OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2862, 29 August 1916, Page 7

OBITUARY

MP: CHARLES PALLISER

Mr. Charles Palliser, a well-known and highly respected resident of Wellington, awl a gentleman well known in the building trade, died at his residenco, 88 Ellice Stroet, last evening, after a long illness. Mr. Palliser was born in Northallerton (Yorkshire) on Juno 4, 1846., Leaving that town to gain wider experience, he resided in London for somo years, when ho decided to seok fresh fields for his energies, and sailed from London in the ship City of Auckland, arriving in Auckland iu Deoember, 1870 ? not long after the close of the Maori War. With many others he boro the hardships of thoso unsettled times which brought out tho best qualities in our pioneers. lift was among those who worked on tho Ooromandel goldfields. Later he went to the South Island,' and settled at Tiinaru, where he soon became a factor in the building life of that town. Anions.the monuments to his skill as a tradesman are big wool and grain stores, tho wharf, breakwater, and moles. In 1890,. Mr. Palliser. with lis partner (Mr. P. R. Jones, of the Lower Hutt) secured tho contract for tho Napier breakwater, and at the termination of that work (which took fivo years) was concerned in the formation of the Marino Parade. Nineteen years ago the deceased came to Wellington, and he.(with Mr. Jones) has beon concerned in a. good deal of building in and about tho City. The lato Mr. Palliser had a kindly disposition, and was a very popular member of the Wellington Bowling Club. Ho leaves a family of four eons and three daughters.

MR. WILLIAM TONKS

Most : people who have resided any length of time in Wellington, and are at all acquaintedi with the history of the City, will blow Mr. William Tonks, one of the fathers <rf Wellington, and a noted upholder of the rights of citizens whenever an encroachment necessitated by the growth of the Oity or ! a chango in ideas was threatened. [ Knowing ibis sterling honesty of purI pose and high principles, they will rc- | gret to learn that Mr. Tonks died on Sunday at the ripe age of 79 • years, after a long illness. • It is only a few weeks ago that he was to have waited | on the_ City Council to protest against alterations being made to the existing boundaries of; tho Basin but ill-health prevented his following up correspondence on that subject with the council by a personal interview. Mr. Tonks, who was born in Birmingham on March 11, 1837, came to Wellington with his parents in the ship Burman, landing at Pipitea Point oil Maroh 1, 1842. He lived here all his years, and grew old with the town. While taking his full share in the work of development, he was especially prominent in the task of conservation —striving to preserve for future generations tho best of Ihe . privileges which had been enjoyed by the early settlers, and especially those privileges which concerned the right to free recreation. By occupation ho was at times brickmakor,' shipowner, and contractor. In 1869 he undertook one of the largest .reclamation contracts that have been dealt with, oven in Wellington.' The. work involved was the cutting away of the' side of the hill from Stewart Dawson's comer (Clay Point) to Boulcott Street, and the reclaiming of what is now Customhouse Quay from the Pier Hotel to Levin and Co.'s warehouse. After that ho became interested in shipping, anl was the owner of several of tho sailing vessels which maintained a service with Australia. These wero the ship Wellington, which,was wrecked at Happy I Valloy, the barquo Malay, and tlie schooner Young l)ick, to name .only a few. For tho past 'thirty -years Mr. Tonks had boon engaged in the flourmilling and!_ baking business, and with this he maintained his active connection up to tho time of his death. . He lived for many years 1 at the head of Sutherland lload. One matter in which he took a great intorost in late years was tho opening and improvement of that road to give a better means of accoss to Lyall Bay. But his great agitations wero on questions touching the public parks and the Town Belt. He knew ihe Belt when it was one great Sylvan expanse, delightful .to the eye. He lived to see the bush cleared away, and' the Belt given over to gorso and graziers. It was Lis main desiro that thcro should bo no further desecration, and he was strongly opposed to the encroachment of private persona or corporations. To suggestions that the best parts of the Belt should be handed over to private sports clubs, to bo improved, he olfered tho greatest opposition. Ho would potition tho Oity Council, write to it, and wait upon it, ana ho did not hesitate to carry his opposition to Parliament if tho council 1 persisted in tho courso which he judged to be wrong. He insisted that the Belt and tho parks were not solely for cooperate sports bodies, but for the community as a whole, and that the women and children should not bo denied free access to their own property. Ho led the opposition to the proposals to charge for admission to the Basin Preserve, and lator tho proposal to enclose portions of Newtown Park for the Zoo. In his fights he was not always wholly successful. but lio managed to securo the limitation of the charging rights, and 'his watchfulness had good cffect. His success and tho Tcspect with which his representations wore mot wero duo largely to his sincerity, and tho disinterested' nature of his advocacy ol' the people's rights.