William Austin Oke (14 December 1857[1] −24 February 1923[2]) was a newspaper publisher, politician, and District Court judge in Newfoundland.
[6][7][8] Oke's mother, "Fanny", raised her young family by operating a variety store in town[9] but was in poor health and remained an invalid for the last 19 years of her life.
[4] On 5 March 1873 the newspaper was purchased by Archibald Munn (1814–1877),[13] who as publisher and editor, moved the business to Water Street East.
Although Ned was sole printer, publisher and Chief Editor, he filed an affidavit to retain the business registration and proprietorship as Munn & Oke, Ltd.[12] After the newspaper ceased publication in 1936,[15] the business relied on commercial printing and lithographic services, shepherded eventually by Ned's son, William Austin Oke, II (1930–2005).
In 1907, Britain changed the structure of the self-governing British colony, conferring dominion status to Newfoundland by Royal Proclamation.
Oke and five other candidates ran in a close election for the three Member House Assembly seats for the Harbour Grace District but he was unsuccessful in seeking a fourth term.
[23] The Harbour Grace Court House where Judge Oke served is the oldest surviving public building in Newfoundland and one of the National Historic Sites of Canada.
[30] His son Ned was a member of the Masonic fraternity for 45 years, where he followed in his father's footsteps, also serving as Master of Lodge Harbour Grace No.
J. Erroll Boyd (1891–1960) his Webley & Scott flare pistol to carry during the first flight by a Canadian from North America to England, 9–10 October 1930, in the Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Maple Leaf (aka, Columbia), navigated by the American, Lieut.
[39] The aviators had Ned's gun engraved to mark the historic flight and it resides in the collection at the Conception Bay Museum.
Ned served as rector's warden of St. Paul's Church for more than a decade and was devoted to advancing community interests, dying in the home of Premier Joey Smallwood (1900–1991) during such a meeting.
The first pilots to use the airstrip, Edward F. Schlee (1887–1969) and William S. Brock (1895–1932), took off 26 August 1927 in the SM-1 NC857 monoplane, Pride of Detroit, attempting to set a speed record for round-the-world flight.