CITY’S OLDEST SON

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 13

CITY’S OLDEST SON

PEGGED FAMOUS CLAIMS THAMES RESIDENT’S VISIT AUCKLAND’S oldest son, Mr. Alexander (Sandy) Bruce, of Thames, called at THE SUN Office to-day to give his Christmas greetings. Born in Auckland in August, 1843, Mr. Bruce claims to disprove the title of Sir Edwin Mitchelson to being the oldest locally-born resident. Sir Edwin was born in April, 1846. So that Mr. Bruce beats him by three years. Goldmining on the West Coast and

at Thames has taken up some of the most exciting years of Mr. Bruce’s eighty-four. In the “sixty-seven” rush he pegged out some famous claims, including the Occidental, but he has no faith in the gold-producing potentiality of Thames to-day. Mr. Bruce was especially interested in the modern equipment of THE SUN because in ’59 and ’6O he was a compositor on the old “Southern Cross” in Shortland Street. The allnight work entailed by the FrankoAustrian and Maori war “extras” did not agree with him, and he had to give up that occupation. He has lived at Thames for 60 years/ with periodical visits to Auckland and Australia. He remembers Auckland when Queen Street was a gully by the side of swamps.