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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

[Other Institutions]

Private Railways.

Mr. J. E. Fulton, who is referred to on page 351, resigned his position under the Manawatu Railway Company on the 31st of December, 1896.

Charitable Institutions.

Mr. L. S. Wilkes having retired in June, 1896, from the office of Steward and Secretary of the Wellington Hospital, Mr. W. J. Rountree was appointed to fill the vacancy.

Mr. William John Rountree, Steward and Secretary of the Wellington District Hospital, occupied the same office for seven-and-a-half years prior to April, 1893, when he resigned. On the retirement of his successor, Mr. Wilkes, in June, 1896, Mr. Rountree was selected to resume this important office.

Educational.

Mrs. Tarn, who is referred to as Headmistress of the Mount Cook Girls' School on page 376, retired from the position towards the close of 1896.

Miss Margaret Lorimer, M.A., Headmistress of the Mount Cook Girls' School, to which position she was appointed in November, 1896, was educated at the Girls' High School, Christchurch, where she gained a junior University scholarship in 1883, obtaining the degree of B.A., at Canterbury College, four years later, and in the following year that of M.A. In 1886 she joined the staff of the Christchurch Girls' High School, where, at the time of receiving her present appointment, she held the position of assistant mistress in charge of the senior mathematical work of the school.

The Rintoul Street Public School was opened on the 20th of July, 1896, to supply the needs of the fast-growing population in South Wellington, nearly 300 scholars being enrolled. In February, 1897, there were 420 children on the roll, with an average attendance of 350. The building, which was designed for 300 scholars, stands upon an enclosure of four acres, the situation being probably the best school site in the city. The school is built on modern lines, there being no narrow, intricate corridors, and the page 1505 class-rooms, being all twenty-five feet square, do not admit of more than fifty children being placed under one teacher. The headmaster is assisted by Mr. Alexander McKenzie, and Misses Reith, Kenny, Riddick, Wiltshire, Hutchen, and Player.

Mr. George Flux, the Headmaster of the Rintoul Street Public School, Wellington, who holds a D certificate, was born in 1851 in the Isle of Wight, where his father was a steward in the Prison's Department. Receiving his primary education at North-wood Public School, where he was afterwards engaged as a pupil teacher for five years, he gained a Queen's Scholarship and entered Winchester Training College. Mr. Flux was subsequently in charge of the Duke of Wellington's School at Strathfieldsaye for three years, when he entered the English Civil Service as schoolmaster in convict prisons. After seven years in this work, his health broke down, and he came to New Zealand in 1884, and has now completely regained his vigour. He has had charge successively of Judgeford, Pahantanui, Clareville, and Greytown schools, and was selected as headmaster of Rintoul Street School on its opening. Mr. Flux is married and has five children. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and takes an interest in shooting matters, having been a member of the Greytown Rifle Club, and president of the Wairarapa Rifle Association during his residence in the country.

Ecclesiastical.

Mr. Lawrence Watkins succeeded Mr. T. C. Webb, who is mentioned on pages 388 and 447-8, as organist of St. Mark's Church.

Rev. R. J. Murray (see pages 398-9) was compelled to leave his work as Minister of Thorndon Wesleyan Church, owing to continued ill-health.

Rev. Albert Bygrave Chappell, the Minister in charge of the Thorndon Wesleyan Church, was born in 1872 at Portsmouth, where he received his earlier education. He accompanied his father—Mr. J. B. Chappell, of Tauranga, contractor—to the Colony, arriving in January, 1881, and completed his school course in New Zealand. Mr. Chappell began to preach in Palmerston North in April, 1892, being recommended by the Wanganui District Meeting (now Synod) of the following year, and accepted by the conference of 1894 as a candidate for the ministry. He acted as supply for the Rev. W. H. Beck at Newtown, Wellington, and for the Rev. J. W. Smith at St. Albans, Christchurch, before
Rev. A. B. Chappell.

Rev. A. B. Chappell.

acceptance as a candidate. Two years were devoted to training in Auckland–the first at Three Kings and the second at Prince Albert College. In the northern city Mr. Chappell is best remembered for the active interest he took in literary society matters. He was secretary of one of the societies forming the strong City Union; was member and minister of the Union Parliament; took part in the tournament debates of 1895, and in the same year won both impromptu essay and extempore speech contests against allcomers. The first quarter of 1896 he spent in Gisborne, completing the term of a minister who had retired from the work of the Wesleyan Church. The annual conference of that year appointed him to the position he now holds. [At the Wesleyan Conference, held in Wellington in March, 1897, Mr. Chappell was appointed to Christchurch South.]

The United Methodist Free Church, Courtenay Place (vide page 402), which is now known as the Choral Hall, is leased by the Good Templar Lodge for the purpose of the Helping Hand Mission, which is directed by Mr. R. Crabb. This has come about in consequence of the union of the Methodist Churches in New Zealand.

Social.

The Selwyn Football Club, which is said (vide page 427) to have become a senior club in 1896, had at the time of writing entered for the senior championship, but retired before the competition began.

Wellington Newspaper Press.

Mr. E. T. Gillon, who occupied the editorial chair of the Post for so many years, and whose career is given on page 459, died on the 19th of April, 1896.

Mr. G. Lukin (vide page 460) succeeded Mr Gillon as editor of the Evening Post.

Mr. P. S. Cassidy (see page 460) retired from service under the New Zealand Times Company in October, 1896.

page 1506
Herbert Leicester, Manager and Secretary of the New Zealand Times Company, was born in 1857 in Melbourne, and was educated at King's College, London. After completing his collegiase course he served an apprenticeship on the London Stock Exchange, spending several years in that world-famed institution. Returning to the colonies, Mr. Leicester was some years in the English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank, and in 1881 he entered into business in Port Adelaide as a ship-owner, shipping agent, and bonded store proprietor. He disposed of this business in 1890, and for the following three years engaged in the wheat trade, travelling most of the time in the various colonies. Mr Leicester joined the New Zealand Times as a clerk in 1893, and on the retirement of Mr. J. F. Buddle in April, 1896, he was appointed secretary, becoming manager six mounths later, on the resignation of Mr. P. S. Cassidy.

Mr. J. F. Buddle resigned his position as Secretary of the New Zealand Times Company in April, 1896 (vide page 461).

Mr. R. A. Loughnan, whose journalistic career is mentioned on page 463, retired from the position of editor of the Times in December, 1896

Mr. John Thomas Marryat Hornsby, Editor of the New Zealand Times, hails from Tasmania, having been born in 1857 in Hobart, where he was educated and brought up to the printing business by his father, Mr. M. Hornsby, general printer. Coming to New Zealand in 1874, Mr Hornsby settled at Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and a little later he took charge of a goldfields paper at Arrow–the Observer. In 1876 he joined the Southland Times at Invercargill as foreman printer, and after several years was engaged on the staff of the Southland Daily News, Mr Hornsby started the Lake County Press at Arrow in 1882, which he conducted till early in 1886; he then became editor of the Napier Evening News, where he remained till August, 1896, with the exception of a year as editor of the Christchurch Star. On leaving Napier he became sub-editor of the Times, and on Mr. Loughnan's retirement in December, 1896, he was promoted to the position of editor. In 1884 Mr Hornsby contested the seat for the Lakes District with the Hon. T. Fergus, and in 1896 he wooed the suffrages of the electors of Wairarapa with Mr. Buchanan, being unsuccessful in both cases. Mr. Hornsby was married in 1876 to a daughter of the late Mr. Dougald Napier, a prominent Glasgow citizen, and has one son.

Mr. P. J. Nolan, who is referred to on page 464 as sub-editor of the Times, now occupies the position of chief of the reporting staff.

Mr. William Charles Marter, Sub-Editor of the New Zealand Times, first saw the light in 1865 in Wellington, where he was educated. He began his newspaper career as a “reader” at the Times office in 1881. After a short interval he rejoined in 1886 as shipping reporter, and worked his way to the position of chief of the reporting staff, which office he held from 1891 to 1896, when he became sub-editor of the Hawkes Bay Herald. After a short time he accepted an offer to rejoin the Times as sub-editor. In out-door sports Mr. Marter has long taken a prominent part; he was secretary of the Wellington Cricket Association, and now acts in a similar capacity for the Wellington Rugby Union and the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association.

The People (vide page 465) was amalgamated with the Weekly Herald, which Mr. Haggen purchased from Mr. Dwan, retaining, however, the former name. For a few months this journal was published, but it ceased to be issued in February, 1897.