A LONG AND HONOURED CAREER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11504, 10 February 1903, Page 5

A LONG AND HONOURED CAREER.

Wβ record to-day witi the deepest regret the death elf the JHon. William Rolleston, which occurred l at am borne, Kapunatiki, near Temuka, about mix o'clock on Sunday evening. The sad news iras not altogether unexpected, for it -was generally known among Mr RoJketon'e friends and acquaintances that for months <past the affection of the -heart from which he was suffering had confined him to his bed. It dated from » fall from his lioree when he wae riding some few years ago, and during bis visit to England he grew weaker. Hi* health began to fail seriously noma eighteen month* ago. He gradually wasted, and at the last passed away peacefully. He bore hie long iMneea with characteristic patience and cheerfulness, retaining bis mental faculties to the end, and! even es recently as last week taking keen intereet in outside affairs, but even though not unexpected the news of his death came with a shock to the community, who Jield him in euch honour and affection as lhas been the fortune of .'few Canterbury men. He eeemed a part (4 the province,; he had lived here ever since lie landed more than forty years ago, and his ipublau career was 'bound up in Canttrbur/a history. Of all the province's honoured pioneers on the occasion of her juSbilee, none received a heartier Wellcome from the thronged streets than he who has juefc passed away. •ilr Rolleston was born at llaltby, near Doncaster, Yorkshire, on September 19th, 1831. He was one of a family of ten children of the Rev. George Rollesfbon, M.A., rector and equire of the parieh. He wae educated at Rosfoll, the well-known public School. Hβ entered at Emmanuel College (ttoribridge) in 1851, became Foundation Scholar in 1852, end graduated in 1855, with honours in the Cloeaicftl Tripos. In 1858 Mr ißolleston came out to New Zealand, and took up a run, now known as Mount Algidus, in the Forks of theßakaia, near Lake Coleridge. To him, it is. said, many of the -neighbouring mountains and streams owe their names. In those days hia friends ijfcre :nueh impressed by the extreme thoroughness with which he entered into every branch of station work. Nothing wae too laborious for him to undertake, and countless stories, more V>r lees ; credible, were told, of the way in which he overcame the difficulties of swollen rivers, his experiences of bullock driving, and his conquest of the various dilemnas of pioneer life in the earliest days of the province. It was said that, to avoid the imprecations commonly considered absolutely essential in such work, he urged and persuaded' his bullocks forward in the choicest! Greek, but this report was probably a fabrication. At t&at time his great interest in the early progress of Christ's College, led him to often* act as examiner in the classics. Iα later years he took up the property near the Rangitata whioh has ever since betn hi* home. On retiring from ; active political life'he showed himself a most 1 careful and «lmost model farmer, paying exceptional attention to the care of his stock, and to every detail of the work generally. Thoroughness in everything he took up, indeed, was one of bin leading characteristics. Hβ was very fond of gardening and of tree growing, and a. few weeks before his death was interested in the attempt to acclimatise .some rooks, which were confined in «. large cage, where he could watch them from his window. Mr Rolleston married the daughter of the late Mr Joseph Brittan. He leaves a family of nine children, five eons and four daughters. The eldest, Mr Arthur Rolleston, is a member of the firm of Wilding, Lewie and Rolleston in Chrietchurch; the second, Dr. Lancelot Rolleston, is at the head of one of the principal , hnmtio asylums in England ; Mr Frank Rolleeton is a barrister at Timaru, a member of the firm of Tripp and Rolleeton; Mr Hector Rolleeton is a magistrate of a district in the Transvaal; the youngest, Mr John Rolleiton, is managing hie father's property at Kapunatiki. Of the four daughters, the eldest is Mis Teschemaker, of Otaio, tie other three, the Misses Dorothy, Margaret, and Helen RoKeston, are living at home. It is probable that Mr Rolleston could not have taken co active a part in our public life, could not have so closely identified himself personally with every official duty that came within his province, and in a general seoee could not for so long have played so strenuous a part, had it not been for the rest with which he entered into the enjoyments of his home, finding in his farm and the society of his family and friends a complement to the stress and trials of official lite. A farmer by instinct, he woe never happier than when riding about his paddocks. He maintained personal and confidential relations with many of the farm animals, and would address them in whimsical terms, which frequently amused his hearers. In hie plantations Mr RoUeston took a peculiar interest, for friewfe were frequently called upon to commemorate tEeir viait by planting a tree, an operation which was usually completed amid a stream of cln«sictl quotations from the host. On the other hand he could point to not a few trees which had been given_to him, and so a great many of his trees possessed , associations -which it gave him the greatest pleasure to recall end explain. Of great interest, too, for th« name reason, wee a not inconsiderable collection of New Zealand curios sent to him from all porta of the colony, affording eloquent testimony, cc their hietory was unfolded, of the respect and, indeed, affection, which, he inspired in those with whom lie was brought into contact. It was amid sucheumnindings a these that he delighted to receive bis friends, entertaining them with a ■warm-hearted 'hospitality, all the more appreciated because: so simple aad unaffected. Many of the principal tmblio buildings in Christohurch are memoriale of Mr RoHeeton's administration as Superintendent of the province, and «s Minister for Education. Hie name is closely connected with the history of . the Chrwtcherch Public Library. In the original plan of tide city as laid out by the founders of the province, a valuable site had been reserved for the purpose of a Mechanics' Institute. When the Library woe first formed, in August, 1859, it was opened under this name, which wae changed in 1868 to that of the Cbrietcburch- Literary Institute, on December sth, 1873, when its affaire were in a very poor stat«, the trusteea conveyed, subject to certain condition*, the institution and site to Mr Rolleston as Superintendent "upon trust for the purpose of a public library, to be ettebliabed and maintained under and in pursuance of the provisions of 'The Canterbury Museum and Library Ordinance, 1870." In 1874 the Superintendent gave the control oi the library to the Board of Governors of the

Canterbury College. It was his earnest activity in the cause of education that led to hie appointment as one of the first memben of the Senate of the University of New Zealand. The Christehurch museum, which is another monument to hie desire to forward the cause of education, wax always the object of hie lively interest. Few of those who beard his eloquent address at the unveiling of the bust of Sir Julius yon Haast, will forget it, and the words engraved over the entrance to the museum " Lo, these are parts of Hie ways, bat how little a portion is heard of Him," were put there by him. One noble example of Mr Rolleeton's ability to gauge the needs of the future— the Victoria Park on the Port Hills—will preserve his memory for many a day to come. It will be remembered that as the result of his suggestion Sit the time of the Diamond Jubilee, the name of the reserve wae changed to Victoria Park, and a good sum of money was raised for its improvement. On June 21st, 1897, Mr Rolleston, accompanied by v large number of Chriatchurch residents, climbed; the hills to the Park, and there planted an oak, a number of other gentlemen also planting trees. la the course of hie address on that occasion, Mr Rolleston said the Park had been an object oi great intereet to him for years. It woe at his instance set apart as a domain in 1885. Previously, when Superintendent, he had laid out roadd along the summit of the hills, leading down to the Heathcote Valley, believing that in the future the hills would be much resorted to, and that the city would hereafter creep up the lower slopes. This reserve would hereafter be on the confines of the Chrietchurch that was to be. . The roade would then be formed, and in the meantime their existence kept open country all of whioh ought to have been reserved as a recreation ground for the dwellers on the Plains. How true this was no Christchurch resident needs to be told. The recent erection of the marble tablet at the Park, setting foTth the circumstances under which it was opened, ie now all the more gratifying because it showed Mr Rolleston that his effort* to benefit the people were recognised and appreciated.