OBITUARY

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 264, 27 November 1939, Page 4

OBITUARY

MR. HERBERT ALLEY , OLD OPOTIKI SCHOOL-BOY A vetaran of the Great War, Mr, 'Herbert Alloy, who enlisted on tjio day Great Britain declared war on Germany, hag'died in. Gisborne, at.the age of 49' years. The deceased was the third'-sou of Mrs.. Elizabeth Alley, and the late Mr. John Alley, Salisbury road, and he was born in Thames. His capabilities at an early age showed 1 that he had a promising career-before him.-. Mo was prominent in both sporting and scholastic;. activities at school and as a pupil of the Opotiivi School, lie proved himself a useful athlete.

Continuing his education, at the Sac-red Heart College, ■ Auckland, Mr, Alley gained his matriculation there at the age 'of To. While at the college lie earned first fifteen honours in Rugby. and also was prominent in cricket. Two months before his sixteenth birthday lie entered the Public Service in Auckland and* .six l 'years later went to Wellington to take up the position of chief clerk in the-! Internal Affairs Department, gaining the distinction, of being the youngest chief clerk in the Public Service at that time. Mr. Alley was' 2-1 years of age when war was declared .in jL9I4 and he was dispatched with! thej expeditionary force to Samoa. LTpofi his return to the Dominion he rp-enlistckl for a further period of seVvicc and went, overseas with the third rein-, forcemeats. He was wounded on Gallipoli and after a. spell in England was declared fit . for active service ngain and joined! the- New Zealand forces in Egypt.. In 1916 he went to France with the New Zealand Division and served an the Western Front until u short while before the Armistice. 1 „ —-K

Two weeks before >the cessation of hostilities he travelled to. London on leave, and a few days later was promoted to the rank of quartermastersergeant and appointed to the staff of the headquarters office. He remained at headquarters uiitil well after most New Zealanders laid returned home audi he travelled out to the Dominion as paymaster on the s.s. Northumberland, arriving in this country in June, 1919. Two weeks later Mr. Alley accepted his discharge, but his health had been seriously affected by his war service. In 1925 he went into partnership with his brother, Mr. O. J. M. Alley, at Manutukc, but he continued to suffer indifferent health.

MATAWAI PIONEER MR. J. 13. CLARK PASSES TRYING DAYS RECALLED A former resident of -Matawai, Mr. John Briggs Clark, who made his home in that district in the days when only a few settlers had penetrated ( into that area, died! at Gisborne last week. Deceased was well-known to a number of Gpotiki residents. Mr: Clai-lc, who was aged ©7, was; tli© second son ol the late Mr. and Mrs. John Clark, poverty Bay pioneers of the early seventies, who afterwards settled in Hawke’s Bay. He was horn in Gisborne and educated in Hawke’s Bay. A riding track was the sole means of communication between Matawai and the more civilised parts of tlio East Coast district when Mr. Clark

took lip the task in 1809 of converting: to farming land an area of 120-0 acres of virgin bnsli country. Several year» : elapsed before he was able to build his homestead, which was to become the half-way house' for many travellers' on tho route from Gisborne to .Ppotiki. - His property was situated a, short distance south of the site of the present Matawai township and for-.d ifl&g time his supplies had to be taken to the station by pack-horse from Gisborne. l’n earlier times provisions 'were received only once a year. Bueb Fire Menace ' A-terrifymg experience • that befell Matawai residents inflSji‘3, when there were few- settlers in-the district,, was a bush lire the whole of The fire lasted about/a week-,and but for the "hk'Srstance .Jfendored by; ■employees of the Public Works Department engaged on the construction bf the Mctuliora railway -line a number oi the homesteads:,.would have been destroyed. /Vivid ’ reco%cti<ins of the escape of the settlors, from the disaster were retained by-Mr. Clark. In 192(j" Mr. Clark disposed of his Matawai and later settler at Repengaere. 'This year he retired and made his home at To Hupara. While at M'atiiiwai Mr. Clark took an active interest, in the advancement of the district. He was the Chairman <-f the first school; committee and also was prominently associated with the .Matawai Sports jC’luh and! 1 ria l Olub, as well as many other activities. Do wai inly supjsorted the latC'-Mr. K. S'. Williams as ’j.hiriiamenti.jry representative for the; Bay of Plenty and was chairman of Mr. Williams’ Matawai committee, f Local Body Service Foi- three years" immediately following the Great War lie served -as a member of the Waikohu County 'Council. When be removedf to Patutahi lie took a keen interest ift- locnt.organisations there, being, a .inember -of the Patutahi Bowling iClub and the Presbyterian Church. | Mr. Clark was jui daily member of the Justices of tl|e Pfnco Association dn the Gisborne dibtriicijb, and was also a member of Turanganui Lodge. His marriage to Miss Mario. Alieo Cameron, second daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Kwen Cameron, took place in 1902, and the deceased is survived by his widow, three sons, and om» daughter, all of whom reside in the Gisborne district.