Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Public Trust Office

Public Trust Office.

The Public Trust Office (Dunedin District Agency), New Zealand Fire Insurance Buildings, Rattray and Crawford Streets, Dunedin. Telephone, 607; Post Office Box, 429, Bankers, Post Office Savings Bank. District agent. Mr. F. H. Morice, who opened the district agency in June, 1894. The district agent has seven sub-agents under his control; namely, Mr. C. W. Cooke, Oamaru; Constable Hilliard, Palmerston South; Mr. N. P. Hjorring, Naseby; Mr. W. R. Pearson, Lawrence; Mr. H. Symes, Alexandra South; Mr. C. E. Gudgeon, Queenstown; and Mr. James Wilson Wilson, Balclutha. The district extends from Waitaki in the north, and takes in the whole of the Otago land district. Mr. Morice is also secetary to the Otago Kaitangata Relief Fund Board.

Mr. Francis Henry Morice , J. P., District Agent for the Public Trustee, was born in 1851 at La Colle, Canada, but in 1856 went with his father to England, where his family lived in Kent. He was educated at Grange Court, Chigwell, Essex, at Neuwied, Rhenish Prussia, and at Eastbourne, came to Lyttelton in the ship “Melita,” in 1867, and for some years was employed on a sheep run in the Canterbury province. In 1872 he joined the police force as a constable, was promoted after four years' service, to the rank of sergeant, and was for some years successively sergeant-in-charge at Christchurch and Lyttelton. At Wellington he was afterwards acting sergeant-major, but left the force in February, 1892, to join the Public Trust Office. His first duty was to open the Greymouth district agency, of which he continued in charge for about twelve months, when he was transferred to Dunedin to open the agency, of which he has since had the management. As a Freemason, Mr. Morice was initiated in Lodge Unanimity, Lyttelton, but he subsequently affiliated with Lodge St. Augustine, Christchurch. As a cricketer he belongs to the Carisbrook Cricket Club, and has played in most parts of New Zealand, either as a resident or a visitor. He is a member of the Otago Club. Mr. Morice was a sergeant in the Otago Hussars, and was sergeant-major of the New Zealand Contingent, which went to Sydney in January, 1901, to represent the colony at the swearing in of the Governor-General.

Mr. James Edwin Allen , Chief Clerk in the District Office of the Public Trustee, Dunedin, was born in 1872 in Christchurch, and was educated there at the Normal School and the Boys' High School. Having passed the junior and senior Civil Service examinations, he entered the Public Trust Office as a clerk in 1891, and was promoted to the chief clerkship in 1897. Mr. Allen is musical, and was a member of the Christchurch Motett Society, and always ready to assist in public entertainments, often acting as accompanist. He is an enthusiast in football and cricket, and was an active member of the Christchurch High School clubs for a long time. Mr. Allen was transferred to Dunedin in May, 1902.