Both in science and in education, as teacher and administrator, Professor Evans, President of our Society in 1937–38, gave notable service to New Zealand .

His father, the Rev. W. Evans, Vicar of Reculver in Kent, went early to Melbourne, where Professor Evans was born. The family's later removal to New Zealand, settling at Wakefield, saw him a pupil at Nelson College, where he won a junior university scholarship. At Canterbury College he studied particularly mathematics and chemistry, winning in the latter subject both the senior scholarship and first class honours. He continued the study of chemistry in Germany, graduating Ph.D. at Giesen.

From 1885 he taught mathematics and science at Wellington College and Christ's College until, in 1890, he was appointed Lecturer in Physics, then a joint department with Chemistry at Canterbury College . Becoming Professor of Physics and Chemistry four years later, he chose chemistry when the professorship was divided in 1906, occupying the chair until his retirement as Professor Emeritus, in 1922.

The expression “an outstanding teacher” has real meaning when applied to Professor Evans. His lectures were models of logical sequence, preciseness and lucidity, even felicity of phrase, an intellectual experience for undergraduate and honours student alike. His gifted tuition and the succession of highly qualified graduates who could not but be grateful for the exacting standard he demanded, are the measure of his distinction in teaching and research. Although there was then no Ph.D. degee in the university, Evans had a post-graduate department, studying in particular the brown coals of New Zealand, whereby a group of students of promise were started upon careers of high achievement in industrial research.

Here, too, while directing analyses and determination of fuel potential, Evans perceived a further line of investigation to occupy his always enquiring mind, and the studies he pursued on the micro-structure of coals were valuable contributions to our knowledge of the warmer climate forests that flourished in the southern South Island in Tertiary times, including a Kauri which he indicated as Agathis preaustralis and Agathoxylon, a totara (Podocarpus pretotara) and a southern beech (Notho-fagoxylon tua-tawai).

The academic side of Professor Evans's attainment was supported by a warm humanity, seen not only in the classroom but also in the quadrangle and the field. He was a close follower of student activities, and found time for a number of years to be an interested, active and helpful President of the college tennis club; he was also one of the professors who sponsored the establishment of the Officers' Training Corps. He himself served in the rank of major, in the Motor Service Corps, wherein, in unit camps, his shrewd humour was relished by subalterns and senior officers alike.

He was a constant supporter of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, a member of its Council, and president in 1914–15.

Professor Arnold Wall has paid a tribute to another aspect of Professor Evans's willingness to join in and help, his participation as driver, cook, pedaller or tramping companion, in many long and arduous field trips in the alpine and high country, whereby Wall and Speight were greatly assisted in their botanical and geological investigations.

When Professor Evans removed to Wellington in 1923, he went into no kind of retirement; for a number of years he could always be found at work with either the Royal Society or the University Of his fifteen years' membership of the Senate (1931–1945) the Chancellor, Sir David Smith, has said: “His wisdom and experi-

New Zealand Brown Coals. Low-and Medium-Temperature Carbonization Experiments with typical High-sulphur and Low-sulphur Coals. J. A. Gilman and W. P. Evans, J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1925, 44, 263–264T.

New Zealand Brown Coals. Elimination of Sulphur during Carbonization. J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1925, 44, 265T.

New Zealand Brown Coals. Some hard jet-like Inclusions found in the Resin-bearing seams at Coal Creek Flat, Central Otago J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1925, 44, 266T.

Note on a Spore-case from Hill's Mine, Stevenson, North Canterbury. N.Z. Journ. Sci. Tech. 8, 267–8, 1926.

Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites—I Introductory N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 1927, 9, 11–21.

Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites—II. Lignites Subjected to the Influence of Igneous Intrusion Fuel in Science and Practice, 1928, 7, 402–407, N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 1928–30, 9, 339; continued 10, 177–190.

Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites. Fuel in Science and Practice, 1928, 7, 75–83.

The Use of the Microscope in the Study of Coal. N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 1929, 11, 83–92.

Formation of Fusain from a comparatively recent Angiosperm. N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 1929, 11, 262–269.

The Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites Fuel in Science and Practice, 1929, 8, 54–58.

The Changes produced by oxidation in the pitted tracheids of certain New Zealand Forest Trees, and their Significance in the Study of Coals. Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst., 1929, 60 Pt. 3, 481–482.

Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites—II. Lignites Subjected to the Influence of Igneous Intrusion (Continued) N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 1930, 11, 370–375.

The Formation of Fusain from a Comparatively Recent Angiosperm. Fuel in Science and Practice, 1930, 9, 282–289.

Traces of a Lepidopterous Insect from the Middle Waikato Coal-measures. Trans. N.Z. Inst. 62, 99, 1931.

A Fossil Nothofagus from the Central Otago Coal-measures. Trans. N.Z. Inst. 62, 98, 1931.

A Fossil Totara found under the vitric tuff at Arapuni. N.Z. Journ. Sci. Tech., 13, 11–17, 1931.

Microstructure of New Zealand Lignites—Part III. Lignites apparently not altered by igneous action. N.Z. Journ. Sci. Tech., 15, 365–385, 1934. N.Z. Journ. Sci. Tech., 17, 649–658, 1936.

Note on the flora which yielded the tertiary lignites of Canterbury, Otago and Southland. N.Z. Journ. Sci. Tech., 19, 188–193 1937.

Patents

• 1. Drying Cylinders. W. P. Evans (E.P. 266, 481, 4.12.25).

• 2. Drying Cylinders of Drying Machine. W. P. Evans (B.P. 302, 785, 17.11.27).