LEAP YEAR VAGARIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 289, 27 February 1928, Page 9

LEAP YEAR VAGARIES

BIRTHDAYS FOR PIONEERS ONCE IN FOUR YEARS Two well-known citizens of Auckland, who. owing to the vagaries of the calendar, have only celebrated their birthdays at fouryear intervals, will commemorate the day of their birth on Wednesday. nnHE Hon. E. W. Alison. M.L.C.. will be 76, though he has only had IS birthdays. The ripe old age of S 4 years will be attained by Mr. Robert Taylor War nock, yet he has only seen 20 birthdays. Both citizens have played an important part in the development of this city, and have accepted their share of municipal office. In the case of the Warnock family, father and son (Mr. J. A. Warnock) have together a record of 53 years of continuous municipal service, probably a record difficult to emulate throughout the Dominion. Mr. Alison is one of the few A**ck-

landers who can boast of years’ residence on the North Shore. In the development of this borough, in particular, he has played an important part. He arrived in Auckland with his parents in 1552. The Alison home was the first house of timber to be erected at Devonport. At 23 years of age, Mr. Alison was a member of the Waitemata County Council and of the Devonport Road Board. In 1890 he was Mayor of the borough and his first regime was characterised by the inauguration of the lake water supply—a measure that was warmly opposed. In 1901 he was again Mayor. PIONEER MERCHANT Mr. Warnock •was born in Belfast in 1844. In company with his brothers he arrived in Auckland in 1562. The city was then a town board with a population of not more than 7,000 inhabitants. Six weeks after their arrival the brothers commenced their business of tanners and curriers, wool merchants and soap manufacturers. Though now in his eighties, Mr. Warnock is still managing-director of the company, and is the only Auckland merchant from among the original proprietors who holds this position. Mr. Warnock was a member of St. Matthew’s vestry as far back as 1566.

He was also present at the dedication of All Saints’ Church, Ponsonby, 54 years ago. During the troublesome days of the Maori War he served with No. 1 Company, Royal Auckland Volunteers. Shortly after removing to Richmond in 1874 he was elected a member of the Newton Highway Board, and the following year became its chairman. Newton elected Mr. Warnock its fir3t Mayor, a position he held for 14 years. When t*»~ Government put the road way across Cox’s Bay and joined Ponsonby to the West End, Mr. Warnock. was instrumental in obtaining 22 acres of mangrove swamp for the city as a reserve. Another good work he accomplished, was th' p'— -ention of right-of-ways, and resultant slum conditions, in the Surrey Hills estate. He also secured adequate drainage facilities for the Surrey Hills district. Excellent health is enjoyed by Mr. Warnock. Almost every day he attends to business affairs at his office.