OBITUARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18821, 9 March 1931, Page 3

OBITUARY.

MR WALTON PANTON. The death occurred at his residence, 58 Le Cren Street, at an early hour on Saturday morning, of Mr Walter Panton, in his 83rd year. The late Mr Panton, who was a native of Althorne, Essex, received his early education at the hands of his father, who conducted a night school. Conditions in the early days necessitated children going to work very young, and when he was only 14, the late Mr Panton found himself in London seeking a livelihood. From his very youngest days, deceased evinced an interest in buildings and work associated with them, and possessed of an abundance of determination and more than average ability, the progress he made was rapid. At the age of 20, the late Mr Panton left England for America accompanied by Mr John Trengrove, an uncle of Mr J. C. Trengrove, of Timaru. He established himself in Chicago, following the calling of a bricklayer. He was there in 1875, in which year a great fire swept the city. The late Mr Panton was appointed a member of the Masonic Board of Relief, which body was responsible for the erection of a large number of buildings following the Are. Deceased then went to San Francisco, where he remained until 1877. While in this city he built business premises extending over a frontage of a mile and a half. In 1877 the late Mr Panton returned to England, and it was while he was there that the building boom in America burst, and Mr Panton became a heavy loser. He returned to America, but remained for a short time only, leaving for Australia, and New Zealand. On this trip he was again accompanied by his friend, Mr Trengrove. Deceased remained for a short time in Adelaide, and then settled in Invercargill, where he was in business as a contractor. The late Mr Panton served as a member of the South Invercargill Borough Council, and was also Mayor for a term. It had long been his ambition to undertake architectural work, and one of his first undertakings was the Ocean Beach Freezing works, at the Bluff. This was the forerunner of a class of work in which the late Mr Panton specialised, and which carried his name almost from one end of New Zealand to the other. He was associated with practically the whole of the freezing works in the South Island, either from their inception, or in connection with remodelling, and he was also responsible for some of the larger works in the North Island. Prior to designing the Ocean Beach works, the late Mr Panton designed small works at Burnside, which in later years he remodelled. His next important undertaking was the Longburn Freezing works, and following this Mr Panton was stationed in Napier for almost a year, during which time he carried out work at the Moturoa works, New Plymouth.

Finding building in Napier very slack, deceased undertook a trip to Auckland to investigate conditions in the north, and on the return trip to Hawke’s Bay he met the late Mr Quinn, of Makikihi, who advanced the attractions of South Canterbury. In 1905 Mr Panton w r as elected a Councillor of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, and a few later was elected a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. In 1905 also Mr Panton decided to make Timaru his headquarters, considering that it was the most central spot for his freezing works business. During his residence in Timaru, the late Mr Panton remodelled the Smithfield works, and designed the Pukeuri, Burnside, Islington, Hornby, Belfast, Picton, and Imlay (Wanganui) works. Three years ago he completed the remodelling of the Ocean Beach works on the latest lines, almost fifty years after he designed them. In 1909, deceased took his son, Mr V. H. Panton, into partnership, and the firm, of which the late Mr Panton was head up to the time of his death, were responsible for many of the prominent buildings in Timaru. Included in these are the Municipal Chambers and Public Library, State Fire Office, Public Trust Building and St. Paul’s Church, Highfield. He also superintended the erection of the tower of St. Mary’s Church. In 1919, accompanied by his son, the late Mr Panton went to America and visited the places where he had previously laboured. Many of the buildings he had been responsible for had been demolished to make room for more up-to-date premises, while some had suffered extensively in the San Francisco earthquake. The late Mr Panton was not associated with any public bodies in Timaru, but by his genial disposition and integrity he won the esteem of a very large section of the community. He was also a generous patron of many deserving organisations and charities. Deceased at one time was a keen bowler being a member of the Timaru Club. The late Mr Panton, is survived by Mrs Panton and two daughters and one son, Mrs W. J. Ritchie and Mrs J. E. Manson and Mr V. H. Panton, all of whom reside in Timaru. The eldest son, Peter, was killed in the Great War.

The funeral took place yesterday, and was largely attended. A service at the house, and that at the graveside, was conducted by the Rev. P. Gladstone Hughes. The cortege was a very long one, consisting of over fifty cars. The pall-bearers were Messrs A. Kennedy, J. Hunt, R. Shillito, W. J. Harding, R. Prosser, J. Newall, G. Timewell and lan Ritchie (grandson). Among those present were:—Messrs F. E. Duncan, F. Chittock, W. D. Campbell, G. Bo\»ker, A. Thoreau, W. Hall, C. Hall, J. Hutchison, W. Hutchison, J. Gray, H. Edginton, J. Wilson, W. Cameron, P. W. Rule, W. McLennon, W. S. Young, T. W. Satterthwaite, T. Thomson, J. W. Simpson, C. G. Snow, W. W. Baxter, H. Allchurch, R. McJennet, A. Perry, G. H. Andrews, W. Taylor, J. Harley, . C. Mclnnes, W. H. Hunt, R. Orwin, D. Hertnon, J. W. Souter, J. Wilson, W. I. Tait, A. Hunt, D. N. Harper, J. A. Hay, W. D. Hume, H. Carlton, T. Tapp, H. Segar, J. Anderson, W. Tank, A. Lamb, B. Tooth, A. Baird, W. Walker, J. Donaldson and R. Priest. R. E. HAYES. By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, March 7. The death has occurred of Robert Edward Hayes, Financial Adviser to the Treasury, of which he was Secretary until the beginning of last year, aged 62. J. A. FROSTICK. By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 7. The death is announced of Mr J. A. Frostick (74), former member of the National Efficiency Board.

Mr Frostick was born in Norwich, England, in 1857, and was educated at Wilkinson and Emm’s private school, Norwich. He specialised in boot manufacturing, especially the technical side of it, and at age of 23 was appointed manager >: a large English factory. He arrived in New Zealand in 1884, and in the same year was

appointed manager for Lightband, Allan and Co. In 1889 Mr Frostick became a partner in the boot manufacturing firm in Christchurch, of Skelton, Frostick and Co. Mr Frostick’s business interests were many, and at the time of his death was a director of the firm of E. Reece, Ltd. He had been a member of the directorate of firm since 1916, and was at one time chairman of directors. He took a good deal of interest in the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the Canterbury Employers’ Association, the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, and the Citizens’ Association, and was at different times president of all those bodies. He was also a member of the Lyttelton Harbour Board at one time, and a member of the National Efficiency Board. Some years ago he was a member of the Canterbury Automobile Association. Mr Frostick played a prominent part in the Mssonic Lodge up till the time of his death. He was a Past Master of the Canterbury Lodge, E.C., and a Past Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. Mr Frostick was also founder of the Civic Lodge.

Deceased leaves a widow and two sons, Messrs B. A. and J. Frostick, and four daughters, Mrs George Webster (Timaru), Mrs W. W. McKinney (Christchurch), and. Misses Maud and May Frostick.