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Further thanks to you, Minniehaha. I've looked at all the references & made copies. The aliases provide convincing evidence of the man's identity.
It seems cheeky to ask after being provided with this wealth of material but does anyone have any further info on that will of Edith Marian BLACKWELL?
A comment was made that in 1931 Robert's wife, Ada Winifred, was on her own in Toorak, Victoria. On 27 Feb 1931 "Robert Blackwell" arrived at the port of London from Melbourne aboard the Baradine (P & O). He was listed as a plantation manager who had been a permanent Australian resident but was intending to become a permanent resident in England; his intended address in UK was 13 Abington Road, Brooklands, Cheshire, which was the home of Robert's widowed mother.
"Robert M Blackwell", aged 23, left London aboard the Niwaru on 28 Feb 1908 as a "1st Class Passenger" - it was largely a cargo vessel carrying meat & such like & there appear to have been no other passengers so '!st Class' is unlikely to have meant luxury! The vessel was bound for Napier, on Hawke Bay, & it arrived in Auckland on 28 April. The reports & records indicate that Robert started getting into trouble only months after his arrival.   
I hoped I'd found that he'd redeemed himself with gallant war service but the records were for a "Robert Montford Blackwell".
It's always sad to find an individual who appears to have led such a feckless life. In the absence of further evidence, let's hope he became more responsible after he'd reached the age of 30. Incidentally, the 1913 civil case involved Arthur Frederick Saunders, who appears to have been a local hotel owner & who had taken over the Muriwai Hotel earlier that year.
Thanks again.
Moira

Hi Nerys,

Very many thanks for the newpaper reports. I have now carried out some further research which produced some intriguing findings. The story of David Blore's mysterious death is now added as an aside to my Owen family history, though the only known link with my Owens is that Rev. Elias Owen conducted David's funeral service.

You can access my report of events via the link at the very bottom of this page: www.owen.cholerton.org/05_elias_52.php.

If anyone can contribute to solving the mystery it would be much appreciated!

Moira

Glad you got onto the site.

You can contact me directly via the site & then I can send you my usual e-mail address if you want to send me attachments. I'd be delighted to receive anything you have. I love the detective work involved in this research but rest assured that I'm not assuming there is a connection between the incidents involving these two young men.

It was so sad that such foolish acts of youth should have such tragic consequences.

Best wishes,

Moira

I am intrigued by your post as one of my relatives committed suicide in Efenechtyd in September 1888. I am told by his descendants that he discovered his wife was having an affair. Could the death of these two young men have been related & if so might local people who knew about what was going on have exacted revenge on the third party involved? Of course it might simply be a coincidence.
You can read about my relative at www.owen.cholerton/05_elias_52.php etc.
I'd be happy to exchange information with you to explore this possibility ... though it's unlikely we shall ever know!