Mr. James Hickson was an Old Colonist who did the State service in both Australia and New Zealand. He was born in Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland, and joined the police when a boy as assistant clerk in the County Inspector's office, Limerick, the police force in the County at that time numbering over 700. In 1859 Mr. Hickson resigned his position and went to Melbourne, by the ship “British Trident,” Captain ÔNeill. On his arrival in Melbourne he was appointed clerk to the Quartermaster at the Richmond Depot, and was subsequently transferred to Kilmore. In 1881 he was invited to join the Otago police department by Commissioner St. John Brani-gan. This he declined, as well as a similar offer from Commissioner Shearman of Canterbury. In 1863 Mr. Hickson was appointed chief clerk at the Police Office, Ballarat, where he remained two or three years. He afterwards resigned his position as a first class sergeant in the Victorian Police, to take charge of the Hokitika district in this Colony. In 1870 he moved to Grey mouth as sub-inspector, and he became Inspector in 1882. Six years later he left the West Coast to go to Christchurch, and after being two years there, he was transferred to Dunstan, Otago. In 1893, after controlling the police at various parts of Otago, Mr. Hick-son was appointed Inspector at Auckland, and held the position until he retired from the service in 1898. Mr. Hickson was married in Kil-more, in 1862, to Miss Madigan, daughter of the late Mr. John Madigan, of Melbourne, and left a surviving family of three daughters and four sons, seven children having died in infancy. The eldest son is the Rev. J. R. M. Hickson, S.M., of St. Patrick's College, Wellington; the second is in the insurance business in Australia, the third is a clerk in the Department of Justice, and the fourth is a clerk in the Railway Department at Auckland. Mr. Hickson died at Shelley Beach Road, Auckland, on the 8th of October, 1899.