Mr. Matthew Bradley , Manager of the Ermedale Sawmill, was born at Lady's Bay, Tasmania, in 1868, and educated there. He spent a short time at bootmaking, and was afterwards at sea for some time. Then he settled down to sawmill work in the service of Mr Tyler, of Ida Bay, Tasmania, and soon worked up to the managership of some of his mills. Later on, he joined Messrs Gray Brothers, of Adventure Bay, in the same capacity. In 1893 he came to New Zealand and began to work at the Excelsior mill, at Tisbury. He then worked at mills at Otatara, Colac Bay, and Riverton successively, and while at Riverton he built a mill and four miles of tramways and bridges for Messrs More and Sons. After running the launch of Messrs Trail Brothers on the Pourakino river, he built the Otautau mill of the Southland Timber Company. Mr Bradley received his present appointment in February, 1903. When in Tasmania, Mr Bradley took some part in athletic sports, particularly rowing. In 1894, he married a daughter of Mr H. Dewe, of Invercargill, and has one daughter.