Biographical Details

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 1

Biographical Details

Dame Ngaio Marsh has had a long and distinguished career as a writer, theatrical producer and artist. She was awarded the 0.8. E. in 1948. In 1962 the University of Canterbury conferred on her the honorary degree of doctor of literature. Dame Ngaio Marsh is best known internationally as a writer of detective fiction, but in Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand her Shakespearean productions with students are equally well known. Educated at St. Margaret’s College and the Canterbury University ColTege School of Art, she toured New Zealand with the Allan Wilkie Shakespearean Company in her youth. In 1928 she opened a decorating business in London, but was back in New Zealand at the outbreak of war to serve as a head section leader in the Red Cross Transport Service. During the 1940’s she produced some notable plays with the Canterbury University Drama Club. Dame Ngaio Marsh continues to write, and her autobiography was published this year.

Sir James Wattie was born in Hawarden 64 years ago and was educated at public schools in Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and Hawke’s Bay. He worked as an accountant and company secretary until 1934 when he founded J. Wattie Canneries, Ltd., in Hastings, of which he is managing-director. He is a former president of the Hastings Rotary Club, of which he has been a member for 30 years. Sir James Wattie is also a member of the Trade Promotion Council, and took part in a New Zealand trade mission to Japan' this year. A steward of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, he is a successful racehorse owner. His horse, Even Stevens, won both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup in 1962. Mr A. E. G. Lyttle in 1964 completed 40 years’ service as secretary of Federated Farmers and its predecessor, the Farmers’ Union, in North Canterbury. He retired last year. Mr Lyttle farmed as a young man, then worked for grain and seed merchants, had a dairy farm near Gore for 10 years, and then set up an accountancy business with his brother in Christchurch in 1923. From that time he was associated with almost every activity of farmers in the area. He had tong service on the Christchurch Technical College Board, for a long time was honorary treasurer of the Y.M.C.A., and in 1941-42,

was president of the New Zealand Institute of Secretaries.

Miss Doreen Brown has given 50 years’ service to the administration of swimming in Canterbury and New Zealand. Since she first became secretary of the Christchurch Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Club at the age of 16, she has been secretary of the Canterbury Centre from 1937 to 1945 and again from 1949 to 1960, and secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association from 1960 until last year. Miss Brown is a life member of those three bodies. She has also been secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Life-saving Society for more than 20 years, and holds all of its awards. A swimming and life-saving teacher, coach and administrator of long experience, Miss Brown was manager of the New Zealand swimming team which visited Australia in 1962.

Miss M. D. Hartridge is a visiting cerebral palsy therapist with the Health Department, Christchurch, who is at present in Rome on a World Health Organisation fellowship for three months’ study in the United Kingdom and Europe of social, occupational and pediatric physiotherapy. Miss Hartridge was awarded a fellowship by the New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists last April for her work as clinical director of a film about the early diagnosis of cerebral palsy which won an award in the British Medical Association’s film competition last year. In 1956 she made a study tour of Britain and the United States, specialising in the treatment of cerebral palsy, and in 1958 she went on a special assignment to

Singapore under the Colombo Plan. Mr James Collins was chairman of the committee which organised the successful Pan Pacific Arts Festival held in Christchurch last year. He is president of the Christchurch Operatic Society and a member of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. He was also a member of the former Arts Advisory Council. Squadron Leader J. A. Scrimshaw joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1954 and has served for three tours of duty in Canberra jet bombers, two of them in Singapore. He is now staff officer, flying training, at the Flying Training Wing headquarters, Wigram. ,