Biography

John Henry Gilbert was born in Waimate on 15th July 1886. His parents were William and Agnes Gilbert. John married Auriol Grace Dawson in Wellington on 16th November 1942. They had no children.

John Gilbert joined the Union Steam Ship Company Head Office in Dunedin as a junior on 6th June 1904. He transferred between the Purser’s Staff, Traffic Department Head Office in Dunedin, and later the Correspondence Department until he took leave of absence to join the New Zealand Military Forces during the 1st World War, commencing duties on 15th December 1914 and finally being discharged on 4th June 1919, rejoining the Union Steam Ship Company Dunedin Branch at this time. He again transferred between various positions with the company; he was promoted to Accountant with the Dunedin Branch, promoted to Chief Clerk, relieved in Invercargill, promoted to Branch Manager in Timaru, promoted to Branch Manager in Dunedin, and appointed General Traffic Manager, Head Office, Wellington on 1st December 1935. He retired on 31st May 1949.

In addition to his duties as General Traffic Manager for the Union Steam Ship Company he was appointed Shipping Controller for New Zealand by the New Zealand Government during World War 2 on 1st May 1942, which involved coordinating the movements of Merchant Shipping. He held this position until his retirement. He had forty five years service for the Union Steam Ship Company and he was held in very high esteem by all with whom he had worked.

When in Wellington, from 27th June 1950 John lived at “Lancewood”, 23A Chatsworth Road, Silverstream, Upper Hutt, a house designed by James Walter Chapman-Taylor.

John Gilbert died at Silverstream on 12th September 1955, aged 69 years. His ashes were buried with his parents, William and Agnes Gilbert, and two of his sisters, Alice Priscilla Gilbert and Laura Mary Cathro, in the family plot, Block 196 Plot 106 on 29th June 2007.