VIVID MEMORIES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 491, 27 March 1933, Page 7

VIVID MEMORIES

STILL IN GOOD HEALTH AT AGE OF 100 YEARS. INTERESTING LIYES. Two residents of the Auckland ProI vince will be over 100 years old this I month. Mr. Thoma& Inger, of Port } Albert, Kaipara, reached 102 last ! Sunday. Captain W. J. Newby, of ' Grey Lynn, will be 100 on Sunday, March 26. Both' are in excellent health considering their great age. Mr. Inger is. known as the "father" of the Kaipara 'district. He was one of the original Albertland settlers, arrivinig in New Zealand by the ship Matilda Wattenhach', the first of the Albertland vessels to reach Auckland. He was in charge of the boat which' took the settlers from Helensville to Albertland, and vividly remembers the hardships eneountered by the settlers in the effort to carve homes for themselves out of the bush. In 1870 he was appointed district constable, retiring in 1894. Mrs. Inger died several years ago. ' iGreat age has not seriously impaired Mf. Inger's health. He is a cheer--ful figure in the Port Albert district and walks to the post office every day for his, letters. Captain Newby spent a very adventurous youth. He saw active service in Italy with Guiseppe Garibaldi, the famous Italian patriot, he was a soldier during the Maori wars and he participated in the >gold rush at Thames. Born at Cambridge, England, he took th'e B.A. degree at Cambridge University, after which he entered the Imperial Army. He held a lieutenant's commission, when, in 1859, the British Government decided to send a force of 1000 picked men to help Garibaldi create a united Italy. The expedition set sail from London | in the ship Emperor, and eneountered j terriftc storms in the Bay of Biscay. j The vessel was delayed so long that j she was given up as lost. She evenj tually reached Naples, and the men l were fighting the following day. | In 1864 Captain Newby arrived in ' New Zealand in the ship Winteher, I joining the Waikato Regiment. After j the Thames gold rush in 1867 he took i a farm at Tapu, where he resided for | 30 years. For the last 23 years he i has been living in retirement in Auck- ! land. ! In celebration of his approaching , 100th birthday, Captain Newby was ( entertained a few days ago by the Old Thames Girls' Association, creatI inig a great impression hy making a j splendid speeeh on the pioneer days at I Thames. Captain and Mrs. Newby ; celebrated the 65th anniversary of , their marriage on May 23 last year.