OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 22 September 1938, Page 12

OBITUARY

MX JOffN MM

rm pkkss Sftdai i«*e| \

TIMARU. Septerribcr M. -

One who had been closely associafiA with the development- of Timaru lot more than 5(1 years, Mr John Hole, died yesterday in his eighty-seventh. year! Mr Hole was Mayor of Timaru for some years, and throughout his career had ■ taken an active interest in the affairs of the town £ind district. As a young man, Mr Hole arrived from England at Melbourne, with his wife in the steamer Kent, in -1879,. and landed in New Zealand at Port Chalmers. Subsequently he went to Timaru, where he soon received work as a builder, one of his first jobs being on the post office building in King George place. Later he removed to Glen-iti. where he purchased the local store, but in 1888 he returned to Timaru and with Mr W. Annetts entered into partnership in the brewery business until then known as the Browne Street Brewery, The business was subsequently sold to the Timaru Brewery Company, for whom Mr Hole was for a time manager and , later "inspector. - Some time ago the business was sold to New Zealand' Breweries. Ltd., For about 20 years Mr Hole was-a member of the Timaru Borough. Council, and he was Mayor during the . period 1899-1902. At various periods he was a member of the Timaru Bar-,.. hour Board, the South Canterbury Hospital Board, the Timaru High School* ... Board, of Governors, and -the- Timaru Fixe Board, being a member of -.the lastnamed body at the time of .bis dextn. - Before taking up residence in Timani on the second occasion, he was chairman of the Glen-iti School Committee. Mr Hole was president of the Timaru Trotting Club continuously since IMS . and was a member of the South Canterbury Calfedonian Society. . During his office as Mayor, the South African. War-was fought, and Mr Hole said good-bye to the whole of the .South Canterbury, members of the van' ous contingents which went overseas; he also welcomed most of those who returned to South Canterbury. Aruang out of the South African War, the V«-, erans’ Association was formed, and Mr Hole was a member of that organisstion since its establishment. With Messrs M. J. Knubley and- C. S. Eraser he was appointed a trustee of the South African Patriotic Fund, later ad-/ ministered with the Patriotic Fund for the benefit of soldiers who returned ‘ from the Great War, the former fond having been handed to the newer body on condition that the claims of South African veterans were not overlooked. A work with which Mr Hole was. closely associated was the Timatu har- - hour works, known as the eastern extension. by which Timaru was made safe for ships to enter and leave toe port in any weather and to lie safely : 1 at their berths. Mr Hole was one of those who opposed the proposals of toe “shingle shifters,” as he termed those who wished to dredge the harbour to a greater depth* Xne construction of. the extension made Timaru a first-class port and brought into existence the beach at Caroline Bay. Mr Hole was a foundation member of the Caroline Bay Association, an organisation whJcn has carried out great improvements to the bay. He was one of those who formed a working-bee and with.a ayade assisted in the start of the work which has resulted in the bay being msde so attractive. - . Mr Hole was married at Wingfield. Wiltshire. England, on December .29, 1875, coming from Bath, Somerset, to marry Maria Tucker Couch. Hieir diamond jubilee was celebrated at Timaru in 1935. Mrs Hole since diedThere was a family of five, of whom two are" living. Mrs G. H., Andrew*, of Timaru. and Mrs R. G. Malcolm son, of Riccarton.