NOTED WRITER DEAD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 10

NOTED WRITER DEAD

N.Z. CORRESPONDENT IN GREAT WAR ALPINIST AND AUTHOR Press Association ifc WELLINGTON, Today. The death has taken place at the age of 68 of Mr. Malcolm Ross, the prominent journalist and author. Mr. Ross, as one of the best-known members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, the official war correspondent of New Zealand during the Great War, and the author of several excellent works, achieved a position of great distinction in New Zealand journalism. He was also widely known for his keen interest in mountaineering. Several of his prominent writings concerned alpine climbing. Mr. Ross was born at Dunedin on July 13, 1862, a son of Mr. Alexander Ross, formerly of Dingwall, Scotland. In 1890 he married Miss Forrest Elizabeth Grant. There was one son, Mr. Noel Ross, who began his career as a journalist on The Sun in Christchurch and left New Zealand to take part in the Gallipoli campaign. Later he was appointed to the literary staff of “The

Times,” London, and his death in England in 1918 terminated a brilliant career, besides being a severe blow to his father. With his father, Noel Ross was associated in the writing of “Light and Shade in War.” Mr. Malcolm Ross was educated at Palmerston High School, Otago, and at Otago University College. His sports included rowing, running, goif, cycling and lawn tennis and, later, he became known as a pioneer in alpine climbing and exploration in New Zealand. He made several first ascents of remote peaks and the first traverse of Mount Cook. His entry to journalism was when he joined the literary staff of the ‘ Otago Daily Times.” For several years he was private secretary to Sir James Mills, of the Union Steam Ship Company, and he then became Parliamentary and Wellington correspondent to “The Press,” Christchurch, and the “Otago Daily Times.” Correspondence work with “The Times,” London, and the “Meibom ne Age,” was carried out successfully by Mr. Ross for many years. In the Samoan rebellion he was correspondent lor several New Zealand newspapers. At the Dominions Royal Commission he was New Zealand secretary, and he then took tho position of official war correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in Egypt and France, and at Gallipoli. A vice-president of the New Zealand Alpine Club for several years, Mr. Ross was a Fellow of the Royal G-eographi-cal Society and a member of the Aloino <mib, London. For several years* he was editor of the “New Zealand Alpine Journal.” L principal publications were “A Climber in New Zealand,” “Light an Shade in the War,” “Aoranni ” Through Tuhoo Land,” and the New Zeaiand section of “The Empire at Kece , n , tly h 6 had an illustrated “Wanderlust/’ 0 n@W traVel productiOT ” Mr Ross is survived by Mrs. Ross vvho is well known as a literary contributor to several publications