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Arthur George William Sparrow (Bill to his colleagues and friends) was a large, heavily built man of friendly, boisterous disposition. One of five children, he was born in Caversham, Dunedin, on 27 January 1896. His…

Clement Gordon Watson, usually known as Gordon, was born at Mangaweka, near Taihape, on 5 April 1912, the son of Roberta Agnes Hughes and her husband, Reginald Beresford Spencer Watson, a farmer. His mother died when he…

Henry Rodolph Wigley was born at Fairlie, South Canterbury, on 2 February 1913, the eldest son of Jessie Christie Grant and her husband, Rodolph Lysaght Wigley, a mail contractor, and later an airline operator. Harry…

Francis Gordon Wilson was born in Subiaco, a district of Perth, Western Australia, on 27 November 1900. His father, Francis (Frank) John Wilson, was a New Zealander and an architect, and his mother, Mary Catherine O’…

Charles Frederick Goldie was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 20 October 1870. The second of eight children born to David Goldie and his wife, Maria Partington, he was second-generation colonial on both sides. His…

James Roberts was born in Lissangle, County Cork, Ireland, on 21 February 1878, the son of Thomas Roberts, a farmer, and his wife, Bridget Driscoll. At a young age he was sent to work with an uncle, but after a…

Arthur Herbert Carman was born in Pāpārangi, Johnsonville, Wellington, on 2 August 1902, the eldest of five sons of Gertrude Matilda Burd and her husband, Walter John Carman. His father, a former compositor with the New…

Ronald Allison Kells Mason was born in Penrose, Auckland, on 10 January 1905, the son of Francis William Mason and his wife, Jessie Forbes Kells. His father, a perfume maker, died of an accidental overdose of opium in…

Humphrey Francis O'Leary was born at Redwoodtown in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough, on 12 February 1886, the son of Irish parents Mary Falvey and her husband, Humphrey John O'Leary, a blacksmith. Before he reached…

Percy Roy Angus was born in Wellington on 22 September 1893, the son of Matthew Angus, a railway clerk, and his wife, Ann Jane Bell, who were both originally from Auckland. He was educated at Greymouth District High…

Gilbert Edward Archey was born in Marygate, York, England, on 4 August 1890, the son of Thomas Archey, a schoolmaster, and his wife, Sarah Triffitt. In 1892 the family emigrated to New Zealand, where Thomas held several…

Alfred Walter Averill was born on 7 October 1865 at Castle Church, Staffordshire, England, the son of a pharma­cist, Henry Alcock Averill, and his wife, Sarah Ellen Wootton. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar…

William Daniel Barrett was born on 27 October 1878 at Riverton, Southland, the fourth of eleven children of Louisa Hunter and her husband, Henry Barrett, a labourer. His paternal grandparents were Richard Barrett, a…

James Walter Chapman Taylor was born in London, England, on 24 June 1878, the son of Theodore Chapman Taylor and his wife, Ada Thomas. Theodore was an agricultural graduate and quantity surveyor and Ada a teacher,…

Mere Haana Hall was born at Tauranga, probably in 1880 or 1881, the eldest of 11 children of Rangimakehu Ainsley and John James Henry Hall, clerk of the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Ōhinemutu. Mere’s father, who was…

Arthur Paul Harper, known for much of his life as AP or APH, was born in Christchurch on 27 June 1865, the eldest child of Joanna Dorothea Dyke Acland-Troyte and her husband, Leonard Harper, a barrister, explorer and…

Frederick William Hilgendorf was born at Waihola, Otago, New Zealand, on 23 January 1874, the youngest of four children of Elizabeth Benstead and her husband, Charles Augustus Gustavas Hilgendorf. His father was a…

Edwin John Howard was born Edwin Harney at Bristol, England, on 18 June 1868, the son of Edwin John Harney, a house painter, and his wife, Sarah Ann Osgood. It is said that his parents later ran a theatrical company.…

Johann Gerhard Husheer (known as Gerhard) was born in Bremen, Germany, on 26 July 1864, the third of six children of Johann Gerhard Husheer and his wife, Adele Neunreuther. At the age of 16 he was articled to the…

William Douglas Lysnar was born at Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand, on 30 April 1867, the fourth of twelve children of William Dean Lysnar, a schoolmaster, and his wife, Frances Sarah Brewer. Douglas (as he was known)…