Mr. George Edward Hollis, Proprietor of “Grassmere,” was born at Sable in the midlands of France, is the son of the late Mr. Lytton Hollis (master mariner and professor of French), and grandson of Captain Hollis, of the British Army, who served at Waterloo. Mr. Hollis was educated at Marseilles by his father, and in 1885 came to New Zealand in the iron clipper “Turakina” with his parents, who resided at One-hunga for twelve months and afterwards removed north to Awanui, where Mr. Hollis, senior, eventually purchased “Grassmere and lived there till 1894. Mr. George Hollis has considerable musical and literary tastes and he is an excellent violinist.