OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 237, 1 July 1919, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR. JAMES M'KEKKOW. • Mr. James M'Kerrow, formerly a very prominent officer in the Public Service of the Dominion,, died at his residence in Ghuznee Street on Sunday night, at the iige of 8a years. Bom in luiniarnock, Scotland, on July 7, 1834, the late Mr. M'Kei'row came to New Zealand in the ship_Cheviot,- arriving at Port Chalmers on November 26, 1859. lie was appointed J<! the survey staif of Otago in the following mouth, and' for two years was engaged in the settlement! surveys in the survey districts of North Harbour and .Blueskin, Otokia, Waipouri.. Maungatua, Taieri, and Mocraki. I'roui December, 1,881,' to October, 1803, he was engaged in tlm reconnaissance survey of over four million acres of tho back mountain country of Otago, including the Hawcn, W<uiul>a, Wakalipu, Mavora, Te Anau.lManapouri, Monowai, and Il'auroto Lakes. For the. next tbree years lie was G'eode.sieal Surveyor, In September, ltiGG, he was appointed Inspector of Land and Mining Survey, .and continued .in that office until ISTa, when ho became Chief Surveyor of Otago. ' In November, IS7G, on the abolition of the Provincial Governments, ho was appointed- Assistant Surveyor-General for the colony, in 1878 Secretary for Crown Lands and Mines, ,and in 1879 Surveyor-General. In Jauu;ary, 18S9, ho was appointed Chief Commissioner of Railways, amkheld that position for six years. He was then appointed chairman of the Board of Land Purchase Commissioners, holding (imt office for several years until December 31. 1901, when ho retired from tin; Public Service, after a period of continuous service_ for over forty years, Jn ISS3 -Mr. M'lverrow was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in recognition of his service in the observation of the transit of Venus in December, 1882. The late Mr. M'Kerrow was a member of the Midland Railway Commission, and chairman of t.ke Land Commission in ISOS. 'Jle was also a director of Wio Gear Company for some years and chairman of tho Wellington Trust, Investment, and Agency Company. Ho was also a prominent' member of the Presbyterian Church and tho senior elder of St. John's Cliureh. He was twice married, nud is survived by his second wife and two daughters by his first wife—Mrs. J. D. Ritchie and Mrs. D. R. Caldwell. His. brother is Mr. Thomas M'Kerrow. of Dunedin.