Charles Hubert Hunter Brown

Mr Charles Hubert Hunter Brown, aged 68, died in Sydney on February 20^th, 1939. He was one of our keenest and most enthusiastic Association members.

He was born at Nelson, New Zealand, and received his early education at Nelson College and at Wanganui College. He was a student at Lincoln during 1890-91 and took a leading part in all student activities, being President of the Students' Council.

Mr. Hunter Brown had a varied farming experience in the Dominion before he left for Australia where he spent the remainder of his life. He established a butter factory in the Gisborne district and left for Australia in 1896. For a time he managed a property at Burke, N.S.W., and in 1897 joined the agricultural machinery firm of J. & F. Howard Ltd., and spent several years experimenting with many different patterns of wheat harvesting implements. Mr. Hunter Brown was appointed manager of the New South Wales branch of Nicholson & Morrow Ltd., which invented the first successful complete harvester and under his direction won all the Victorian Government field trials conducted at the Dookie Experimental Farm. Mr. Hunter Brown's work continued to embrace experimentation with various types of agricultural machinery on all types of land throughout Australia. In 1913 he joined Dalgety & Co. Ltd., as manager of the Sydney branch of the agricultural machinery department and he remained with this firm until his retirement in 1919.

Very well known in New Zealand, Mr. Hunter Brown mads frequent trips to the Dominion during his business career and retirement.  He was a keen supporter of the Old Students' Association and instituted the Hunter Brown Essay Competition conducted by the Association among students of the College. He presented a Challenge Cup for this competition and a fund which will provide for a miniature each year. Essays submitted in the competition are printed and distributed throughout the world and some valuable contributions to the subject of animal husbandry have been made in entries for the competition.

His friends knew him as a fine character who was known to have done an immense amount of good in a quiet way, especially among those whom he considered less fortunate than himself.  The late Mr. Hunter Brown is survived by his widow. Source: Canterbury Agricultural College Magazine, November 1939, No. 64, p80.