Newspaper Article 1983 – Mangateretere farmer Mr E Nelson dies

Mangateretere farmer Mr E. Nelson dies

Mr Eric Montague Nelson, a Mangateretere farmer who served Hawke’s Bay on many organisations, died yesterday at the age of 84.

He was a grandson of the late Mr William Nelson, founder of the Tomoana freezing works.

Mr Nelson’s farming knowledge and family background was a source of the enthusiasm which he applied to wide-ranging interests.

He represented the Hawke’s Bay County, Havelock North Borough and the Mohaka riding of the Wairoa County on the Hawke’s Bay Harbour Board between 1953 and 1974 and for eight years he was convener of the board’s farming committee. In this period he supervised the board’s farm through its formative to profitability years.

He was for many years chairman of the grounds committee on the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society and a senior steward in the horse section.

Mr Nelson was tireless in his efforts to present Tomoana Showgrounds in immaculate condition for each spring show and he subsequently became a life member of the society.

Rivers control in Hawke’s Bay was one of his special interests, encouraged by his uncle, the late Mr George Nelson, who was one of the district’s emminent rivers-control engineers.

Mr Eric Nelson was a keen disciple of his uncle’s control plans and carried this interest on to the now disbanded Hawke’s Bay Rivers Board which was eventually absorbed into the Hawke’s Bay Catchment Board on which he served until the mid-70s.

He was especially interested in the Heretaunga Plains rivers control schemes, although he always held to the belief that his late uncle’s plans for river diversion should have been adopted rather than the more modified scheme which finally was put into effect.

Mr Nelson followed hounds with the Hawke’s Bay Hunt and was its treasurer for a number of years. His services were recognised with life membership.

Mr Nelson farmed his Paretai property at Mangateretere from 1929 after breaking in difficult country at Mokau in North Taranaki.

There he broke in 240 hectares with a slasher and began a hardworking life. When he first took over Paretai he would begin droving for neighbours at 4am to make extra money.

Mr Nelson was active throughout most of his life and still able to ride a motorcycle about his farm when 82.

He is survived by his wife, Doris, a daughter, Ann (Mrs Verberkt, Sydney) and a son, Michael.