Personality Of The Month
No.2: A. H. De Costa

Gisborne has many citizens whose names are well known far beyond the borders of this district, and included in this group is our Personality for this month, Mr Alan H. ("Bill") De Costa, popular local new business representative for the A.M.P. Society, who is Dominion President of the N.Z. Air Force Association, and the New Zealand Council Member on the World Veterans Federation. His name is also nationally known in the world of surf life-saving, in which he has been a prominent competitor and administrator.

By virtue of his position as president of the Air Force Association, Mr De Costa was appointed by the W.V.F. as their council member for New Zealand, and earlier this year he flew to Copenhagen to represent this country at am international conference.

Starting by annexing the senior swimming title at Gisborne High School, "Bill" Be Costa early developed what was to be a life—long interest in and enthusiasm for swimming and surf life-saving. He was once a member of a Taylor's Mistake team which won the Kesteven cup. While living in Wellington he was a member of the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club, and was in teams which won the N.Z. seven-man and four-man championships. He also represented Wellington province in the national swimming championships, specialising in sprint distances.

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The Gisborne Amateur Surf and Swimming Club team which won the Hawkes Bay Championship in 1938-39 was captained by Mr De Costa. Standing: L. Smale, I. Juson, S. Thompson, K. Morse, J. McGregor, R. Clay, D. H. Miller (selector), G. Foote. Seated: Mrs Heeney (chaperone), S. Y. Dodgshun, K. Henderson, A. H. De Costa, H. McKnight, D. Lange, N. Henderson. Absent: R. Liver, H. Holmes.

Returning to Gisborne, Mr De Costa helped to breathe new life into surf life-saving in Gisborne, and much of the strength and high standard of the movement here is due to his efforts. His prominence in this field was marked later by his appointment as a New Zealand examiner and as a member of the N.Z. Board of Judges of the Surf Life-Saving Association. For the past 18 years he has been chief examiner in Gisborne for the Royal Life-Saving Society.

Football, golf, bowls, badminton (he is currently president of the Gisborne Badminton Club) and repertory are other directions in which Mr De Costa has interested himself.

He served with the Third Division in the Pacific in World War II, and then transferred to the Air Force, gaining his bomber's wing in Canada. A past president of the local Air Force Association, he served for two years as Dominion vice-president before becoming president.

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At Copenhagen, Mr De Costa meets namesake, Ceylon delegate Dr. Rex De Costa. It transpired they were no relation.

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This Gisborne team, winners of the Swain Memorial Championship Relay Cup in 1937-38, set a Hawkes Bay record which stood for many years. Standing: S. Y. Dodgshun, D. Lange. Sitting: A. H. De Costa, D. H. Miller (selector) and B. Clay.

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The late H. H. De Costa, father of A. H. De Costa, was noted figure in public life of Gisborne. He was borough councillor for 30 years, deputy-Mayor for many of them, and served on almost every other local body for lengthy terms.