RESIDENT FOR 81 YEARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 847, 16 December 1929, Page 10

RESIDENT FOR 81 YEARS

HOWICK’S OLDEST INHABITANT MRS. R. WHITES BIRTHDAY For 81 years a resident pf Howick and now the oldest inhabitant, Mrs. Rhoda White, celebrated her 92nd birthday on Saturday. In spite of her advanced age, Mrs. White is in good health and was delighted on Saturday to receive congratulations from a number of old residents, including the Rev. H. Mason, vicar of All Saints’ Church, and the Rev. N. D. Boyes, a former vicar. Only one survivor of the first arrivals at Howick, other than Mrs. White, is known. He is Mr. Robert Sale Dunbar, of Mount Eden, who was born at sea on the ship Sir Robert Sale, one of the vessels which brought the military officers to Auckland. Mrs. White was a daughter of Ser-geant-Major P. Pearce, who was one of the pensioners who came to New Zealand in 1847-1848 under the scheme devised by Sir George Grey, then Governor of New Zealand, for the formation of a belt of settlements of trained men between Auckland and the Waikato districts as a protection against the Maoris. Sergeant-Major Pearce ended his term of service in Australia and went to Howick in 1848 to join other ex-soldiers from England. His daughter had lived there ever since. Miss Pearce married Mr. William White, son of another military settler, who until his death many years ago was postmaster, having taken over the position from Mr. Pearce, who was the settlement’s first postmaster. Mrs. White has brought up a family of two sons and six daughters. She has vivid memories of the visits of Bishop Selwyn, Sir George Grey, and the Duke of Edinburgh and Lord Charles Beresford to the settlement. Throughout her life she has been associated with All Saints’ Church, of which Mr. White was one of the builders.