PROMINENT PERSONALITIES OF THE SHOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20087, 6 November 1939, Page 7 (Supplement)

PROMINENT PERSONALITIES OF THE SHOW

The present chief officials of the Poverty Bay A. and P. Association are sons of pioneer settlers. Mr. Roland Graham, who was elected president this year, is the son of Mr. William Grahhm, who was among the early settlers of the district. Mr. William Graham was a brother of Mr. Andrew Graham, the association's third president and at one time a member of Parliament. Mr Ptolancl Graham was born in Poverty Bay, and has been sheepfarming in the Ormond district for many years. He has been connected with the Show movement for many years. This year for the first time two vicepresidents were elected, both being members of old families whose names are well known in the district. Mr. Lawson Field is the son of Mr. J. C.

Field, a prominent figure in farming organisations for many years. Mr. Lawson Field, who has been a prominent exhibitor for a number of years, is conducting a sheep station at Makiri, Waimata. Mr. H. W. Barker, brother of Mr. F. B. Barker, who was president of the association from 190!) to 1912, is a prominent Hereford breeder, his Acton Stud, at Hcxton. having won awards not only in the GTsborne Show but also in outside districts. The honour of being the first president fell to Mr. J. B. Poynter, who came from England as a young man, settling on the Ngakaroa block, near Waipaoa, shortly before the Te Kooti trouble, while he later took up property near Westmere. Ormond.

He .suffered many vicissitudes, commencing with the massacre, from which he narrowly escaped with his life. In later .years Mr. Poynter lost a great deal of stock in serious Hoods, and disposed of his property after filling the post oi president of the society for four years. He went to Tasmania, where he invested money in mining ventures, but misfortune again dogged him. Returning to New Zealand, Mr. Poynter took a position with the Public Works Department in Welling-

ton, and when he retired went to live in Eitham. Later he was advised for health reasons to live in South Africa, and' settled in Pretoria, where he died only a lew years ago at an age of well over 30 years. Mr. S. J. Parsons, who was the first vice-president, died a few years after the first Show. Mr. Parsons came to the district only a few years prior to the first Show, and farmed on the Bloomfield estate. Matawhero, quickly securing tire reputation of being one of the finest agriculturists in the district at that time.