OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20278, 12 April 1934, Page 10

OBITUARY.

The Rev A. H. Julius. The death has occurred of the Rev Alfred Henry Julius, for twenty years vicar of Akaroa, where he had been living in retirement since 1924. He was a cousin of his Grace Archbishop Julius, and was eighty-three years of age. Mr Julius was born in England, his father being a clergyman in Suffolk. He was educated at Felstead Grammar School and Cambridge University. He went to Australia in the late seventies and founded a school at Rockhampton, in Queensland. It was shortly afterwards that he decided to take orders, and he was ordained deacon in 1884 and priest in 1886. His first parish Claremont and Gladstone, and he l.as often told his many friends that the parish was larger than Canterbury and took three days to cross on horseback. While in Rockhampton Mr Julius married. He was made an honorary canon, and came to New Zealand in 1904, going immediately to Akaroa, where he has lived ever since. Twenty Years as Vicar. During his twenty years as vicar Mr Julius was much liked and respected by his parishioners. “He was a truly good man,” said Mr C. W. Leete, who had been his warden for many years, when speaking of Mr Julius this morning. Since his. retirement in 1924, Mr Julius had been in indifferent health and lived a secluded life. One of Mr Julius’s chief interests outside the Church was the Masonic Lodge, and he was a Past Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. For some years he was secretary of the lodge in Akaroa, but failing health compelled him to give up this work. Another, and rather unusual, interest was a great enthusiasm for the study of Polar exploration, and he had a big library of books dealing with expeditions to the North and South Pole and all manner of literature concerning these areas. So remarkable was Mr Julius's library that both Scott arid Shackleton, while in Christchurch, made trips to Akaroa to see it. They found there many books they had never seen before. Mr Julius was also a keen Biblical scholar and had a profound knowledge of the Bible. Mr Julius is survived by his widow, one son who is farming in the North Island, and six daughters, Mrs G. Armstrong (Opawa), Mrs F. G. Armstrong (Akaroa), Mrs C. Barrett (Takamatua). Mrs H. R. Newton (Te Kuiti), Miss M. Julius (Christchurch) and Miss E. Julius (Wellington).