George Sale (academic)

Sale was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, in 1831.[1] He was educated at Rugby School and Cambridge University (Trinity College),[2] where he won the Members Latin Prize.[3] He was elected a Fellow of Trinity in 1856, and in 1857 he began lecturing at Trinity in Classics.[4]

Sale went to New Zealand in 1860 for health reasons.[4] In May 1861 he became the first editor of The Press in Christchurch, but later that year he want to the Otago goldfields to take up mining.[4]

In January 1864 he played in the first match of first-class cricket ever played in New Zealand, top-scoring for Canterbury with 15 not out against Otago.[5] In the second first-class match, a year later, he was top-scorer in Canterbury's first innings with 16.[6]

In July 1864, Sale was appointed Treasurer of Canterbury Province.[7] He was a member of the County of Westland, representing the Hokitika riding from 10 December 1868 to 16 April 1869.[8]

When the University of Otago was established in 1870 he was one of the three foundation professors,[1] specialising in Classics, particularly Greek and Latin.[3] He remained in that position until he resigned at the end of 1907.[4] He returned to England after he retired, and died in London in December 1922, aged 91.[9]

He married a Canadian, Margaret Fortune, in Kaitangata in June 1874.[10] They had two sons and two daughters.[4]

Sale Street in Hokitika is named in Sale's honour.[11]