LIFE OF INCIDENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 757, 2 September 1929, Page 10

LIFE OF INCIDENT

DR. GILES’ 97TH BIRTHDAY VARIED CAREER Close personal friendship with Flor- ; enco Nightingale, “the Lady with the j Lamp,” during active service in the j Crimea campaign, was but one incident ! in the crowded life of Dr. J. Giles, of Auckland, who celebrates his 97th birthday tomorrow. In retrospect he sees himself a medical practitioner, army surgeon, pioneer settler, gold digger, magistrate, mining warden, newspaper editor, and departmental under-secretary and member of Royal Commissions. A native of Frome, Somerset, Dr. Giles was born eight years before Hobson came to New Zealand. While studying in medicine in London, the outbreak of the Crimean campaign hurried him off to the centre of hostilities. He was, however, required to serve at the base camp at Scutari, where he came into close contact with the famous “Lady with the Lamp.” Cessation of the war found Dr. Giles back again in England, where he completed his medical studies and left the shores of England behind for ever in 1858. In the intervening 70 years in New Zealand, Dr. Giles has had a varied career. He first took up land at Mauku, which he farmed for some years. The gold lure of the early days of the Dominion proved strong and he responded to the call by joining in the rush to Gabriel’s Gully as a prospector. Newspaper work had its fascination for Dr. Giles, and after being editor of one of the Dominion’s earliest papers, the “New Zealander,” he transferred to the same profession in Nelson. Appointed to the Magistrate’s Court bench. Dr. Giles then served successively on the West Coast, Wanganui and Auckland benches until his retirement in 1893. He retained his Mauku property for many years before finally settling in Auckland. Mrs. Giles died some years ago. Now in the evening of his life, Dr. Giles is somewhat handicapped by deafness and failing sight, although mental vigour remains unimpaired and allows him to indulge in the philosophy of the free thinker.