OBITUARY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2498, 26 October 1922, Page 3

OBITUARY.

.JOHN HILLARY —AGED 79 YEARS. The death took place at his residence, Hillary Street, some time during Tuesday night of a wellknown local resident in thp person of Mr Joint Hillary, aged 7!) years. During the past two years Mr Hillary has not been able to get about much, owing l to some affection of the legs, which had troubled him for many years. The immediate cause of death will necessitate a post mortem and inquiry as deceased had not. been attended by a medical man prior to his death.. The late Mr Hillary was horn in England on the sth of October, 1843.. He. .joined Her Majesty’s Navy in 1859. In 18(52 he joined the merchant service, in which he continued for four years, and traded in the Baltic and Mediterranean .Seas to Africa, and twice to Now Zealand, landing on the last occasion in January, 18f>7. Mr Ilillary was engaged in various pursuits in the Manawatu district for twelve months, when he. was appointed ferryman on the Manawatu River by tbe Wellington Provincial Council, where be continued till the coach ran between Wellington and Wanganui, and during the five years lie made many improvements in the ■ferrying service, for which he was “compensated by the Council when that body took it over. Air Hillary was engaged to refit the Lower Gorge ferry in 1880 which had been destroyed by a flood. In 1881 ho was successful in obtaining the Foxton fCrry for a lease of three years, and in 1883 he erected a new ferry a.i Wirokino, which he worked in conjunction with the Foxton one. On the completion of the Welling-ton-Manawatu Railway the traffic fell off so considerably that the Foxton ferry was closed in 1883, and the plant was removed to Wirokiup and there used, the Wirokino plant being - subsequently fitted lip by Air Hillary at a place chosen by him for the Shannon people. Tie conducted both ferries for a time until lie retired. As a ferryman he was known far and wide in the early days. The late Mr Hillary was unmarried and leaves no relatives in New Zealand. The funeral will take plaee tomorrow leaving All Saints’ Church at 10 a.m. for the Foxton cemetery.