To his friends the news of his death will cause no surprise, for he had been in ill-health for several months, and his condition had been more or less critical for some weeks past.
Both by them and by the public at large, with whom his name had been a household word, and by whom it had probably not been known that his illness was so grave; sincere sorrow will be expressed at the loss by Dunedin of a citizen like Dr Hocken - one whose ideals of citizenship were so lofty and so inspiring - and at the realisation of the fact that his familiar, dapper figure will no more be seen in the streets of the city for which he entertained so great an affection.
Dr Hocken has been for nearly half a century so essential part and parcel of the life of our city that his familiar figure will be sadly missed.
For all that long period his name has been the synonym for all that is kind, and gentle, and sympathetic.
He was generous to a fault.
No worthy object was refused help if he were appealed to in its behalf, and he was never weary himself of taking his full share of active work in the promotion of worthy objects.
It was an act of rare unselfishness, in Dr Hocken to part during his own lifetime with a collection which, besides representing an expenditure of time and money which it is impossible adequately to estimate, must have become part and parcel of his life itself.
To the community the value of this benefaction is already extreme, and it will become increasingly great.
Dr Hocken will ever be affectionately remembered by the future historians of the Dominion by reason of his volume of "Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand" and for his "Bibliography", both works of reference of a high degree of usefulness.
Dr Hocken was up till the time of his death a director of the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Company (Ltd.).
He was one of the directors of the company who were appointed by the shareholders at their first meeting in 1878, and he held his seat continuously since that date.
- ODT, 18.5.1910.
