OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 3

OBITUARY

MB.-Augustus-p. mason. Mr. Augustus P. Mason, one of Wellington's oldest and best-known survey- , ors, died at his residence in Upper Abel Smith Street on Wednesday night at the ago of 68 -years. The deceased was born at Grango Walk, Holloway, London, in 1842, and wjis educated at Mr. teuton's private acmieiny aL Lalehain, on the Thames. He turned his back on the Old Country in'lßs6, mid followed the world to Melbourne, when" Us streets were alleged lo 1)8 paved with nuggets. There he entered the office .oftho "Argus," but did not take kindly to newspaper work. Later ho was engaged for work with the party'surveying the track; of the Mel-bourne-Gee] ong railway, and did further survey work in'Ballarat and elsewhere in Victoria. When the Otagb rush broke out ho. catnc-over to Dunudin, and engaged iu mining on the Waipori, at.Dunstau, Fox's, Shotover, and other fields with little luck, flo returned to Victoria and, entered into business as- newsagent and stationer* but Fortune, would not smile. Mr. Mason then joined the staff of Mr. H. U. Blair* mining engineer, at ■Gaffney's Creek. Later -oij ho was with Mr. S. Yickery, late Surveyor-General of. Victoria, remaining on that gentleman's 6taff until, he left lor Wellington, which was reached on' January 21, 1867. .Mr. Mason's first employment' in the North Island ■-..was on' the trigonometrical survey -of ' the Wairarapai under , the late Mr. Alex. Dundas.-: Mr. Mason ■ was. in the service .of. the. late Mr. A;, de B. Brandon, solicitor, as engrossing clerk, until March, 1872, when he left to become ■ Land Transfer .'Draughtsman; At, the end of fifteen years he resigned, and started practice on his own account. Tor fourteen, years he was in partnership in AVellingto'n' with Mr. 8. , Hi: Biclimond. Later .on'he carried on business here on his own account, bnt for'some time before his.death he had been in'the Land Transfer Department Ho only-became seriously ill last month. '. • ■ ; The deceased was, an enthusiast in musical matters, and '< for twenty-five years was a. member of St. Peter's choir. He h.is left 'a widow and a family of sis, ,viz., Mrs. Latham , (Wellington); Mrs. Albert Williams (Christchurch), Miss Louie Mason (Wellington), Mr. 'Philip .Mason, now' living, in' Chile, : Mr. 'Arthur Mason (surveyor/ ■~of [ Levin), 'and Mr. : Bernard' Mason 1 , of Paraparaumu. . : s '\