Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

David Sellars was born on 17 April 1895 at Timaru, the son of Arthur William (or William Arthur) Sellars and his second wife, Mary Ann (Minnie) née Walker. Arthur William and his first wife, Elizabeth Walker (unrelated), whom he had married in 1875 at Timaru, had three children before Elizabeth died in 1882. He then married Minnie in 1886 at Timaru. Arthur William and Minnie had nine children, one dying in infancy. David was educated at Waimataitai School. In June 1910, Mrs Mary Ann Sellars applied for an order of separation from her husband, Wm. Sellars, on the evidence of her husband’s bad habits, his habitual drunkenness, and cruel conduct. An order was made giving her custody of the children.

David married Levina Annie Lee on 27 November 1914 at Invercargill, and their daughter Joan was born the following year at Timaru. In January 1918, he was charged with doing plumbing work which he was not licenseed to do. He had had over nine years experience in the plumbing trade but had never applied for a certificate. The Magistrate refused to convict him, because of confusion over the legislation, although the case went to appeal.

In May 1918, the name of David Sellars, a plumber, of 23 Baker Street, Timaru, was drawn in the ballot. He enlisted on 11 June at Timaru and was still serving with the South Canterbury Territorials. He named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Levina Annie Sellars, 94 Bowmont Street, Invercargill. The South Canterbury quota of the Forty-sixth Reinforcements left for camp on 9 September, after parading at the Timaru drill hall. David Sellars was discharged on 29 November 1918. In August 1919, at the Invercargill Police Court, David Sellars was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence on a charge of failing to attend drill.

David Sellars died on 31 August 1968, aged 73 years, and was buried at Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill. His wife Levina was buried with him in 1980 and their daughter’s ashes interred there in 2012. His father had died in 1919 at The Old Men’s Home, Ashburton, and his mother died in 1952 at Wellington. Two of his brothers, Frank Bernard Sellars and Sydney Arthur Sellars served in World War One.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [06 October 2021]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [06 October 2021]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [06 October 2021]; Globe, 20 November 1882, Timaru Herald, 10 June 1910, 11 January 1918, 7 September 1918, Star, 21 May 1918, Southland Times, 21 August 1919, Lyttelton Times, 24 September 1919 (Papers Past) [08 October 2021]; Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill, headstone image & burial record (Invercargill City Council) [07 October 2021]

External Links

• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.