OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24408, 20 September 1940, Page 7

OBITUARY

MR DONALD MdNNES Mr Donald Mclnnes, whose death occurred recently at his residence. Surrey street, in his eighty-seventh year, was born at Ballachulish, Argyleshire. in 1854, and as a- lad he went to work in the slate quarries there. In 18?4, with his parents and other members of his family, he arrived at Port Chalmers in the old sailing ship Invercargill. Having mastered the art of slate splitting in his native land, he turned to that industry in New Zealand, and, with his two brothers, he opened up slate quarries at Otepope (now Herbert). Later he worked on the piercing of the Deborah Bay tunnel, and for some time was a shepherd on *he Cottesbrook run at Middlemarch. In the late eighties he took up land at Otiake. alongside his father and brothers. About this time he was recognised as one of the foremost blade shearers in North Otago. In 1891 he married Miss Elizabeth Jones, mistress of the Otiake School.

and daughter of Mr Elias Jones, Warrington. In 1902 Mr Mclnnes and his family left Otiake and came to reside at the Evansdale Glen, a popular spot among picnic and week-end camping parties from Dunedin. In 1910 Mr Mclnnes sold the Glen property, the greater part of which became a scenic reserve vested in the Dunedin City Corporation. In April of that year he purchased a property at Clinton, where he became a popular and familiar figure. He served for some years on the Clinton School Committee, and was a staunch supporter of the Clinton Caledonian Society. At the age of eighty-four Mr Mclnnes gave up farming and came to Dunedin. During his long life Mr Mclnnes retained his Gaelic tongue. He had a most retentive memory, and his grasp of the early history of his native highlands and New Zealand was the envy of much younger men. In his earlier years he was a professional highland dancer, and in later life he judged both piping and dancing at gatherings throughout Otago. He was also a member of the Otago Pipers and Dancers’ Association, and a life member of the Gaelic Society of New Zealand. Mr Mclnnes had a family of eight sons and four daughters, nine of whom, with his widow, survive. The sons are Alaisdair, Thomas E. and lain (Dunedin), Donald (Invercargill), Archie (first echelon. Egypt), and the daughters are Mrs G. A. Wills and Mrs N. Munro (Green Valley), Mrs J. Clark (Port Chalmers) and Mrs Cross (Wellington). Peter died in infancy, Murdoch L. was killed at Passchendaele in 1917, and Elias John (M.M., D.C.M.) was killed at Bapaume in 1918. Two brothers and two sisters survive. They are Peter (Kartigi), Archie (Oamaru), Mrs McLucas (Otiake) and Mrs Simpson (Christchurch). The interment took place at the Anderson’s Bay cemetery, where a large gathering of relatives, friends and representatives of various societies assembled. The funeral laments were played by Mr Kenneth Cameron, an old friend of Mr Mclnnes. and also a native of Ballachulish. The services at the chapel and graveside were conducted by the Rev. John Pringle and the Rev. C. M. Sullivan. MR HUGH NELSON The death of Mr Hugh Nelson, which took place at his home in Dunedin on Monday morning, at the age of 81 years, removed a well-known figure of the early dredging days in Otago. Born in 1859 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, he came out to New Zealand at an early age. Shortly after arriving in Otago his parents took up land at Lovell’s Flat. The son attended the school at Stoney Creek and when his schooldays were ended he was apprenticed to the blacksmith and wheelwright’s 1 trade with Mr Alexander Boss, of Clarksville. On the completion of has apprenticeship he was for some time employed in blacksmithing at Gore and later at Balclutha, where he acquired a general engineering and blacksmith and wheelwright’s business. In 1895 he became interested in goldmining and with a brother, Mr John Nelson, built the first dredge to operate on the Glenore field and demonstrated for the first time that a

dredge did not require a river in which to operate successfully. Contrary to the general opinion then prevalent, he showed that a dredge could treat areas far remote from a river where water sufficient to wash the material was present, either in the ground being worked or when brought to the surface from any other source. The success which he achieved in what was termed dry-land dredging was widely referred to in engineering circles within, and far beyond New Zealand, and led to a wide expansion of the gold-dredging industry in Otago and elsewhere. For several years following his experiences at Glenore his time was occupied in erecting the machinery on upwards of a dozen dredges in Otago and on the West Coast. Mr Nelson returned from the West Coast to Otago in 1902 to take up the position of engineer for the Mystery Flat Dredging Company at Waikaia and was later appointed dredgemaster and engineer, a position Which he filled until the company’s clafm had been worked out. He later acquired a local coal pit and supplied fuel to a number of dredges operating on the Waikaia field. He also purchased several sluicing properties in the Waikaia district, and for the past 4e\v years had concentrated his activities upon their development and working. His association with spprt and athletics was confined to shooting and boxing and he had few equals as a marksman with rifle or shotgun. In 1887 he married Miss Alexandra McNeil, of Balclutha, who predeceased him 19 years ago. He is survived by four sons and three daughters, and by a brother. Mr Peter Nelson, secretary of the Dunedin Gardening Club

MR FRANK McILRAITH Advice has been received by relatives in New Zealand of the death m London of Mr Frank L. Mcllraith, a Journalist. who began his career m Christchurch. Mr Mcllraith was born at Springfield. Canterbury and attended the Springfield School. After working for several New Zealand publications, Mr Mcllraith went to Australia, and in 1925 to England. For a time he was on the staff of the Daily Mail. London. but later he became an independent contributor to a number of American and Australian newspapers. Most of his work was as London correspondent of Smith’s Weekly. In 19d4 he published, in collaboration with Mr Roy Connolly, a novel with the title. “ Invasion from the Air.” On Mr Mcllrailh's death, messages of sympathy were sent by Mr H. G. Wells, Mr Seaii O’Casey and many Government officials and trades union leaders. A representative of the United States press said that Mr Mcllraith’s work was a credit to his country, his countrymen and his profession. His funeral was attended by the Agents-general of Victoria. South Australia and Western Australia. Wreaths were sent by the High Commissioner for New Zealand (Mr W. J. Jordan), and the High Commissioner for Australia (Mr S. M. Bruce) Tributes were also paid by officials of the Ministry of Information and Cable and Wireless. Ltd. Mr Mcllraith is survived by his wife and two sons. N MR W. H. HAMER (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 19. Advice has been received in Auckland of the death in England of Mr W. H. Hamer, who was engineer to the Auckland Harbour Board for 21 years until his retirement in 1924.