DEATH OF MR. W. J. GRAY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1929, Page 11

DEATH OF MR. W. J. GRAY

WELL-KNOWN MAORI LINGUIST NOTABLE TARANAKI PERSONALITY. FRIEND OF PROPHET TE WHITI. The death occurred yesterday at the age of 66 years, of Mr. W. J. Gray, of Okato, one of the best known figures on the Taranaki coast, and a man whose association with and knowledge of the Maori race and traditions have already earned for him a Dominion-wide reputation. It is not too much to say that in the passing of Air. Gray Taranaki has lost one of its outstanding personalities, a man whose integrity of character commanded the universal esteem and respect of the community in which he lived, and whose intimacy with Maori life was in some respects unequalled by any other living white man. Mr. Gray was born in New Plymouth-in the year 1863, and when he was only a very small boy he moved with his parents to the Stoney River district. Considerable dissatisfaction and unrest was agitating, the Natives at the time, and the Gray family lived under the protection of one of the old Maori chiefs. There in the locality around Okato, in close proximity to the historic Parihaka Pa with which he subsequently had such a memorable acquaintance, Mr. Gray lived off and on for the whole of the rest of his life. At first the family lived in the village at the mouth of the Kaihihi River. Later they moved inland to take charge of the Stoney River Hotel, a very well known accommodation house .that, at the time they occupied it, was the last outpost of the white man on the way down the coast. HEART WITH MAORI RACE. Willie Gray grew to manhood with his thoughts and energy concentrated on farming, and in, time became a. substantial landowner. But if agriculture was the outlet for his ambition, his heart lay largely with the Maori race, to whom he was drawn by a remarkable affinity. He was one of the few white men who have absorbed the true Maori viewpoint and have been able to interpret life and its problems with a Maori comprehension. This remarkable trait was appreciated by the Natives themselves, by whom Mr. Gray was universally accepted as one of their own. In fact, he was recognised as a member oi the Ngamahanga tribe. This inborn sympathy with tho' Natives found most eloquent expression in Mr. , Gray’s marvellous control of the West Coast Maori dialects. He was one of the finest Maori linguists in the Dominion, and his advice was constantly sought by the Native people. He was a very close personal friend of the famous prophet Te Whiti, who had his headquarters at Parihaka, and the prophet would have no one else as an interpreter if Wi'tne Gray was available. Amongst other well known New Zealanders for whom Mr. Gray acted as interpreter was the late Richard John Seddon, when he was Prime Minister. The Natives always trusted him implicitly. As a student of the old Maori in a practical sense Mr. Gray was an apt pupil, and in many ways he was for more a Maori of the old school than most of the Maoris themselves. He was exceedingly well versed in Maori lore, and had a deep knowledge of all the old Maori methods of agriculture, the habits of fish and birds, and so on. Only recently he was able to supply for the benefit of specialist students in Wellington valuable information on such subjects as the life and habits of the lamprey eel and whitebait. INTEREST IN PRESERVING PAS. It followed as a matter of course that in the later years of his file Mr. Gray’s interest in. Native matters would take the form of a desire to have - historic Maori strongholds preserved for all time as scenic reserves. He was largely interested in successful attempts made from time to time to persuade the Natives to hand over these places of historic importance to the care of the Crown. The successful preservation in this matter of the Koru, Tapui, Nikau and Whakarewa (Puniho) pas was largely due to his efforts, and right up to the time of his death he had in view the preservation of Ngaweka Pa, a great fighting pa on the banks of the Stoney River, immediately opposite his residence. In spite of his life-long interest in the Maori, Mr. Gray did not hesitate to take an active’ part in the community life of the pakeha. In his earlier farming days he was a loyal supporter of the late Mr. Newton King, with whom he was on terms of the greatest friendship. He energetically associated himself with many of the activities controlled by Mr. Newton King, and took a prominent administrative part i. a member of the old Okato Road Board, a member of the Taranaki County Council when it came into being, and a director of his dairy company. He settled all of his three sons on the land. He was an ardent member of the Church of England, and up till the time of his death was a member of the Waikato Diocesan Synod and Taranaki Archdeaconry Board. In his younger days he was an athlete of some renown. Tne general opinion of Mr. Gray held by his many friends was aptly expressed by an old, old friend when he heard the news of his comrade’s passing: “So Willie has gone a great man, a man of sterling character and the greatest .integrity. . What a wonderful type of settler he‘was! What a ’friend!” Mr. Gray is survived by his widow, one married daughter, and three sons. The funeral will take place to-morrow, when it is expected the Native race will be well represented.

DEVON STREET. Miss Kirkby, Miss Dunlop, Miss Gilbertson, Miss Trehey, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. J. C. Maxwell, Miss Greig, Miss Pym, Miss M. Hutchen, Miss J. Cameron, Mrs. S. Allen. CENTRAL. ■ Miss Milroy,- Mrs. Trevalla, Mrs. Allom, Mrs. Marks, Mrs. Huggett, Mrs. Billing, Mrs. Patrick, Mrs. Turner, Miss F. Nicholson and Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Childerstone, Mrs. Hopkinson, Miss G. Laing, Mrs. Twomey, Mrs. P. Atkinson and Miss M. McHardy, Miss. M. Russell and Miss M. Hamilton, Mrs. W. H. Hamilton, Miss Avery, Mrs. Campion, Mrs. G. S. Millar, Mrs. E. B. Davies, Mrs. H. C. Baker, Mrs. W. Roch, MissYoung, Mrs. Corkill. SOUTH ROAD. Miss Hurley, Mrs. Hodson, Mrs. L. Collins, Mrs. A. E. Conway, Mrs. McCullach, Mrs. Marsh, Miss Scott, Mrs. Collier, Mrs. Woods, Mrs. H. L. Seldon, Mrs. H. Ward, Miss C. Weston, Mrs. Berg, Miss Bonner, Mrs. Barlow, Mrs. Allen. FITZROY. Mrs. Gillespie, Miss Sykes, Mrs. Mack, Mrs. Grounds, Mrs. and Miss Vincent, Miss Rodgers, Mrs. Chivers, Mrs. W. B. Russell, Mrs. L. Sampson and Miss H. George,' Mrs. Brock, Miss M. Smart, Mrs. Quilliam, Mrs. Webster, Mrs. Akers, Mrs. Lovell, Mrs. Kyngdon. WESTOWN. Mrs. H. N. Johnston,, Miss E. Whit.-.

combe, Miss Dumbell and Mrs.. Ewart, Mrs. Martini, Mrs. Pipe, Mrs. Baldwin and Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Chaffe, Miss Nicholson, Miss Somerville, Mrs. Quayle and Mrs. Anstis, Mrs. Paton. Mrs. Revell, Miss B. Sanderson, Mrs. Dey, Mrs. Moss, Mrs. A. T. Moore and Miss Broome, Mrs. Ridling, Miss Holland. . In the list of donors there was again the name of Mrs. A. R. Clow, Vogeltown, who presented some fascinating toys to the society. Mr. G. E. Dinniss gave a large toy elephant. Mrs. Prestney, Westown,, made a number of' toy aeroplanes, the Hygienic bakery gave a cake and the Criterion Hotel, the Chequers,' Mon Desir tearooms and others provided luncheon and refreshments to the workers. A telegram was received from Mr. R. J. Deare from Wellington regretting that he was unable to be present to help as usual with the work. . In the competitions the iced cake was Avon by Miss S'kinner, by Mr. C. H. Morgan and the dinner by Mrs. J. Scanlan.