoted much effort to promoting the cleanliness and health of the town. During the 20 years which he was inspector his duties were greatly widened by the inclusion of the control of traffic, buildings and noxious weeds. Motor traffic was increasing and in those early days of mechanized transport Mr Rennie frequently raised his protest against excessive speed. The vagaries of cyclists also incurred his displeasure. After 20 years of service, Mr Rennie retired from the corporation staff at the age of 67 years. He enjoyed 18 years in retirement and continued to take a keen interest in the welfare of Invercargill. In 1886 he married a daughter of Mr James Wyber, of Lanarkshire, Scotland. There was no family, and Mrs Rennie died in 1924. He was the last surviving brother of Mrs J. R. Reid, of Dunedin, who died last year at the age of 95 and who was one of the oldest members of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association.