TOMLINSON, Francis Ernest

Francis Ernest Tomlinson

born circa 1864 Melbourne, Australia, only son of Mr and Mrs Francis Tomlinson,

died 5 September 1944 at his residence, 14 Matai Road, Hataitai, Wellington aged 80 years,  buried Karori Cemetery, Wellington, married 29 April 1890 by the Rev. William Shirer, Elizabeth Cousins Barr third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Barr, Wellington [1]

 

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 58, 6 September 1944, Page 1



Wellington

Succeeded James Bragge about August 1898

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 51, 29 August 1898

Obituary
Mr. F. E. Tomlinson

The death occurred in Wellington yesterday of Mr. Francis Ernest Tomlinson, whose photographic activities in the earlier days of tourist publicity in New Zealand were a valuable contribution to the work of making the Dominion's scenic attractions known to the outside world. Mr Tomlinson was aged 80.

He was born in Melbourne, Victoria and came to New Zealand in 1886, undertaking photographic work in Christchurch and the West Coast, but mainly in Wellington, and at one time owned a photographic establishment in Manners Street. It was Mr. Tomlinson who placed before Mr. Seddon, at that time Prime Minister, the idea of making New Zealand's scenic attractions better known to the other parts of the world through the medium of photographs and he later made a trip to the United States and three separate visits to Australia with a film projector showing the Dominion's beauty spots and industrial developments. In Australia in addition to demonstrating to public audiences, he visited many of the Commonwealth's secondary schools with his films. He was official photographer for the tour of New Zealand by the Earl of Glasgow when he was Governor of New Zealand, and visited Samoa with a Parliamentary delegation in the same capacity.

He was a member of the Masonic Order and one of the early members of the Oddfellows' Lodge.

He married in 1890 Miss Elizabeth C. Barr, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Barr, who were early settlers in Wellington, Mr. Barr being at one time a Mayor of Eastbourne. They celebrated their golden wedding in May, 1940, and his wife survives him, together with his son, Mr Harold Tomlinson, of Wellington and his daughter, Mrs. Charles McCombie, of Waihi. There are four grandchildren, including Frank Tomlinson, who is serving in the Middle East, and Patrick McCombie, in the R.N.Z.A.F., and one great-grandchild.

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 59, 7 September 1944, Page 6

[1] Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 100, 29 April 1940, Page 1