OBITUARY

Western Star, 19 November 1909, Page 2

OBITUARY

" MR GEORGE ROWLES Early 0 n Wednesday inorniia = ' there ptiss..d away an old and well-known ijgiue in our midst in the person of Air George Howies, at the advanced age of 8j years, irom pneumonia.- ii e was, until a few days a g'o, to » Le seen iu the street, though time' had laid.n haav.y hand upon him. Mr Row-; Its was born at Penny, Buckinghamshiite, .Lord Howe's estate and at 14 years Was apprenticed to the carpentering trade. Afier serving hiat.me at Home, ;he left for Australia, landing ,ii Meifbouirnia in, 1853 in the ship New Australia. Hie followed his occupation tor some time, but the discovery oi gold allured him to the fields where he took'up a claim at the EVrry Creek ru*h. He proceeded from there to 4irarat, and whilst there injured his hand, which necessitated his going to •the Melbourne Hospital for treatment. Oil recovering, he resumed his trade arid worked on the erection of Parl.anient Houses in .Melbourne, which occupied two years. /While there dtoeasod took an active part in the tight hours movement, and occupied the position of chairman of the Carpenters' and Joiners' Association. It will thus be se,n that he was one of the pioneers of the eight-hour movement. Mr Howies left Melbourne for New Zealand in

the (Bailing boat New. Great Britain, landing at the Bluff in. 186'3. He entered into partnership with the late T Price at Inlvercargill, and among their works were the erection of the powder magazine inj the estuary . and the Pol .ce,, -Camp at Dacrc. Deceased wias always proud to relate the incident' that'while at the Bluff, he was in)strunientai i(a saving the life of our .worthy Premier, Sir J. O. Ward, 'Who when a small Lo'y, was playing. at tha water's edge, fell from a boatiaori. was in danger of being drowned when he rescued him. Mir Howies' settled m Uiverton, and built the old Bank of N<;w Zealand a nd the old Police Camp both of. which structures were in wood. He was for a time licensee ■ of toe old Royal Hotel, whiih be t*lv»(.uishpil, and went back to his tiadfc. For ''some years he wm a member 'of the Riverton Borough Council. V"Hds wife-.'predeceased "'him bow-3 ien years'ago, and he is survived i,y two grandchildren—Mx F. Henderson ui d Mis T. Bulman, who will have the sympathy of their friends in their bereavement.