OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1922, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MR. FRANK STEPHENSON SMITH. In the person of Mr. Frank Stephen-, son Smith, death has claimed another of New Zealand’s pioneer settlers with a long record of service since the time of hie arival in the Dominion. Mr. Smith was the second son of the late John Stephenson Smith, and died at Blenheim on Thursday from an acute attack of pneumonia. The deceased was born in shire, and came to New Zealand with his parents and other members of the family by the ship Pekin, landing in New Plymouth in 1849. His youth was spent on the farm, now part o; Wes. town. Soon after the outbreak of hosiilities with the Natives in 1860, he joined up with No 1 Company of Bushrangers, and saw a great deal ot active service, remaining with that company until its disbandment. His first big experience of surveying was with his brother, the late Mr. Percy Smith, in laying off for military settlers the extensive block of country lying between the. Waiongongora and Patea rivers, covering the whole of the Hawera-Patea districts. This was in 1865-6. and was a most dangerous undertaking, being in constant danger of

•ambusca/les by the Natives. Mr. Smith’s most important survey work, and one that will mark him for all time as one of the leaders of his profession in this country, was the triangulation, combined with a typographical survey of the Southern Alps lying to the north of the Hurunni-Waimakariri watershed, com-, bined with the country covered by the Kaikoura Mountains. This work demanded great determination and resource. It was highly dangerous at certain seasons of the year, as witness the tragedy that nearly overwhelmed the whole party in the Upper Wairan and Clarence country, when two of the party died from exposure.

Like his brother. Mr. Percy Smith, lu had taken more than an ordinary share in the dangers that beset the pioneer; of the Survey Department in New Zea land. After a long and honorable ser vice he resigned his position as Com missioner of Crown Lands and Chie Surveyor of Marlborough, in August 1911, and had since then resided in Bien heim. He is survived by his wife, : daughter of Mr. Estcourt Parsons, o Kaikoura: a sister, Miss B. Smith. Nev Plymouth; and a brother, Mr. Harr Smith, of San Francisco.