OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1781, 20 June 1913, Page 5

OBITUARY

PIONEER OF POVERTY BAY. (By Telegraph—Biiodal Oorreauondent.) Gisb'ofne, Juno 19. Captain Joseph Kennedy, who died at Auckland yesterday, was one of the pioneers of Poverty Bay. He was the first pilot to tho Gisborne Harbour Boa?d, and originated the lightering firm of Kennedy and Bennett (afterwards Kennedy and Evans), and finally disposed of it to the Sheepfarmers' Company,'. under whose guidance the business has grown into the considerable concern of to-day. Some years ago ho sold his property here, and took up a farm at Papakura, near Auckland. He left that and returned to Gisborne but took ill and went to Auckland for health reasons a month ago. The first steam tondor which served to set up communication of a kind between Gisborne and the outside world was run by Captain Kennedy, for Captain Read. This was tho littlo Noka, called after Captain Read's first wife, a Native, lie was born at Kennedy's Bay, Auckland, and worked with his father on the sea. His father, who was a well-known figure in the early days, was murdered by Natives ■while proceeding in a cutter from Kennedy's Bay (named after Mr. Kennedy, senior) to Auckland. The first that can be remembered of the veteran captain in Poverty Bay was when lie ran the old schooner Rosina to Opotiki and Tauranga.