Arthur provided the practical know-how to bring many of Patricia's projects to fruition, be they rotating sculptures or publishing readers.
His obituary gives a flavour of the type of support he was and the team they made.
ARTHUR DAVID WILSON –– OBITUARY
JP, MSc (Hons), C Eng, MI Chem E, FNZIC FNZIFSc&T
‘A Wilson Treat’
A warm ready smile, big capable hands and ‘such a steam engine’ are reoccurring themes in tributes for Arthur. Arthur was born on 23rd February 1922 in Christchurch, of a strict disciplinarian Gallipoli/ Western Front, Military Cross father and a gentle, musical schoolteacher mother. The railway stationmaster family of four siblings moved a dozen times through the Depression and pre-war years – living in South Island towns like Riverton, Timaru, Redcliffs and Hokitika. Arthur attended Timaru Boys’ High in his formative years and his parents sent him off with a suit and bicycle to begin his fitter-turning apprenticeship at Dunedin Hillside Railways workshop building locomotives – perceived as a ‘secure’ job. At the outbreak of war, Arthur pestered the Air Secretary to join the RNZAF. Although his brother became a pilot, they wanted his fitting skills as he moved through six NZ air bases. Post war found him as a Corporal instructing others to become Fitter Armourers and loading bombs on Corsairs in the New Hebrides and Bougainville. On brief furlough he married artist and art teacher Patricia Fenton in Dunedin in 1944. Patricia would later be awarded the QSM for her contribution to art and education.
Even in the islands in a tent Arthur was studying for university by correspondence. On his return he found he’d revised twice the books he was supposed to. On a Serviceman’s bursary he obtained his MSc (Hons) Chemistry degree at Otago University and in 1949 began as an Industrial Chemist at the Edendale Lactose Company under the tutelage of entrepreneurial Sandys Wunsch. He studied further by UK correspondence to become a Chemical Engineer.
As Arthur became General Manager of the Edendale Lactose Company in 1954 and later of the Southland Dairy Co-op in 1980, he instigated innovative experiments in reversed osmosis, ultra-filtration, falling film evaporators, continuous whey cheese processes, new products and plant design. They integrated with the local community – Arthur becoming Town Council Chairman for 20 years including ‘important’ tasks like designing the cattle stop for the cemetery, clearing drains and being the sober driver for councilors returning from meetings. As a life-long Christian Scientist it influenced his outlook on life. Arthur’s Scout Master ‘character-building’ night-hikes became infamous with the boys of the village. One bleak night he caught up with a lost Patrol and afterwards a small boy told him "Scouter when we saw your light we felt warm". He could honestly tell parents he had never lost a boy (permanently). Within extended family folklore a ‘Wilson Treat’ became associated with an outing of horizontal rain, sand flies, or the promise of Energy chocolate over the next hill, always with some educational purpose involving geography, history, flora or fauna. He loved camping holidays to remote sites. Even as a teenager he had crawled through the last connection of the Homer tunnel when security was absent.
Arthur’s two sons, Ric and Scott followed in his footsteps, one becoming a fitter turner, the other a chemical engineer.
In 1986 he ‘retired’ to Nelson and again they quickly embedded themselves in the community. Arthur became a JP – performing court work, and was active in church, Senior Net, Probus and politics. Arthur was the ‘apprentice’ on their new home which included huge arrays of solar panels constructed of evaporator tubes and a large Fortrose dairy header tank. He was proud of his $6 per year hot water bills. Arthur refined his essential oil skills in numerous design projects – boronia, propolis, manool from pink pine, clary sage, lavender and manuka… an area of deep interest for him. He became the New Zealand expert in this field. If they couldn’t afford a steam plant, he would borrow a traction engine. In 2005 he was presented with the Fonterra Lifetime Achievement Award. He became scientific advisor to his grandson’s many contributions to Science Fairs. His interest in things astronomical redoubled when his grandson began his PhD in Space Engineering at Caltech in Pasadena. He was instrumental in relocating the Nelson Astrodome to the nearby primary school and was a stalwart within the astronomy section of the Science Society. In his 90’s he was still designing distillation plants on his battered drawing board.
Arthur passed away on 30 August 2013 – his ‘hands-on’ contributions to science, the community and his indelible impact on others’ lives, still live on.
JP, MSc (Hons), C Eng, MI Chem E, FNZIC FNZIFSc&T
‘A Wilson Treat’
A warm ready smile, big capable hands and ‘such a steam engine’ are reoccurring themes in tributes for Arthur. Arthur was born on 23rd February 1922 in Christchurch, of a strict disciplinarian Gallipoli/ Western Front, Military Cross father and a gentle, musical schoolteacher mother. The railway stationmaster family of four siblings moved a dozen times through the Depression and pre-war years – living in South Island towns like Riverton, Timaru, Redcliffs and Hokitika. Arthur attended Timaru Boys’ High in his formative years and his parents sent him off with a suit and bicycle to begin his fitter-turning apprenticeship at Dunedin Hillside Railways workshop building locomotives – perceived as a ‘secure’ job. At the outbreak of war, Arthur pestered the Air Secretary to join the RNZAF. Although his brother became a pilot, they wanted his fitting skills as he moved through six NZ air bases. Post war found him as a Corporal instructing others to become Fitter Armourers and loading bombs on Corsairs in the New Hebrides and Bougainville. On brief furlough he married artist and art teacher Patricia Fenton in Dunedin in 1944. Patricia would later be awarded the QSM for her contribution to art and education.
Even in the islands in a tent Arthur was studying for university by correspondence. On his return he found he’d revised twice the books he was supposed to. On a Serviceman’s bursary he obtained his MSc (Hons) Chemistry degree at Otago University and in 1949 began as an Industrial Chemist at the Edendale Lactose Company under the tutelage of entrepreneurial Sandys Wunsch. He studied further by UK correspondence to become a Chemical Engineer.
As Arthur became General Manager of the Edendale Lactose Company in 1954 and later of the Southland Dairy Co-op in 1980, he instigated innovative experiments in reversed osmosis, ultra-filtration, falling film evaporators, continuous whey cheese processes, new products and plant design. They integrated with the local community – Arthur becoming Town Council Chairman for 20 years including ‘important’ tasks like designing the cattle stop for the cemetery, clearing drains and being the sober driver for councilors returning from meetings. As a life-long Christian Scientist it influenced his outlook on life. Arthur’s Scout Master ‘character-building’ night-hikes became infamous with the boys of the village. One bleak night he caught up with a lost Patrol and afterwards a small boy told him "Scouter when we saw your light we felt warm". He could honestly tell parents he had never lost a boy (permanently). Within extended family folklore a ‘Wilson Treat’ became associated with an outing of horizontal rain, sand flies, or the promise of Energy chocolate over the next hill, always with some educational purpose involving geography, history, flora or fauna. He loved camping holidays to remote sites. Even as a teenager he had crawled through the last connection of the Homer tunnel when security was absent.
Arthur’s two sons, Ric and Scott followed in his footsteps, one becoming a fitter turner, the other a chemical engineer.
In 1986 he ‘retired’ to Nelson and again they quickly embedded themselves in the community. Arthur became a JP – performing court work, and was active in church, Senior Net, Probus and politics. Arthur was the ‘apprentice’ on their new home which included huge arrays of solar panels constructed of evaporator tubes and a large Fortrose dairy header tank. He was proud of his $6 per year hot water bills. Arthur refined his essential oil skills in numerous design projects – boronia, propolis, manool from pink pine, clary sage, lavender and manuka… an area of deep interest for him. He became the New Zealand expert in this field. If they couldn’t afford a steam plant, he would borrow a traction engine. In 2005 he was presented with the Fonterra Lifetime Achievement Award. He became scientific advisor to his grandson’s many contributions to Science Fairs. His interest in things astronomical redoubled when his grandson began his PhD in Space Engineering at Caltech in Pasadena. He was instrumental in relocating the Nelson Astrodome to the nearby primary school and was a stalwart within the astronomy section of the Science Society. In his 90’s he was still designing distillation plants on his battered drawing board.
Arthur passed away on 30 August 2013 – his ‘hands-on’ contributions to science, the community and his indelible impact on others’ lives, still live on.