LONG SERVICE TO DISTRICT

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22133, 29 November 1941, Page 6

LONG SERVICE TO DISTRICT

Death Of Mr T. B. Garrick Loss To Levels County A prominent figure in the public life of South Canterbury for many years, Mr Tertlus Bruce Garrick passed away about 4.30 a.m. yesterday, after a brief Illness, at the age of 72. Best known as chairman of the Levels County Council, Mr Garrick was also a member of the Timaru Harbour Board, and was associated with a number of other public and semi-public bodies. Born in Christchurch in 1869, Mr Garrick was one of 11 children, the family of the late Francis James Garrick, senior partner in the legal firm of Garrick and Cowlishaw, which is still carrying on business in Christchurch. Mr Garrick received his early education at Cook’s Preparatory School, passing later to Christ’s College and to Lincoln Agricultural College. He served

his farming apprenticeship at "The Brothers” run at Albury, which at that time was conducted by Garrick and Cowlishaw. After remaining on the run for four or five years, he took up the property of “Sterndale” at Totara Valley, which he held to the time of his death. Originally he worked the property in partnership with a brother, who died some years ago. When the brother returned to Christchurch, Mr Garrick farmed on his own account, and gradually added considerably to the original holding. Mr Garrick entered public life in 1904, when he was appointed to an extraordinary vacancy on the Levels County Council as the representative of the Te Ngawai Riding, during the chairmanship of the late Mr C. N. Orbell. In 1924 on the death of Mr Orbell, Mr Garrick became chairman, being the second member to hold the position. During his 37 years as a councillor he had only on one occasion to contest an election. He took a keen personal interest in the affairs of the county, and did not spare himself in attending to his duties as chairman. He frequently travelled over the whole county, meeting the settlers and gaining a first hand knowledge of county problems. It was during his term of office that the Downlands Water Supply Scheme and the Levels Irrigation Scheme were inaugurated, and he will be remembered for his personal guarantee of £lOOO, with two other councillors, on behalf of the settlers in the Seadown area to ensure the commencement of work on the Seadown Drainage Scheme. Mi- Garrick also served a long term of office on the Timaru Harbour Board, to which he was elected in 1919, being chairman between 1935 and 1937. As representative of the Levels County Council, he was a foundation member of the No. 15 District Highways Council. Since 1924 he was on the directorate of the Canterbury Farmers’ Cooperative Association, and for several years on the directorate of Evans and Co., Ltd. He held all these positions at the time of his death. Mr Garrick did not marry. He is survived by an elder brother, Mr H. F. Garrick (Christchurch), and another brother, Mr Douglas Garrick, of Devonshire, England. Mrs M. A. Raymond (Timaru) and Mrs J. R. Loughnan (Lower Hutt) are nieces, and Messrs F. Meares (Christchurch) and David Garrick (England) nephews. Harbour Board Tribute Reference to the death of Mr Garrick was made at the meeting of the Timaru Harbour Board yesterday. The chairman, Mr F. R. Flatman, said that Mr Garrick had been a member of the board for a long time and his passing was greatly regretted. He had devoted much time to public life and would be a loss to the district. Mr Flatman said that he had been closely associated with Mr Garrick for the past 10 years, and felt his loss keenly. The following motion was carried in silence: “That the board place on record its sincere regret at the death of Mr T. B. Garrick, who represented the Te Ngawai and Point ridings of the Levels County since 1919 and was chairman during the years 1935-1937. and extends to his relatives its deepest sympathy in their bereavement.”