OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 2, 25 August 1944, Page 4

OBITUARY

MR CHARLES GARLICK

With the passing of the late Mr Charles Garlick in his, 84th year, the Whakatane district has lost one af its oldest identities. Born in Malf mesbury, Wiltshire, in 1861, M*r Garlick 'came to New Zealand in the sailing ship Rakaia. Most of the passengers disembarked at Lyttelton, but Mr Garlick, together with others going to Grant and Foster's settlement in the Waikato, landed in Auckland.

For seven years the late Mr Garlick worked in the Waikato district,; where in partnership with the late Mr John Hanks f he was engaged ki. contract ploughing. Later, going to Whakatane on contract to the then owners of the Oponriao estate, he brought the first double-furrowed plough into the district in 1888. • In 1890 lie married in Whakatane Miss Maria Tapscll, granddaughter of the trader Hans Tapscll and renowned Arawa poetess . Hinepurama of Maketu. She was the first registered Maori in Whakatane and a copy of the original certificate in the Rev. Soutar's. signature is held by the. family. For three years the family lived on what is now known as the Whakatane Domain, M.r Garlick taking a lease at a small rent on condition that he cleared and grassed the land. This was a spare time job as he was under contract to Campbell and Stafford. He broke in many acres of the Opouriao estate and Qwhaka-r pora, 13,000 acres of which was leased from the Maoris from Opouriao for settlement in 1899. . Because lie was not -- fortunate enough to draw a section Mr Garlick leased the Pukepi. which is now farmed by his son from the Maori owners. He. combined farming with contracting in the early part of the century and in 1909 moved to the Taneatua township. Here Mr Garlick set up a stable and obtained the contract for the delivery of mail from Whakatane to Taneatua and surrounding districts. Many are. the anecdotes related of experiences with the late Mr Garlick. In spite of his age, his health remained comparatively good. He was never in hospital and his end came suddenly while he was visiting his daughter Mrs Mary Bidois at Te Whaiti on Saturday last.

Of a humorous arid generous disposition he was well known and respected throughout the Bay of Plenty by both pakeha and Maori alike and his.passing thins the ranks of the district's pioneers. His wife predeceased him in 1932 and of hip family of seven, four sons served in the last war one being killed in 1917 while another Jim, succumbed to Avar disabilities in 1932. He is survived by his daughters Mesdames Mary Bidois of Te Whaiti and Bessie Bennett, of Taneatua, and Messrs Tom and Joe. of Taneatua and Dick of Rotorua. There are 13 grandchildren.