OBITUARY.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18139, 2 October 1930, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MR CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE. The death occurred suddenly, at his residence, at Whatawhata, last night, of Mr Campbell Johnstone, one of the best known public body men in the province, at the age of 67 years. With his passing goes one of the most familiar figures in South Auckland.

The late gentleman was born at Waiuku and was a son of the late Capt. J. C. Johnstone, of the Indian Army. As a child he went with his parents to the Raglan district, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He was educated mostly in the county and in 1890 he married Miss Clementina Alexander, of Te Awamutu, and shortly, afterwards settled at Okete and later moved to the homestead at Whatawhata, where he remained until his death, which occurred in his sleep shortly after midnight. ,On Tuesday Mr Johnstone was in Auckland on business and spent a large part ol' yesterday in Hamilton, when he appeared to be in perfect health. He arrived home about 6 p.m. in his usual spirits and went to bed about 10 o’clock, apparently feeling quite well. His end was as peaceful as it was unexpected and was such as Mr Johnstone had been known to desire, when the time for his passing arrived.

For 28 years the late gentleman occupied a seat on the Raglan County Council, and for the past 21 years acted as chairman of that body. During his whole period of membership he never missed a single meeting. He represented Raglan County on the Waikato Hospital Board since 1909 and on the retirement of the late Mr J. P. Bailey, in 1924, was unanimously elected chairman, a position he held until his death. He was on the Auckland Harbour Board and was also a member of the Highways Council, a member of the New Zealand Counties Association, and a member of the Raglan Licensing Bench. Owing to his extensive knowledge of native rating he was appointed to the commission which sat some years ago to enquire into the problem of native rating. Prominent in racing circles, he was an excommitteeman of t'he Waikato Racing Club and a member of the committee of the Waikato Trotting Club and had been the owner of several well-known trotting horses and latterly of race horses. In addition to his public body duties, Mr Johnstone was also chairman of directors of G. W. Vercoe and Co.

The late Mr Johnstone was a very powerfully-built man and his figure was as familiar as was his name throughout South Auckland. He was a man who spoke his mind fearlessly despite consequences. He had a very extensive knowledge of local body law, and the county over which he reigned as chairman for so long, despite its widespread nature and the vast area of Crown and native lands it contains, was regarded as one of the best administered in New Zealand. Mr Johnstone has lived the most of his life on the deviation road between Whatawhata and Raglan, where ho reared a large family of five sons and seven daughters. They are Mrs F. W. Lewis (Pukekohe), Mrs E. Egan (Whatawhata), Mrs G. Gaskell (ltamarama), Mrs 0. Gaskell (Whatawhata), Miss G. Johnstone (Auckland), Miss K. Johnstone (Whatawhata), Miss J. Johnstone (Whatawhata), Messrs J. C. Johnstone (Cambridge), H. Johnstone, F. C. Johnstone, G. A. Johnstone and It. L. A. Johnstone, all of Whatawhata. To them the sympathy of a very large circle of friends will be extended. Members stood in silence at a meeting of the general committee of the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association this morning as a mark of respect ‘to the late Mr Campbell Johnstone. The funeral will leave his late address at 2 p.m. on Saturday, for the Hamilton East cemetery.