Frank Stephenson Smith

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 0, 14 October 1922

OBITUARY. MR, FRANK STEPHENSON SMITH j It is with great regret that we record the passing of another member oi one of the pioneer families of Taranaki, in the person of Mr. Frank Stephenson Smith, the second son of the late John Stephenson Smith, * which occurred at Blenheim on Thursday, October 12, from an acute attack of pneumonia (says the Taranaki^ Herald). Mr. Smith was born in Lincolnshire, coming to New Zealand with his parents and other members of the family by the ship Fekin, landing at New Plymouth in 1849. His youth was spent on the farm, now part of Westown. Soon after the. outbreak of hostilities with the natives in 1860 he joined up with No. 1 Company of Bushrangers, and saw a great deal of active service, remaining with that company until its disbandment. His first big experience of surveying was with his brother, the late Mr. Percy Smith, in laying off for military settlers the extensive block of country lying between the Waingongoro and Patea Rivers, covering the whole of the Hawera-Patea districts. This was in 1865-6, and was a most dangerous undertaking, being in constant danger of ambuscades by the natives. His most important survey work, and one that will mark him for all time as one of the leaders of his profession in this country, was the triangulation, combined with a typographical survey of the Southern Alps lying to the north of the HurunuiWaimakariri watershed, combined with the country covered by the Kaikoura Mountains. This work demanded great determination and resource. It was highly dangerous at certain seasons of the year, as witness the tragedy that nearly overwhelmed the whole party in the Upper Wairau and Clarence country, when two of the party died from exposure. Like his brother, Mr. Percy Smith, he had taken more than an ordinary share in the dangers that beset the pioneers of the Survey Department in New Zealand. After a ong arid honourable service he resigned his position as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor 6f Marlborough in August, 1911, and had since then resided in Blenheim. He is survived by his wife, a daughter of Mr. Estcourt Parsons, of Kaikoura a sister, Miss B. Smith, New Plymouth, and a. brother, Mr. Harry Smith, San Francisco.

The death of Mr Frank Stephenson Smith occurred at Blenheim last week at the age of 76 years. He was a brother of the late Mr Percy Smith, Sur-veyor-General, and fought in the Maori War Taranaki, under General Chute, in ISGG. In 1893 he engaged in surveying in the Cheviot district and subsequently he directed the triangulation in MaiToorouh. Later he was in charge of the survey office in Gisborne, and then went to Marlborough as Commissioner of Crown Lands, occupying this position for several years. Mr Smith was superannuated in 1911, and had been carrying on the private practice of his profession as a surveyor ever since.