Waipukurau – Our Town in the 1920 Era to 1935
WAIPUKURAU – OUR OWN TOWN IN THE 1920 ERA TO 1935
[handwritten – Fading memories of school days in . . . when I went to school.]
This is the time following the Influenza Epidemic which swept New Zealand and proved as disastrous as the Great War on loss of life.
It is about life in a rural town and its people. Wages were low but nearly everyone had a job of some sort. There was the occasional swagger, but they usually kept away from towns. It seemed to me as a child a happy town.
Cooking was done on wood and coal stoves. Monday was wash day. The clothes were boiled in the copper. Often homemade soap would be used, most housewives having a good recipe for soap making. Ironing was done by heating Mrs Potts irons on the stoves. I must add that a lot of the washing would be starched.
Lamps and candles were used for lighting. Electricity was only just making its debut in rural areas. Very few cars were to be seen. The main form of transport was the horse and gig. Livery stables later became garages. The night cart was being replaced by sewers. Ladies in those days wore very long dresses, had long hair piled high on their heads and always wore big hats, sometimes with big veils pinned to them. It was also the time of the long hat pins.
These were the years when I started school. Few people had a telephone. As the years wore on, telephones, cars and electricity became available.
The town ran East to west with wooden buildings and often small paddocks between. The paddocks were later valuable sections which would be built on as the years crept by.
[handwritten – The water cart was used to spray the road to keep the dust down in summer]
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I shall start with the Eastern end of the town, but will mention a few side streets which cannot be left out.
Mount Herbert Road led to the town from the old river crossing at the ford. By the time it came to the town area it was called Ruataniwha Street. This was the shopping area.
At the Eastern end Mr Jimmy Gallagher had his livery stables. On the walls there was a big notice with “NO TICK ALLOWED”. For years I wondered what it meant. I thought the S had fallen off and perhaps it meant no stick allowed to be used on the horses. He used to hire wagons and traps. These would be hired for picnics. The wagons had a canvas top that would flap. The whole town would participate in the picnics. Mount Herbert and Lindsay Bush were popular picnic spots on the banks of the Tuki Tuki river which ran adjacent to the town, Races would be organised for children and adults, sack races, 3-legged races. Children’s prizes might be 1d bar of chocolate, adults a 6d box of chocolates. The box would have red roses or carnations on it. The rest would get a lollie scramble. Fun for all, swimming or walking in the bush, cutting flax to make maori baskets.
Ruataniwha Street.
The old Tavistock Hotel had been shifted to the other end of the town by the Railway line before my time. The Devonshire Private Hotel was in the corner. This was run by Mrs Myning and was a few years later burned down.
Around the corner on the rise where Mr J. Fleming’s house is built was the Town Hall, with the old Gas Works on the Tavistock Rd corner.
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Silent pictures were shown in the Town Hall, Mrs L Craig and later Miss Margorie [Marjorie] Sharpin providing the music. Balls were held there until it was burned down. I had not been long at school and had attended my first school ball as a fairy when I was seated on the floor in the front row for the photographs. I got such a fright when the magnesium flashed that I bawled for the rest of the evening, or so I was told. A short while later the Town Hall was burnt down. Pictures were then held in the big Power Board building in Russell Street. Mr Bill Chappell was the projectionist, but I don’t remember much about the pictures until a few years later when the Theatre was built. I do remember that skating was held in the Power Board building.
The Gas Works were built by Mr W. Booth. Mr Booth had bought the engineering works from Mr A. Jones in 1902. He was an engineer, farrier and blacksmith, as advertised in the Waipukurau first edition of the Press in 1905. The Gas Works were later burned in the early twenties. I remember Mr Hartley going around lighting the street lamps.
The present Pioneer corner was a triangle with Mrs H. Butler’s shop and her house at the back. A henhouse was at the top of the triangle. I know she sold sweets and cottons. I think it was a General Store. Back in Ruataniwha Street, over the road was her husband’s business in the big old red two-story building. “Rooms to Let” upstairs and Turner and Butler’s Garage below. The garage was later to be built in the middle of the town and to become years later Waipukurau Engineering, then Stewart Greer’s and now the Power Board call it Brightspot.
The red building had the upper storey removed. It was purchased by Mr Alf Parsons, a farmer who spent a lot of money encouraging sports in the district. It is now the Boxing hall. Mr Parson’s
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money is still supporting sports clubs in the district.
Before moving along the street I must turn the corner into St Joseph Street. Here old Sister Peacock assisted by her sister Miss Hilda Peacock had their Maternity Home. Before Miss Peacock’s Home the mothers of the district would have to engage the services of Mrs Spotswood or Mrs Phillips, who would assist with home births. Today home births are becoming fashionable again. In 1925 the Rathbone Maternity Home was opened, managed by the Waipawa Hospital Board. The Rathbone family had donated some thousands of pounds for the maternity hospital in Waipawa. It was Mrs Johnston who carried on in Waipukurau when the Misses Peacock retired, and it was after the war when Waipukurau had the benefit of Raymond Annexe, but in the era in which I write it was Sister Peacock.
Further along St Joseph Street was the old wooden Catholic Church, to be rebuilt in later years. [Handwritten – Next was the Police Station and house. Beyond was the animal pound.] Back on the corner of Ruataniwha Street there was a large paddock until I came to the Loan and Mercantile wooden building. In this paddock, which I think belonged to Housemans, was Mrs C. Turners cow. Mrs Turner had been Miss Houseman before her marriage. Very early in the twenties I remember going to an Evangelist meeting in a tent in that paddock. The Evangelist waved his arms around, shouting and yelling. It was all Hell fire and brimstone, very intriguing to a young child who had started Sunday school and had been learning from Miss Janie Smith and Miss Lil Jones how Jesus Loved us all. Sunday school was much nicer and so were Miss Smith and Miss Jones.
I haven’t come across any Evangelists’ [handwritten – meetings in tents] since.
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The Loan and Mercantile building had Mr L. Atkins in the produce department. I don’t know about the stock and farming side, that wasn’t of any interest to me until later. Mr Atkins always had a big tin of broken biscuits, often with chocolate fillings. One could buy a big bagful for a few pence. We had big scoops in the bins of split peas, rice and tapioca. Sugar and flour were stacked in big bags. I don’t remember buying sweets there. I think we would buy them at McCormick’s. I know the shopping in those early years would be done at Loan and Mercantile and B.J. McCormick’s over the road. In the mid twenties Mr Jack Bevan was the stock agent. He had three children, Dick and Betty who I knew.
In the paddock back from the street would be Mr Ewens butcher shop. This was Charlie and Harry’s father. Harry was in my class at school. There was sawdust on the floor and a huge chopping block and meat hanging up. Later this was taken over by Mr Clarry, then a Mr White. It is no longer there, it would now be part of the Dalgety Building carpark.
I think there would have been another section before mounting the stairs to the Ruahine Tearooms. This I think was the Ladies’ Club, but I could be corrected about that. The three Misses Moriarty were in charge. They later opened a tearooms and sweet shop about 1926 called the Savoy, next to Mr E.H. Leigh when he built his new shop. After the Moriarty ladies left the Ruahine, it was taken over by Mrs Findlay and again later by Mrs Agnew. I don’t know about the Moriarty and Findlay cooking, but I met with Mrs Agnew’s lemon meringue pies years later when she was chief cook at the Nurses’ Home. She made the best lemon meringue pies I have ever eaten and I have eaten a lot of bulk cooking in my day.
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The Ruahine was later turned into flats. Richmonds are now in this area.
Ruataniwha and Herbert Street.
Mr John Winlove owned the building on the corner. This was attached to the Ruahine building. His shop catered for all building supplies as well as hardware, ironmongery and all commodities necessary for building. He also had a big carrying business. He employed architects, carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, painters, lorry drivers – the lot. Groceries and draperies were the only things he didn’t seem to have. He had a finger in all pies. In those days, courting couples would buy a section and Winloves would build the house.
Around the corner in Herbert Street was the big yard for trucks and over the road where the Carter Holts now stands was Winloves sash and door factory with the big timber yard. Opposite the Power Board in Russell Street and well back in the paddock was Mr John Winlove’s home. The house is still there. A lot of employees lived in houses built and owned by Winloves. They owned houses all over town. Every morning the factory whistle would blow. I think it was 7.30 but later became 8 o’clock and at 5 o’clock it would go again. This 5 o’clock whistle was most important to the young fry playing after school as most parents were agreeable to children playing but they had to be home when the 5 o’clock whistle went. So at 5 o’clock children would be rushing home from play from all directions. Waipukurau didn’t bother much about Greenwich Mean Time. It was the Winloves whistle that ruled the day – When work started, when work finished. When the factory went on fire one morning at about 8 o’clock the whole town turned out. Those who were not employed there all arrived there. It was a terrific fire. The first I had ever seen. Later the factory was rebuilt [handwritten – onsite – where the Plumbing Centre is.] but I
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I don’t think Winloves were again in action to the same capacity. The big shop on the corner years later being sold and Winloves had several moves, until now the business is in what used to be Mr A. Blom’s leather shop. N. Grant now has his accountancy practice on the corner, while Abbies restaurant is at the back part. The carpark and Energy Centre on the corner of Herbert Street were all Winloves in the early days. Mr Winlove’s son, Harry, was the last Mayor of the town while it was a borough, before amalgamation with Patangata and Waipukurau County Council.
Back in Ruataniwha Street on the other corner was the Bank of New Zealand. In those early years Mr Broad was the manager. Mrs Broad was the Red Cross lady and she also contributed writings to one of the Hawke’s Bay papers covering events.
Along Ruataniwha Street next to the Bank were two shops. Mr E Bliss has told me that his father bought the bakery in 1926 from Mr Bicknall [Bicknell]. He thinks the other shop was a florist. These were burned down and Mr E.A. Goodger, who was the Mayor at the time, offered Mr Bliss his shop and the house at the back. Mr Goodger moved his painting and paperhanging business to Russell Street next to Almadale House, There was some ill feeling between Mr Blom and Mr Goodger over the distance between the buildings. Mr Blom owned Almadale. Later a by-law was made stating that new wooden buildings must be 1.5 metres from the boundary; in feet it would be about 5ft each side. The two shops were later rebuilt. Mr Cyril Parker had one, a book and music shop. Later he was to move across the street. Mr Nana, the fruiterer, had the other shop.
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Continuing along the same side of the street, Mr Harry Reckin had a well established men’s hairdressing shop and a large billiard room at the back. I understand that during the Great War windows of his shop were broken. He was a German and the town gave him a bad name. It didn’t deter him from bringing his nephew Eric to work for him. Eric was an active member of the Operatic Society. Mr Reckin advertised – Haircutting 1/-
Shaving 6d
Charges reduced to meet the economy.
(This was in 1932 during the Depression.)
There was an alleyway which led to the Bliss house between Mr Reckin and the shop occupied by Miss Bonighton, who commenced her Marcelle Toilet Salon business. Hair was being cut short. Shingle hair cuts were to follow. Fashionable ladies no longer wore long tresses; Marcelle waving was in. Miss Bonighton was to later move across and up the street. She cut my two fat plaits off about 1932 or 33. I was about the only girl at High School with long hair. It took me till then to get it off, and only after years of nagging. By that time Miss Bonighton was advertising permanent waves. Her 1929 advertisement read – Miss Bonighton, Late of Melbourne
Eugene Permanent Waving
Marcelle and water waving, a Speciality.
Miss Bonighton was also a keen member of the Operatic Society. When she moved to new premises Messrs Azzopardi and Holland, Opticians, started.
Next door was the Coventry Bakery – G.A. Bliss,
High Class Baker and Pastry Cook
Try our white and brown bread – a treat to eat
Wedding and birthday cakes made to order.
This was Mr Bliss’ advertisement in the Waipukurau Press.
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I still remember the lovely sultana loaves they made. As children we would be very cheeky and ask Mrs Bliss for “fly cemeteries”. It never failed, we were always told “they are Eccles cakes”. One could, before the days of frozen pastry, buy a large slab of raw pastry for 1/6. Take it home, roll it out and lovely pastry would be brought out of the oven. No one would dream of making one’s own pastry when Mr Bliss would do all the important part about it and sell it almost ready for the oven. Unless perhaps Mrs J.K. Lee, who without effort seemed to produce pastry of a high standard. Eric was a keen golfer.
Still in Ruataniwha Street, there were a couple of empty sections before Mr Jack Boyce’s cycle shop. This had been Mr G.H. Flight, who sold out to Messrs Boyce and Johns. I don’t remember Mr Flight nor do I remember Mr Johns, but his name was on the shop. They were also gunsmiths. Mr Boyce had a lovely tenor voice and certainly did his share of the singing at all the concerts and operatic productions in the town. At about the age of 11 I got my first and only bicycle from him. Looking back it was a pity I did because I stopped riding my old pony and was bike mad.
The fish shop next door in 1922 was operated by Mr W. Lowrie [Lourie] for several years. He later went to Dannevirke and returned to Waipukurau to have the bookshop next to the Post Office. His daughter, Winnie, was in my class all through my school years.
[handwritten – Mr Mark Udjur [Ujdur] was to operate this fish shop in 30 era. Later Mr Radonich. Mr Udjur moved across the street after Rushers left.]
Turner and Butlers moved from the old red wooden building at the eastern end of town to build a large concrete garage in the centre of the shopping area. We all trooped down to the garage in 1928 from school to hear the landing and welcome at Christchurch of the Southern Cross with Kingsford Smith and Mr C. Ulm.
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There were few radios in the town that could get Christchurch loud and clear at that time, but the garage one was working well. At this time Messrs Turner and Butler were advertising “Fairbanks Morse Refrigerators”, “Atwater Kent Radios” and new models of Dodge and Austin cars. I don’t think many people had a refrigerator then. I know ours was an Electrolux one and it was years later before we got it.
There would be another empty section, then the butcher’s shop. According to a Waipukurau Press 1922, a Mr S.M. Martin had the City Meat Supply. I didn’t know him. I know Mr Jim Baillie had a butchery but I don’t remember it, although I did know Mr Baillie in his later years. The first butcher I remember was Mr Moss Symons, who lived up Porangahau Road next to Mr Charlie Gay. Mr D Hyde now lives at that site. Mr Bill Clarke was to take over the Waipukurau butchery and Mr J McCarthy was there also. Later Mr McCarthy started a shop up by the Ford Garage and Charlie Ewen was to work for him. In those days, there would be a meat delivery. I seem to remember Mr James and Mr Donnelly delivering. One could always buy meat from the cart instead of going to town. There was usually a piece for the cat and a sausage for the child who dashed out. Everyone had meat safes.
More empty sections and Mr George Bull had a men’s hairdressers’ shop with billiard rooms at the back. I can’t remember what he looked like, but he had a daughter Rita, an only child. She had Mary Pickford curls, always with a pretty ribbon and she didn’t have to wear boots. We all had our hair plaited and tied with black ribbons and were condemned to wear boots to school for about two years when I started. How I envied her. They lived next to the old Anglican Church, where the present vicarage is now sited. Betty Bryce,
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Mona Ross and myself would sometimes play with Rita behind the old Church. There were some graves there with wooden fences around them. We kept away from them though. I don’t know why we quarrelled but I remember Rita throwing a painted tin butterfly and hitting me on the nose. Blood and tears, I ran home across the two paddocks with Betty and Mona at my heels. That was the end of that friendship. The Bulls left Waipukurau and Gavin Black bought the business and moved into the same house. Molly Black was a different type of girl. She had some brothers. We no longer played in the churchyard, but we played in the back paddock. Rounders was a favourite game if there were enough players.
Mr Black advertised in 1927 –
Gavin Black – Hairdresser and Tobacconist
Razors ground and set
There was a small section then Mr Maurice Murphy, Draper who had been in business since 1905. He sold out to Mr Harry Gair.
Here is a list of the business firms who advertised in the first issue of the Waipukurau Press in 1905. This is from the 30th Anniversary Issue published in 16-12-35:
1905
1. D. Annand Fancy Goods Emporium
2. R. Staines Cabinetmakers
3. J. A. Blom Harness maker
4. W. A. Chambers Builder
5. R. Scott Painter and Plumber
6. B. J. McCormick General Store
7. R. Coney Tavistock Hotel
8. A. C. Plummer Livery Stables
9. W. H. Booth General Blacksmith, Engineer, Wheelwright, Farrier and Ironmonger
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10. J. Staines Sash and Door Factory
11. F. C. Cook General Carrier
12. E. Houseman Livery Stables
13. H. Paynter Grocery and Fruiterer
14. J. L. Sterry Harness Maker
15. A. J. Skipper Royal Mail Coaches
16. F. W. Gore Building and Contractors
17. D. J. Coldwill Chemist
18. J. F. Sutherland Chemist
19. G. P. Gunzell [Gunzel] Tailor
20. Mrs G. McKenzie Tearooms
21. P. J. Cotter Signwriter
22. Mrs J. Lidd Ladies’ Outfitter
23. E. Houseman Boarding House
24. A. Hewald Boot and Shoe maker
25. J. Maher Coach Proprietor
26. C. W. Mitchell Railway Store
27. P. Barrie General Store
28. McKay and Coy Auctioneers
29. Maurice Murphy Draper and Clothier
30. P. Jolly Tavistock Bakery
31. C. W. Seymour Boot and Shoe Store
32. T. Nicholson Tailor and Mercer
33. C. J. Simpson Tobacconist
34. J. J. Baillie Butcher
35. H. J. Crysell Jeweller
The Press states that other firms in the town declined to advertise. They didn’t think the Press would get such good circulation when competing with other H. B. papers. How wrong they were!
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It seems to me when writing these firms down that the town was better served in 1905 than it is today. Some of these businesses remained many years. Still in town were Staines, Blom, Scott, McCormick, Sterry, Coldwill and Murphy. When I left school in the 1930 era some were still in business.
Mr Harry Gair who bought Mr Murphy’s shop was a very genial fellow.
His shop was advertised as –
“The House of Value”
Ladies’ Tailored Style
Coats and Costumes
He was a very friendly man, always laughing and chatting to someone. His nephew George Gair visited us for the Hospital Centennial in 1979, while a minister in Sir Rob Muldoon’s parliament. I think our Harry Gair had the gift of the gab enough to have also gone into politics had he thought of it. He was friends with everyone.
Miss Rose Gair lived with Mr and Mrs Gair at the back of the shop. Girlie Sweeney and Miss Gair would be on the counter one side of the shop and Bill MacKenzie in the men’s department on the other side. Bill lived at the back with the Gairs. He would practise his bagpipes in the evenings in the paddock at the rear. Bill was also a Highland dancer. He won the New Zealand Open Championship for the Shaun Tribhais [Seann Triubhas] in 1928. He taught Highland dancing and held his first classes in the Fire Brigade building. I remember Jean Duncan, Brenda Costello, Joan and Pauline McCarthy, Margaret Cochrane, Eunice McLean, Gladys and Bob Fairweather, Belle Davey, Molly Black and myself were his first pupils. Later we shifted to Mr Blom’s building upstairs. When Bill got married, he lived in Gaisford Terrace and his wife, who was a dancer herself, started classes at Gaisford Tce.
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Bill would then do the piping, much to the annoyance of an old lady who lived at the far end of Racecourse Road. She would write to the Press every now and then complaining of the cattle bellowing in the holding paddocks before the stock sale. That combined with Bill MacKenzie’s bagpipes on the hill was too much. The Council would have to do something about it. They didn’t. She was my first experience of a difficult and cantankerous old lady. She and her husband had lived out at Middleton. He was employed there. We had lived on a small farm this side of Nicholls Road. When her husband died she moved into the house in town. Mr Bert Lewis bought the house in later years. My brother Ken, who had always been friends with her son, used to visit her and do odd things for her. Her son had been in the Sanatorium and had died. Well, I don’t know where the rest of the family were. I was about sixteen at the time, when Ken asked her to come for tea. Tea in those days was a big meal. He gave me instructions on what to cook and I thought I had done a pretty good meal. Kennie carved the meat and I brought in the vegetables and took the lids off the dishes. I had seated her at the table and removed her stick, which she used to give my cat a good poke, when she came in from inspecting Kennie’s garden. “I don’t like cats,” she stated. The cat was lying in front of the fire. I felt it was not going to be a happy time. “I don’t eat carrots,” “I’m not very fond of pumpkin”, “I like potatoes left whole, not mashed”. The peas didn’t get any comment. The gravy was either too thick or too thin, and the pudding wasn’t much better. Kennie didn’t take any notice of her comments, but I thought what a rude, horrible old woman, especially when out visiting. I was glad when he took her home and I thought “I hope Bill plays his pipes and the cows bellow all night”. When I spoke to Ken about her he said “Just feel sorry for her; you might be old yourself one day.” Well I am old, maybe I’m difficult, but I have never forgotten my manners when asked out.
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I have never read in the Press that the people who live up Takapau Road ever objected to hearing young Bob Johnston practise his bagpipes. He was a young pupil of Bill’s at the time.
There was another space between shops. Today Townsend and Brown’s shop would encompass the billiard saloon of Gavin Black and Harry Gair. Mr Joe Paku had an Auction Mart next door to Gair’s shop. He was also a very jovial fellow. Some years later, Mr Gilchrist had this place as an Auction Mart and Land Agency. The front part had a Taxi office; first Mr Berwick, then Mr Syd Mann’s Eagle taxis. In later years, Mr E. Barnes was operating a taxi there. They took bookings for AARD car service to Wanganui and New Plymouth. Mr Prujean had a bus service which ran daily to Hastings and twice a week in the evenings. I think it was about 3/- return. His depot was a building in the Railway Road. It was only demolished a few years ago, and Thriftways built there.
There would be another space before the next building. Yates Cash Stores was a grocery built in the middle twenties. They had a town delivery. Sandy MacKenzie and Johnny Watson were the delivery boys. Sandy had the horse and Johnny the bike. Yates were to remain in business in the town for years. This area now would be Ray Brooker’s and the Bernina shop.
On the corner was Mr Bryce. He was a big man, with a bigger voice and an even bigger laugh. He had been around opposite the Railway in Mr Byford’s shop before moving to the corner or Ruataniwha Street and Northumberland Street. This was a Grocery. Mrs Bryce used to be in the shop. She also had a tin with broken biscuits with iced fillings. Mrs Bryce also sang in the operatic productions. They were keen golfers. The National Bank now stands here.
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Around the corner in Northumberland Street was Messrs Lee Mackie Harker and McKay, but in those days I hadn’t had any contact with lawyers. I can only say that Mr Mackie was another mayor of the town. His son, Dick, is still carrying on the tradition. He practices in the Dalgety building which was the Loan and Mercantile. The building is no longer the old wooden one. This law firm must have been going for many years because I have recently seen a document concerning a legal payment to the grandchildren of Robert Douglas, who left Swinside Jedburgh in Scotland in 1850. The payment was handled by Mr Lee to Mary MacKenzie, wife of Alexander MacKenzie, shepherd, in 1906. I have forgotten the rest of the date, but the time and date were stated, among the hereto and where afore saids which seemed to be written on each page, as they did then. So, as it’s now 1990, Mr Mackie has a long record of law work in his family law tree. The old lawyer’s building is still there, but the firm has changed and moved. The building is now used as an Access Training Centre.
Wood’s Bakery, advertised as “The People’s Bakery and Tearooms,” took up the rest of the street. How different it is today. No three tiered cake stands with plates of scones, pikelets and cakes filled on to the plates. I well remember the brown teapots, jugs and sugar bowls in Wood’s Tearooms. This was where we would have a cup of tea when coming to town from the farm. When we moved into town one could get bread from the baker’s cart. Mr Connell delivered bread, buns and block cake for years. I don’t know when it stopped or when Wood’s Bakery stopped baking. Later the Co-op seemed to be doing it. Mr Wood was still living in the house but the tearooms disappeared. I think Mr Hawke had some electrical goods on the corner of Northumberland Street and Russell Street. I could be wrong there. This is now where the law firm is, no longer Lee Mackie Harker and McKay though.
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Still in Northumberland Street over the road where the Civic Theatre now stands was Miss Signal, the Plunket nurse. One had to go to her for Kariol if bottle feeding a baby or getting a baby weighed. The present Women’s Rest rooms and Plunket Rooms were not built until the early 1930s.
Further along Northumberland Street the Waipukurau and Patangata Councils seemed to share the same building. It was many years later and after much wrangling the Councils merged with the Waipukurau Borough. This was when we discontinued our mayor, Harry Winlove. Mr Winlove had been a good mayor and his wife was even better, but the combined councillors in their wisdom decided that a mayor was not necessary. A few years later we all joined up again including Waipawa this time. Waipawa hadn’t let their mayor go but when it came down to the nitty gritty and a mayor was necessary again Waipawa had to give way. Waipukurau again had a mayor. We are now the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council. The last fifteen years have been all takeovers with all that’s possible – businesses, clubs, hospitals and councils. In fact, the country itself may be heading that way with golf courses and tourist resorts for sale.
But we are back in the happy 1920s, still in Northumberland Street. Mr Fred Staines was to build a factory further along the street past the council buildings. This was to be after the Staines brothers partnership was dissolved. In 1935 he was advertising – Fred Staines – Funeral Directors. Mr and Mrs Fred Staines lost their eldest daughter Winnie in the 1931 earthquake. Winnie had started her nursing career at Napier Hospital and was one of the nurses in the Nurses’ Home to be killed. Winnie was Waipukurau’s only casualty, though it was Napier where she was killed. Mr Staines factory is now the Beaurepaires Tyre Shop.
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on the corner of Marlborough Street and Northumberland was the Salvation Army house.
Across the road in Northumberland Street Mrs Fox lived. She had a large paddock adjacent to her home where her family would milk her cows. Not in a cow bail but where they stood in the paddock. In the morning after milking, they were taken to her land in Racecourse Road for pasture and brought back for milking in the afternoon.
Across Peel Street on the corner later was Mr Cassidy’s business. Mr Cassidy, who bought his carrying business from Mr Kemp, eventually bought out Mr Blair’s business which has now become the Hawke’s Bay Farmers Transport, occupying the whole corner of Peel Street opposite the Railway.
Still in Northumberland Street, there were some residences and sections before getting back over the street to the Borough Council offices. The library was attached to it. Mr Herbert Tansley was Town Clerk. He was a very popular fellow. He had a fine baritone voice and was in all the musical shows. I remember Mr Gardiner was the Borough Engineer and was the Borough building inspector. I only knew that because after the earthquake we built a new house. Mr George Fowler was Town Clerk for a while then became manager of the Electric Power Board. Mr Bruce Smart followed as Town Clerk. Miss Annie Butler worked for many years in the Borough office. Miss Kate Craven was librarian for as long as I remember in those years. Years later the Council decided the town needed a new library. After much fundraising, including a Queen Carnival when Mary Vance was crowned as the Country Queen, the Council didn’t build a new library. Instead they bought the Dalgety building, where Mr Winlove’s father had had a blacksmith’s and engineering in the early years of Waipukurau. The Library is still there in Kitchener Street.
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Back in Northumberland Street the Oddfellows Hall was next door to the Library. The various Lodges would have a picnic each year.
Next came Mr Lum Jack’s laundry. This was the time of stiff white collars. Now if anyone put up a prize for the most popular and smartest children in the town it would unanimously go to the Lum Jack children. Everyone liked them and at school they took all the honours.
There was a small building next where Mr D Neild, a lawyer, started to practise.
R. Staines and Sons had been in business in the town all through the century. They had a very big furniture shop with a big factory at the back. This was a two-storey building with a chair painted green on the outside of the shop. They also were the Funeral Directors. The partnership was to dissolve and Mr Tom Staines to have the shop and Mr Fred Staines the factory up the street. Mr Staines was advertising in the 1926 programme of the “Mikado” by the Operatic Society – Cheney Gramophones. This was when people were buying gramophones and records galore. The Charleston was the rage and everyone was music mad. Miss G Major, who entertained over the years in opera and concerts, worked here with Miss Eileen Butler. Miss Butler I remember was the Sports Queen crowned at the Carnival which had been held to raise money to buy Rugby Park. After much fundraising the Sports ground was bought. Now it is the rugby ground and the A & P showgrounds, with the tennis and squash club courts adjoining, all in the same area. Mr Tom Staines was a keen golfer and played on a low handicap. He was a hard player to beat and won the men’s championship several times at the Mt Herbert Club. The firm later was to sell their shop to Williams and Kettle Ltd, who extended
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their smaller shop on Ruataniwha Street to absorb Miss Barnes, Mr T. Given, Miss Morris and around the corner to R. Staines shop. The Staines family then worked from Gaisford Terrace. Williams and Kettle did not acquire the premises on the corner of Ruataniwha Street and Northumberland Street. This was Mr D.B. Kent, barrister and solicitor, later to become the Bank of New South Wales. Now it is Westpac.
On Ruataniwha Street, before Williams and Kettle expanded, was Miss E. Barnes. She was a short, stout, elderly lady with white hair in a bun on top of her head and she always wore black. She always seemed to be wheeling her bike but she must have ridden it sometime. She had scissors hanging from her waist and sold lovely laces and ribbons and all pretty things in her gift shop. I think Katie Johnstone worked with her.
Mr Tom Given next door was a portly gentleman with a small waxed moustache. He advertised –
Ladies Evening Shoes
Black, Silver and Gold
Low and High Heels
Prices from 17/6
Ladies’ and Gent’s Golf Shoes
Great Variety – Given’s Shoe Store
Mrs Given worked in the shop and I think Mavis Gibson also did. The Givens were both golfers and Mr Given was a keen angler. I will mention this later.
I don’t remember Miss Morris in the next shop but I do remember when she had a shop across the street next to Mr Gideon. She must have moved there when Williams and Kettle did their big takeover.
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Williams and Kettle had a small building and dealt with stock but in the 1930s they built a grocery shop and later expanded it to become a very large shop with hardware, ironmongery, farm produce and beautiful china. The stock department and hardware remain but the grocery and china have now gone. In the early days they had bright young lads of the town in their employment, Jack Bell, John Turtle and the Watson boys. There were others whose names elude me. I can think of lots of the later ones but these were there when the shop started. A 1935 Williams and Kettle advertisement read – W & K Xmas Stockings
1/- 2/- 2/6 5/- 10/6 21/-
Logs Cabins filled with toys sweets and novelties 1/-
Boxes of Chocolates – Pascelles [Pascalls], Nestles, Cadburys
6d to 30/- a box
The yard at the back of Williams and Kettle goes through to Russell Street.
Back on Ruataniwha Street Mr Coldwill, who advertised in the Press when it commenced in 1905, had a house well back from the street. His shop was across the street. Mr Chatwin was to take over from Mr Coldwill. He then remained in business until 1929, when Mr G Gideon took over. Mr Chatwin was a very active member of the Operatic Society always having a part in the cast of the productions.
Mr McCarthy was to move into a shop next to the Ford Garage. Charlie Ewen was to work for him. Both were very popular people in the town. Mr McCarthy had the honour of being the mayor when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip made a stop at Waipukurau during a 1953 – 54 visit. I must add the local Horticultural Society had made a spectacular show at the Railway Station. It was beautiful. Waipukurau was included in the film shown of the Royal Visit of New Zealand. This was to happen years later than the period of which I am writing.
22.
The Ford Garage as I first remember in the early twenties was managed by Mr Loyld [Lloyd] who later started his own business in Russell Street. However in 1927 Mr Jack Braithwaite [Brathwaite] was advertising for the Ford Garage –
Ford’s New Beauty 5 Seater £165.00
Little Beauty 2 Seater £158.00
Satisfaction and Convenience Motoring in Your Own Car.
Mr Brathwaite’s son Errol was to gain fame for his books. He has written several best sellers.
Across the alleyway we have Mr R. McLean’s Garage. Mr McLean bought his business in 1912 from Mr Knight, of Otane. He was an agricultural blacksmith, dealing in machinery. He had in his employ as blacksmith Mr Charlie Gay almost until he died. Mr George Robinson was employed as the striker for the blacksmith. When Mr Gay died, Mr George Price took over as blacksmith. Mr McLean also employed electricians, Messrs H. Murray and E Perkins, who later started their own business. Mr J. K. Lee also worked for him when not employed by the Power Board. Mr McLean was the mayor of the town at the time of the 1931 earthquake and arranged for immediate relief for Hastings and Napier. It was about this time that concrete footpaths were being laid in the Borough. A few years later his younger son, John, was to make his name on the athletic field, running and jumping. John was after the war to be included in New Zealand’s first coaching school. His older brother Vere was killed while serving in the Navy. This is now the Honda motorcycle shop.
Wharmby and Williams came into being in the early twenties. Mr Wharmby was a builder and Mr Williams a joiner. They both worked for Mr John Winlove and decided to go into partnership and start building on their own. Mr Wharmby became the council building
23.
inspector. They built their own factory in Cook Street and when they retired in 1948 they formed a company with their own employees. This was to carry on for many years before being bought out. This area is now part of Deka.
I don’t know who owned the Leviathan Sample Rooms but I think it could be the Skidmores. The Skidmores owned the Leviathan Hotel on the corner but I remember it when Mr Ern Manning was the proprietor. He used to have some horses and drive around in a gig. His younger daughter, Olga, and I used to go riding after school. I think by this time I had a small saddle, I had been promoted from the sheepskin. Olga had big eyes in a round face and was quite a singer. She sang a lot in charity concerts. I remember one where this tattered looking child sang ” I want some money. Gimme some, gimme some, do”, and the money was thrown on the stage from all directions. I can’t remember what the charity was in aid of but probably the Plunket. The Sample rooms area is part of Deka, Willie Weavers, Farmer Joes and carpark [handwritten – would be the Leviathan Hotel. The Fergussons were to be the proprietors of the Leviathan after the Mannings.]
Around the corner parallel to the railway line was Mr Prujean’s bus depot. This is Railway Road. Past Mr Prujean were some residential houses, then on the corner of Russell Street was the grocery shop. I’m told it used to be Bungays but I only remember Mr Byford being there. I have a 1922 advertisement –
Byfords – Crockery and Household Ironmongery at Prices that Please
I don’t remember when Mr Byford stopped trading but I must add this story that he told on himself. He had asked a local lad who used to do a bit of rabbiting along the river and sell his wares, to get
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him a couple [handwritten – of rabbits] as Mrs Byford liked cooked rabbit. Eventually the lad produced two skinned carcases and accepted the 1/-, they were 6d each in those days. Sometime later the lad enquired about them. One was alright but Mrs Byford cooked and cooked the other one. It was very tough. Oh that one was probably the cat, said the local lad. He had done himself out of further business in the town when Mr Byford related that story. No way would anyone buy from him again.
Around the corner in Russell Street there were some houses, now only the Shooting Assn remains. Mr A. Green had a town carrying business in this area, and a Mr Hammond had a painter and paper-hanging business. These are part of Ruahine Motors yard now. Mr E. A. Goodger, who was the mayor in 1920, had moved from the main street to this area. Mr Goodger gave the address from the district to H. R. H. Edward, Prince of Wales, on his visit to Waipukurau in May 1920. Mr Goodger’s son, Graham, gave me a copy of the reply the Prince made to his father’s speech. I had given Graham a photo taken at the time.
Prince’s reply to Mayor’s welcome:
Mr Mayor,
The words of welcome which you have addressed to me on behalf of the residents of Waipukurau and the surrounding districts have touched me very much and I thank you sincerely for your good wishes on the occasion of this my first visit to New Zealand.
I can assure you that I shall carry away the happiest recollections of my tour in these Islands, among which will certainly be included the fact that I have been able to pay a visit, short though it is, to this neighbourhood,
EDWARD R 5/5/1920.
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The Almadale was run by Mrs Jamieson, a gentle old lady from the Shetland Isles. Her family assisted her and her daughter Maud married a carpenter from Winloves, Mr Adam Leitch. Mr and Mrs Leitch were both very active members of the Presbyterian Church. They worked with the Sunday School for many years, I don’t know when they stopped but they certainly gave stalwart support to the Church. This area is part of Williams and Kettle’s yard. They bought the house and shifted part to Wallace Road.
Still in Russell Street, across the road from Mr Doube, who had been with the Hawke’s Bay Farmers, started his own boot repairing business. His son, John, and his daughter, Jessie, were in my class at school. Mr Doube was a very keen angler. Mr A Chisholm used to tell this story – Mr Doube had just bought a Tin Liz car and although he didn’t know much about driving he invited his fishing friends, Mr Chisholm, Mr Tom Given and Mr Frank Stoddart, to a weekend fishing at Lake Taupo. Well they set off with their fishing gear plus a few tins and ropes in the car. Mr Doube could go forward, that was all that was necessary. Backing didn’t come into to it. At every hill the old car boiled madly and they would have to stop to let her cool down.
Downhill, well she just didn’t have any brakes or any that worked. The three guests had to hold her with ropes. Up and down over the old road to Taupo. I don’t think they did much fishing while they were there. Oh, they eventually got there but were not game to tackle the homeward journey with Mr Doube. They came back by Aard car. I don’t know about Mr Doube or whether the car came back. That was Mr Chisholm’s story of his first fishing trip to Lake Taupo, and they all remained good friends.
This is where the Hot Bread shop is now built.
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Also in Russell Street, Mr W. Chambers, a former Mayor of the town was a builder. He and Mr W Booth built the gasworks. He advertised in the 1905 first edition of the press. He was elected as Chairman of the Town Board when it was first formed. Waipukurau had originally been included in the county. Mr Chambers still owned buildings in Russell Street. I understand that he and Mr Booth would visit an Uncle of mine at Wanstead and midst the socializing would render “Drink to me with thine eyes” in a loud voice of splendid quality. It was all around the piano in those days. Mr Chambers would be seen around town in his black car. I remember him as a big grey haired man with a big moustache, not a little waxed one like Mr Given. Mr Booth I remember on his motorbike and a cap on his head. This was in the early twenties.
Mr Hastie, who came to Waipukurau in 1928, had a wool and skin business. When he died his sons had branched out with other interests. The building was used as an Auction Mart and now the Zealandia Drycleaning have built on that site. Years before they were in Ruataniwha Street.
Where the area of the Wine and Spirit building is, used to be the farrier and blacksmiths D. Spence. Advertised in the 1922 Press – General Blacksmith – Opposite Byfords.
Has now commenced business.
All classes of work catered for.
All shoes hand-made.
I don’t remember him but as Mr Jack Reedy always shod my pony I don’t suppose I would have taken any notice of this one.
In 1932 the Press was advertising Mr R. Young as Farrier and Blacksmith – Prices reduced to meet the times – Adjacent to Hasties Woolstore. I don’t remember Mr Young, but Mr N Tate must have started soon after as I remember his eldest daughter Doreen, at High School.
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Around the corner in Peel Street parallel with the railway lines was Mr J. Blair’s house and carrying business. Mr Blair had been in business many years as I know he bought it from an uncle of mine, who had it when teams of horses were used. Alex Johnston never had anything but horses. Blair Bros, as well as Winloves, seemed to be the main carriers and cartage contractors in those days but Cassidys started in the early thirties. Mr Blair was also a coal merchant. This business was carried on for years. Another coal merchant was Mr Wiggins up Racecourse Road.
The Railway. Written in the Press 16/12/35 under the heading ‘Prophecy Fulfilled”. “The Waipukurau Railway Station is one of the busiest in the North Island, at any rate in summer months. More sheep are dispatched from this station between Napier and Palmerston North than from any other station in the Dominion.” There was also a picture showing wool being loaded onto railway waggons [wagons]. Slow freight trains would run and High School pupils from Waipukurau would have to travel on these to Waipawa. There was no High School in Waipukurau until 1922, only at Waipawa. Excursion trains would run to Napier on a Sunday. In those days the seats ran the length of the carriages. It was some years later before there were carriages with one and two seats in them facing the engine. These were the old steam trains. Express trains stopped for seven minutes to take on water at Waipukurau, and refreshments were to be served for travellers. The station Refreshment Rooms employed a large staff, Mr Bryce, with the big voice and laugh, managed them in the early twenties, later going into the grocery business. The government later took over. Misses L. and R. Smales and Mrs T Spencer worked there. There was the usual facilities for travellers and a small bookstall supplying Daily papers and magazines. I think Mr Hall had the bookstall, later
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Mr A. Moore. But I am going to mention that some years later Miss Annie McLean, a very outspoken Scottish lady whose bark was worse then her bite, had given up her insurance job and bought a bookshop. Our friend Miss McLean would put her papers in the basket of her bike and close up her shop for fifteen minutes then head to the Railway Station and open her bookstall. ‘This particular day one of the leading politicians hopped from the train, strolled over to the bookstall and picked up the morning Dominion, He read the front page and glanced over a bit more still standing by the bookstall. Other customers were buying things and the guard calls out “All aboard”. Well, our politician put the paper down. He didn’t take it but he had been reading it. In Miss McLeans eyes if you picked up a paper or a Magazine and read more than a couple of paragraphs “it was sold”, and Mr Walter Nash owes me 2d she told everyone. He read my paper and walked off. She would always bring this up at election time and state what a lot of rogues all politicians were. I think perhaps she had something there. I have another story that Mr Gideon used to tell on himself regarding Miss McLean which I will tell later.
In 1922 Mr Streeter was the station master, but all us children considered Mr George Smales as the boss of the railways. His daughter tells me his position was Clerk on the Permanent way, responsible for all the lines from Woodville north. Mr Smales was also a deputy mayor of the town. I do remember he also was a stalwart supporter of Sir George Hunter, the member for Parliament for the Waipawa electorate. In those days people would wear rosettes on election days and each candidate would have their committees working hard by rounding up and conveying their supporters to vote. Mrs L Lambeth, the young daughter of Mr Smales, told me that she and her sisters had to wear the rosettes to school all that week.
29.
In those early twenties, families often had their own cow to be grazed and milked. I remember the Smales boys would milk their cow which was grazed along Racecourse Road parallel to the railway. I don’t remember when the cow milking went out of fashion. I know we had a jersey cow in the next paddock. We seemed to have her for years. The Smales family were all good athletes which I will record later. In James Street, which was parallel to the railway lines after crossing them, Miss Gordon advertised in 1922 –
Miss Gordon
Dressmaker
James Street, opposite the Railway Station
There were about three houses in this street before coming to the entrance to the Saleyards. The seed milling was built years later. This street connected to the back of Marlborough Street. The stock route would go under the railway bridge and come out behind the houses in Marlborough Street to meet up with the main road before the traffic bridge. The Saleyards were always busy. “Stock was brought in to the sales on the hoof, few trucks in those early days. There were drovers and stock whips and dogs and horses and gigs in plenty. Sheep and cattle would often be held in holding paddocks on the outskirts of town and brought in on the sale day in the early morning. There was plenty of action. Gates along the road would have to be closed or gardens would be trampled. The moving of stock was all part of the rural life.
Back on Takapau Road on the far side of the Saleyards, Mr T Denne who had come from Eketahuna, or so his sons said, started his lemonade factory. One could buy 1 gallon jars of lemonade or whatever flavour one wished for 2/- a jar. The stone jars had T.C. Denne on the outside. The delivery truck would come around each week and one just replaced the jar for 2/- or if desired one dozen bottles of assorted
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aerated waters for 3/-. Later, Mr Denne was to start his ice cream factory across the road. Mr Denne and his family were all very musical and were to be the backbone of the Waipukurau Municipal Band. The ice cream factory I will speak of when coming back to the town. The Lemonade factory was sold to Mr A Anderson.
Along Takapau Road were a few more houses and then a Chinese market garden, I don’t know whose but he would have a cart and go around selling vegetables. This market garden, years before my time, had been used by Dr. Godfray and Mr. Smales. They would go about 4am and do the planting and weeding of the vegetables they had growing before starting on the day’s work. At the weekend they would select their vegetables and distribute them to the people in the town with large families, who needed some assistance. It was when Dr. Godfray had not made an appearance early one morning that Mr Smales investigated and found his and the towns friend had died, after being up most of the night attending one of his patients. Godfray Ward at the hospital was named after this Doctor who had done so much for the people of this district.
This is now a garage and garden centre where the market garden was.
Further along Coughlan Road had a few houses with Mr Dan Coughlan’s at the end. Then on Takapau Road were more paddocks and one house well back off the road, Spotswoods. Mr Spotswood did droving and Mrs Spotswood assisted with the midwifery work and homebirths. This is now the Maori culture centre. Then more paddocks and around the corner to the private road of the Butter factory. A lot of people were employed in the Butter factory in the early twenties. When it was working to capacity, lorries would be coming and going with milk and cream cans. Mr Glentworth, Mr Johnstone and Mr Basil Nicholls
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are the people that come to mind as being connected with the butter factory. Ron Glentworth and Nellie Johnstone were in my class at school. Her young sister, Jean, learned dancing from Mrs Bill MacKenzie and her young brother, Bob, learned the bagpipes from Bill. The factory was taken over by Heretaunga and became the Heretaunga factory. Eventually Dennes acquired it for ice cream storage. I don’t know who owns it now.
Across Takapau Road eighty acres was purchased by the Aero Club. From a 1935 issue of the Waipukurau Press it states “A meeting had been held on 30/3/35 and on 4/4/35 a club was formed. Negotiations were made and land in Waipukurau and Waipawa was inspected with the object of a suitable landing ground. The present ground was eventually bought as the owner would not consider a lease. It had to be an outright purchase. Money was raised and the deal completed. Twenty residents signified their wish to take instructions. There were twenty two aviators in the district, some with distinguished war records.” This is the present Waipukurau Airport. From its small beginning, this club has made its name in New Zealand.
After leaving the airport, back towards town we come to Cook Street. Here Wharmby and Williams built their timber factory. Now a meat processing works are in this place, providing much employment to the town. Bernard Mathews [Matthews] Beautiful Roasts.
Back on the corner of the main road Mr Denne started his Peter Pan ice cream factory. Peter Pan ice cream was sold throughout New Zealand and overseas. It was a sad day when after about fifty years the factory was sold. It was even more sad when it was merged with another firm who shifted all the trucks and plant to another town. About two hundred people lost their jobs. But in the early thirties
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of which I write, it was good working place. The eldest boy Jack Denne was unfortunately killed while riding his motorbike back from Taupo. Jack had been a fellow pupil at school.
Coming back into town the road changes back to Ruataniwha Street as it crosses the railway line. Before that there had been a freezing works in this area many years ago. Only some concrete remained. Before the railway line Mr Fred Wells had a livery stables which was turned into a garage. In those early days Mr Wells also drove a hearse. This was in the very early twenties. He was also one of the towns bookmakers, no TAB in those days. As a child I always thought that Mr Wells was the Prince of Wales. We were all at Russell Park in 1920 when the Prince visited the town. Mr Goodger was the mayor and as the Prince was driven around Russell Park amid all the waving and cheering someone said “There’s the Prince of Wales in the car.” There was a man standing up with a hat in his hand, but I saw Mr Wells. I wasn’t taking any notice of that man waving a hat. I knew Mr Wells because we had often left the horse and trap at his stables, I was four years old and I thought he must be the Prince of Wales! He had a good laugh about it when I told him some years later. In the 1935 Press, Mr F. Watson was advertising
‘Get ready for that camping holiday’
Wire stretchers – 2/6 week
Tents – 10/- week
Tents, motorcar hoods and curtains made to order
at F. Wells Garage. See F. Watson
Mr Watson had been working for H.B. Farmers before starting on his own.
Also from a 1922 advertisement for bricklaying –
Miles, Bricklayer
Ring Fred Wells Stables.
This area is now an engineering firm.
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The Hawkes Bay Farmers was the biggest shop in town, all types of goods could be bought. Mr LG Harker was the manager. I can only remember Mr Joe Brittain in the stock department. I wasn’t interested in stock in those days, but I remember Mr Hindman in leather and saddlery. Mr Jones, Mr A Dixon, Mr Jack Cook in their departments. When one entered the grocery area from the street one had to pass the circular counter with Grace Ebbett in the middle of it. Who could pass that counter where Grace was surrounded by all sorts of sweets and chocolates. If you had 6d to spend what a wonderful bag of sweets it would buy. There was nothing miserable about Grace’s bags of sweets. Over to the other counters with their shelves of groceries one could see Miss Nell Fogarty, Mr W Pendray and John Haycock weighing out the different commodities. Brown paper bags and string were in evidence. Parcels would be tied. Further towards the back, the cashier would be in a little office dialing [dialling] the dockets and money that would be clanging in the overhead lines. I would have loved to have pulled one of these cords. Halfway down the building some doors opened into the other departments. Here Mr Dixon and his staff would be busy cutting materials, selling towels, sheets and blankets, ribbons and laces, Miss Lilly Butler and Miss Lindsay and Clive Williams being kept busy. We move to the showroom, to Miss Belle Tulley and Miss Doris Stabler who would be selling frocks, coats and hats. I can’t think who did the boots and shoes, but Jack Cook and Bob Ricketts I think were in the men’s department. Mr M Pulford may have come in a bit later. I must write about the Farmers Sales. These were always worth attending, but every year they would have a special sale, It was the 1/- sale, all goods that were put out were priced 1/-. What a day that would be. From what I have heard, some folk would be hanging on to a mans coat, while someone else grabbed the pants of the suit and smarter still, someone else would pay for it and just ask the assistant to please wrap it. These 1/- sales were held for years. Even when they
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had stopped having them. The Farmers always had good bargains.
1932 Press we have Special Sale – 2 weeks only
Ladies’ and Girl’s shoes –
Bostock Brown glace strap 39/6 to 7/6
Ladies’ White court shoes, Brown Trimmings 21/- to 12/6
Black Satin strap and court shoes 21/- and 27/6 to 7/6
Brown willow calf strap shoes 35/- 42/- to 7/6
Bostock Black Patent strap 32/6 to 42/- to 7/6
Willow calf Golf shoes with rubber soles 42/- to 15/-
Girl’s Sandals size 12 8/6 to 1/-
Tennis shoes with rubber soles according to size 1/6 2/- 2/6
Tennis Shoes with crepe soles 2/6 2/9 3/3 3/11
Well wouldn’t it be great today to get such bargains, especially with shoes. When the big new shop was built after the war, one could still buy lovely things there. However eventually the firm lost its status and was merged with Dalgety Loan and then merged again, to be finally gobbled to extinction. This is apart from the stock and seed departments, but even they now have a new name, Wrightsons. They are now in the old Farmers building and the Mobil service station is where the saddlery and sports departments of the old H.B. Farmers were.
Across the railway line and up Racecourse Road opposite where Mr. Smales had his cow, we have what had been Mr Blom’s Livery stables. These could have been known as the Tavistock Stables as they are by the Tavistock Hotel. I have seen an old advertisement for the Tavistock Livery Stable, but it did not state where. As far as I know Mr Gallagher’s stables at the other end of town were always “Gallaghers Stables”, but as the Tavistock Hotel was originally sited at the eastern side of town the Tavistock Stables could have been there.
35.
Anyway these stables on Racecourse Road were soon converted to Messrs Mason and Patons garage and were to remain so for many years. Now that area is Soma Textiles.
The Tavistock Hotel on the corner was in 1922 under the management of D. Keyvar. The advertisement stated – A Xmas Hamper at Wholesale price, made up to suit your pocket. Terms cash with order. No exceptions. D. Keyvar. Phone 8. There was no price quoted. The Tavistock must have changed management because in 1924 produced Mr Bill Irvine, Waipukurau’s All Black, the hooker whose nickname was Bull Irvine. It isn’t every little rural town that can produce an All Black, but in 1947 Waipukurau was to do it again, that time Jim McCormick. I think Mr Limbrick took over the Tavistock from the Irvines. He had three daughters who were very active in the Operatic Society, and one son Mick, The Limbricks had a home at Pourere [Pourerere] beach and the Sunday one day before the 1931 earthquake visitors who had been staying there reported that the Limbricks had never seen the waves so high on a beautiful sunny day. This home was built well back and high from the usual tide mark. The next morning we had the earthquake. On the railway side of the two storey hotel the whole wall came down. There were no casualties. One could look up at the beds in the tearooms from the road side. I must put this 1935 advertisement in –
Dinner at the Tavistock this Xmas.
For 5/- you can enjoy the splendid cuisine of the Tavistock Hotel.
Intending patrons are asked to make their table reservations early in order to avoid disappointment, Christmas Hampers – Scotch whisky 10/6 bottle
Port Wine 3/-
Dry Gin 11/-
Speights and Red Band Ale 14/- a dozen
It does not say but I would think Mr Crooks to be the proprietor.
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In Ruataniwha Street coming back along the town, in the mid twenties Dalgetys had a small place. I think Mr C Agar would be the first manager I remember. They later built and amalgamated with Loan and Mercantile, then with Hawkes Bay Farmers, then Dalgety Crown to be gobbled again. The last twenty years has been a gobbling match with the firms.
Mrs Hopper had a fruit mart, also including furniture. This was to become Bill Barlow’s Electrician, before the Hawkes Bay Farmers built their new two-storey shop taking in the area from the hotel to the corner of Kitchener Street.
In Kitchener Street was Mr Jack Reedy’s Blacksmith and Farrier shop with yards for the horses at the back. I liked Mr Reedy. He was a very likeable Irishman, as Irish as “Paddy’s pig”. He used to shoe my pony. There were always lots of horse shoes hanging on the walls. He and any Scots would trade insults to one another. I remember he would end up shouting “and to Hell with Harry Lauder”. I considered him a friend of mine. Despite all the insults they all seemed good friends.
Behind his yards in Kitchener Street was an Engineering plant that was owned by Mr Winlove. I think it had been Mr John Winlove’s father’s. Mr W. Booth worked here. Mr Booth had bought his own business from Mr Jones up Airlie Lane in 1902, however in 1911 it was burned down and his son Sandy tells me that he had no insurance so he had to take a job with Mr Winlove. In the 1905 Press Mr Booth had advertised – W. Booth – General Blacksmith, Wheelwright, Farrier and Ironmonger.
In Hunter Park after much fundraising the Womens Rest and Plunket Rooms were built in 1930. That is the St John Hall was I think Scots […] Rooms
37.
Mr Winlove’s Engineering must have been demolished because after the War Dalgety’s built there and later sold the building to the Council who made it into the present Library. I don’t remember Winloves being there but I probably thought it was part of Mr Reedy’s business. The Mart opposite in Kitchener Street had at one time been on the corner of the main street and I understand it was shifted to its present position when the Municipal Theatre was to be built. It has had several owners. It has been a tearooms and back to a Mart again. In the early twenties a Mrs Brandon had a sweetshop there and called it Rendezvous, then Mr F Tinney had a teashop, Mr Jack Windle a Mart, then Mr Jim Windle and Mr W Issacs, and now Mr Oemke [Oemcke]. Mr Jack Windle’s eldest daughter Marie was a good Highland dancer.
The Municipal Theatre was built in brick. While being constructed there was a bad accident. Two local tradesmen, Mr Haswell and Mr Batson lost their lives. Eventually the theatre was finished in 1925 and opened. It had an exceptionally large stage and Waipukurau was able to host travelling shows, J.C. Williamsons, Fullers and Wilkies, besides each year putting on our own operatic productions. The theatre had seating accommodation for 750 or 800 if necessary. That was 250 upstairs and 500 downstairs. There was a wealth of talent in the district. Charity concerts were also held in the theatre, as well as balls and pictures. Mr F Ganderton ran the pictures with Jim Johnstone succeeding Mr Bill Chappell as projectionist. Mr Chappell had kept the reels going in the Power Board building until the theatre was built. These were still the days of silent films. Tuesdays, Saturdays and a Saturday matinee, it would be Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan and Rin Tin Tin. When Tom Mix and horse Tony came on the scene all the kids would yell and warn Tom that the baddie was behind the door or where-ever.
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Carl Crocker and Dexter Fox were later to keep the films going. Bill Hanson tells me that he was just the boy around the place but Bill kept the films going at Pukeora for many years. Mrs Ganderton would often give a free ticket. In recent years half the theatre was demolished as it was considered an earthquake risk, but it stood through the 1931 earthquake o.k.
Underneath the second storey of the theatre were built four shops. One on the corner of Kitchener Street and three on Ruataniwha Street. George and Doughty sold materials and manchester in one but didn’t last long. The Daily Telegraph took over. Sainsbury, Logan and Williams had an agency there for some years. The Telegraph moved out only a few years ago to join the Herald Tribune office. Mr Cotrill [Cottrell?] was there as the Daily Telegraph man at the time when I went to school.
Mr Burt Orr had a mens hairdressing and tobacconist shop. Mr Orr used to [to] belong to the Musical Society. He played drums in some of the operatic productions. Mr Peter Blair succeeded him and was to open another shop further down the street where first his son then his daughter operated.
Mr Wood’s music shop was previously the Brunswick Music Store, operated by Mr Ernest Haunsell, ‘Pupil of Professor Salmon, San Francisco’. Mr Haunsell did not remain here long as Mr Wood had the shop in 1927, as shown by the programme of the Operatic Society’s production of “Dorothy” in which he was the musical conductor. Mr Wood also taught music. This was the time of sheet music, pianos and gramophones. “In a little Spanish town”, “The more we are together”, “Oh Charlie”, “Take it away”, “Lay my head beneath a Rose”, “Bundaberg”, “Hello Aloha” were all songs of the moment and advertised at Wood’s Music Depot. Mr Wood was a very soft spoken person. He should have growled hard. If he had I would probably have spent more time practising my music.
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Later another Mr Wood had this business, and I’m told that the Gandertons took it over, but I have no recollection of that.
The Vogue was a new dress shop in town advertising hosiery, gloves, handkerchiefs and smart undies. Hand embroidered [hand embroidered] morrocaine dressing gowns for 19/6, Chinese handworked sets of underwear, Give something useful and beautiful for Xmas. Mrs Keene was proprietor and it was a dress shop for years. Miss Aitken had it later.
Moores Tearooms and Milkbar had been owned by Wilsons before Moores took over. I can remember when the Wilsons owned it. We lived on a farm about six miles from town and had come in to town with the horse and trap. I had been given a penny ice cream at Wilsons. It was lovely. I was quite little at the time and the next time we came to town I wanted another lovely icecream. What I didn’t know was that in those days icecreams were only made in the summer and this was winter time. I howled and grizzled in the trap for part of the way home. I got a good smack to stop my nonsense, corporal punishment! How terrible to give a grizzly, whingeing child a smack! It shut me up anyway but I still remember the performance I put on. Little horror because I couldn’t get an icecream!
Moores made their own icecream and it was great to dash out at half time from the Saturday matinee and get a 1d icecream. They had two entrances off the street, one for the Milkbar, and one for the Tearooms. They advertised – “Moores Original Street Bar – Icecream and pure fruit drinks manufactured under the most hygeinic [hygienic] conditions on the Premises. A standard of superiority far above commercial icecream. Suppers after the Pictures.” Mr and Mrs Moore and also Lily worked in the shop. Lily was very musical with piano and singing I remember. Alan was in my class at school. Moores lived upstairs, behind the shop. Falloons then Dudley Russell had this shop. Now it is Diane [Diahann] Boutique.
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Mr Carpenter had his shoe shop next door. He also was mayor of the town. His advertisement read – Carpenters for Footwear, for Xmas buy ladies’ lace shoes 2/11. Oddments, strap, glace, patent and coloured from 5/6 to 10/6. Mrs Carpenter used to fascinate me when I was very young with her long dangling earrings. When one bought shoes one could always have the plates put on immediately as they employed boot repairers towards the back of the shop. Mr Charlie Winter worked here for years. He was a member of the Orchestral Society and used to play the Bass. Carpenters lived over their shop until they built a new house in Kitchener Street during the 1930’s. Mr Carpenter would have been mayor during the war years. There were alleyways between the shops.
The shop next door to the Carpenters was called the Universal Bargain Stores. This resembled Woolworths in the days when goods were displayed on counters. Jean Findlay used to manage it. In later years Wright Stephensons had it. This area has changed so much that it is difficult to place some of the shops. There was a Hindu fruiterer’s shop which was partially demolished in the 1931 earthquake. Fortunately no-one was hurt. Mr Blom’s leather shop which had been built about 1925 remained. He sold saddles, harness and sports gear. Winloves are now occupying this shop. This two-storey shop was considered very modern when it was built. Upstairs Mr Bill MacKenzie used to teach his dancing class in the evenings. One couldn’t have our thumping and the noise of his pipes disturbing customers in the day time. I don’t know if Mr Blom lived there or not.
The Kosy Tearooms was under the management of Mrs Hutcheson. I think they were upstairs. Coldwill the chemist who had been in business since 1905, had the Chemist’s shop later to be Mr Chatwins who in 1929 sold it to Gordon Gideon. Mr Gideon was to build new premises between Mr Scott’s hardware shop and Mr A. M. White, the solicitor.
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Mr John Haycock bought his grocery from Mr Howarth Duckworth. Mr Duckworth in 1922 advertised-Heinz specialities, soups, baked beans and spaghetti. Obtain your tinned shrimps, lobsters, tinned meats, pastes and fish at Duckworth’s Busy Cash Store. Mr Duckworth was still in Waipukurau when the earthquake happened. His brother-in-law told me he was not used to such things in England so sold out to John Haycock who carried on the grocery for some years. The Self-Help were to be there later. Mr Duckworth also had angora rabbits and blue chinchillas at his home in Jellicoe Street. In the 1930 era Mr Fleming was to establish a rabbit farm in Farm Road.
After the grocery there was another small alleyway. Mr R. Scott had been in business when the Press started in 1905, being one of the first advertisers. His shop used to have jugs hanging from the ceiling. He used a long pole with a hook to get them down, I always used to gaze at them expecting them fall. Some of his advertisements read – Double sided records, all makes 2/6 each.
Wallpapers 2000 rolls at 6d a roll.
An Xmas special on HMV records. Edison radio records 1/9.
R. Scott & Coy. Hardware, crockery, sports goods and music.
In the 1930 era Mr Scott used to use his car to cart members of the Bible class to various outings. We would all pile in and he would lead the singing all the way home. He had a fine voice but I don’t remember him in any of the town entertainments, only in the church choir. I don’t think there were any boys in his family only girls, but on the Memorial gates at Russell Park is the inscription to “Trooper W. Scott, Killed 1900, Boer War.” I think this could have been Mr Scott’s brother. Mr Scott’s house was back behind his shop. There was an alleyway between his shop and the next. This house is no longer there. The Central Apparel shop is built in the alleyway
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Mr Gordon Gideon, chemist and veterinary chemist, as time went on I could say must have been the unpaid substitute for a Doctor that all and sundry would consult. Many people would go to Mr Gideon and ask him “Do you think I should see a Doctor or could you give me something to help whatever it is?”, and Mr Gideon would do what he could. If he said “look here, you must see a Doctor with that”, then it must be necessary because everyone had faith in Mr Gideon’s advice. Mr Gideon soon decided his shop was too small and bought land on the other side of Mr Scott, between him and Mr White, the solicitor. In time the new shop became too small but that was after the war when Mr Frank Hill joined him. When Mr Gideon retired Mr Hill carried on, then to sell to Mr J Cleland. Mr Gideon would often tell tales on himself and this one comes to mind. He saw Miss Annie McLean, our straitlaced elderly Scot who owned the bookshop a few doors down the street, start along towards the railway to open her bookstall. Protruding from her bike were some copies of the Dominion and the newspaper Truth. “Oh Miss McLean”, calls out Mr Gideon, “I’m surprised to see you with that terrible paper Truth. I didn’t think you would sell such gossip”. “Indeed Mr Gideon, the papers I sell in my shop are nothing to the dreadful things you sell in your shop. You should be ashamed of handling such things.” Mr Gideon roared laughing and was soon to tell how she had put him in his place. Next to the Chemists was an alley way where Pearson’s shop is now.
Mr White’s solicitors office had formerly been Messrs Larnoch [Larnach?] and Norris before they dissolved partnership. Mrs M Jenkins told me this as her sister Marjorie Nelson used to work for Mr Larnoch. Mr Norris shifted his practice to Porangahau Road where the present taxi stand is now sited. Mr White’s daughter Lorna was at school with me. She eventually became a very good pianist. Mr White eventually retired and Mr Noel Grant started his practice there.
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The little shop next door was Mrs Percival the dressmaker. Mrs Percival was very fond of horse riding. Up the alley, well back from the road was Mr Huggin’s workshop. Further back with a small garden in front was Mr Huggin’s house. His daughter Mrs Paterson, lived with him. He was a little white-haired old man getting around using a stick. Mrs Paterson played the organ in the Presbyterian Church. He owned the two shops in front. Mr A Chisholm was in one. He was a tailor and Muncaster’s Jewellry [Jewellery] was in the other, The alleyway is now Expressions. Mr Chisholm, who always had a tale to tell, used to say that many years before Mr Huggins, who was an excellent cabinetmaker made a coffin and had it slung up in the rafters of his workshop. It was tied up there for some years. When the old fellow died his family searched the house and finally mentioned to Mr Chisholm that they had hunted everywhere but could not find the old fellows will. They knew he had made one because he had said so but didn’t tell anyone where he had put it. Mr Chisholm after a few minutes thought said “Did you look up in the rafters in the workshop?” and there it was in the coffin. Apparently they hadn’t looked or didn’t know the coffin was there.
Mr Chisholm also told the tale of his first fishing trip to Taupo, He had not been in New Zealand long when he came to Waipukurau, He had acquired a few Maori words and the meanings but not many. In his workshop were Miss Lucy Gay and Janet MacKenzie. They would always discuss the local news. The town often had balls in the Town Hall. Neither of these ladies had been to the one held the previous night and the next morning Mr Chisholm, who had attended the ball, gave them all the news. He described the dresses worn by the ladies and who danced with who and went on to say how gay the hall looked and the decorations. When he said that in the corners were arranged large Tutae bushes they roared laughing. Eventually they explained he meant Toi Toi. Ever after Toi Toi was referred to as Mr Chisholm’s
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Tutae bushes. Mrs Chisholm used to get the latest fashion magazines and Mr Chisholm would make her the latest dresses as shown in Weldons Ladies Journal. She always seemed to be dressed in velvets, wearing a big hat and carrying a silver topped walking stick. Her husband would be wearing plus-fours with a cap to match. They did a lot of walking together. In the 1930’s their daughter, Cynthia, decided to learn dancing. It was a pity that she had left it so late to learn because she was a splendid dancer and could have made a name for herself. She specialised in Tap and with her smart black tailled suit made by Dad and her top hat, gloves and cane, she was a joy to watch. Her sister Pattie was a talented pianist.
I’m sure Miss E Barnes had a shop in this area in the twenties. She shifted her business to next door to Mr D.B. Kent and I think it must have been when Muncasters had their new shop built, but I could be wrong about that. Muncasters Jewellry was also an old established business. Muncasters after a while built a big new shop next door in the early thirties. Miss Bonighton moved in from beside Bliss Bakery into the vacant shop. Here she continued her haircutting and waving. It was in this shop in about 1932 that I had my hair cut at last. No more long hair. Mrs Moran and Miss Mackenzie were to take over this business. They advertised in the Press in 1935 – Eugene Oil Waving and Hairsets, trim Inecto tinting, Henna packs and all scalp treatments.
Muncasters always had lovely jewellry. Watch and clock repairs were done on the premises. They advertised – Beautiful China and Crystal, Xmas novelties at reasonable prices. Miss Kate Warren worked there until she and Mrs Muncaster retired.
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The next shop was, in those days, Mr Matt McGrath. He had a bookshop which I think would in later years be Southalls. I know I had a pretty china doll from Mr McGrath, that I treasured for years before her face was broken. These shops had steps in front of them. Probably this would also be the shop that Miss McLean took over, but I had thought she was in the hairdressers next to Mr Chisholm. These old shops were replaced by new ones, which adds to the confusion. Mr Clarkson the dentist was in this area and for a while Mr A. Gibson, Tailor, though he later worked from his home. Mr Shackleford had a studio upstairs while Mr McLeod had a office downstairs for his taxi. Mr Clarkson did very good dental work that would last a lifetime. Fillings in those days were often root fillings and of course patients would squirm in the chair. There were no injections prior to fillings in those days. It was no wonder a lot of people would prefer to have all teeth extracted and be fitted with dentures. They would go with out teeth for three months before getting their dentures. These would be made for a few guineas. During the depression, advertisements would often read – Dentures made 2 guineas £2-2-0. Professional people always charged in guineas in those days.
All these shops have been replaced and are now occupied by Taylor & Shanks, United Building Society, Katies, Shubar and Cawston’s.
On the corner of the lane was Mr Dong Gee, the Chinese fruiterer. He was there for years. I don’t know when he went back to China. The end of this small lane connected with a path leading up to the house high on the hill. This house was Airlie Mount. It was a very steep zigzag path to the top. There was a big mulberry tree growing in front of the house, close against the big verandah. One could stand on the verandah and pick mulberries.
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Back down the lane on the other corner in Ruataniwha Street was Kershaw’s shop. The lane was there many years and has only recently been built on which is now Creative Fabrics. Kershaws made mattresses and their own furniture. They were also undertakers. Their advertisement read – Kershaw’s Largest stock in Hawke’s Bay
Prams and Pushchairs
Seagrass Pram with English wheels, nickel handle, fawn and cream linings £5-10-0
Pushchair with detachable seagrass hood £3-10-0
Dropside rimu safety cot, wire mattress £3-15-0
Soft, fleecy cot mattresses 15/6 each
Kershaws Modern Home Furnishers – Hastings and Waipukurau.
Mrs Kershaw was 1st violinist in the Waipukurau Orchestral Society. Waipukurau was sorry to lose these people when they closed the shop and moved to Hastings. I’m sure someone else had this shop before it was opened by Bairds Drapery who had been in business next to Mr. Harrison over the road from the Post Office. Bairds, some years later, was taken over by Pointons, who later vacated to Mr J Hallagan. Now Paper Plus is on this site.
The Misses Moriarty moved from the Ruahine Tearooms in the mid twenties to open a shop next to Mr Leigh’s new shop. They were three Irish sisters, May in the shop, her sisters doing the cooking at the back. This new business was called the Savoy tearooms and sweet shop. They were very nice women, very Irish and did not trade insults to Scottish friends as Jack Reedy did. He could always get away with it of course. The Savoy advertised “After theatre suppers. Best boxes English and N.Z. chocolates.”
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Mr E.H. Leigh was a chemist and optician. He replaced his old wooden shop, which the Moriarty sisters moved into, with the big modern one with a second storey where Mr Bradley, the dentist, carried out his practise. I still have some teeth, a few anyway, that Mr Bradley repaired, to be continued by Mr Joe Bishop years later. Mr Leigh advertised “Kodak and Brownie cameras. Dental Perl for gleaming white teeth 1/6 bottle. Saloo taken internally and externally. Preparations for Rheumatism, Proven uric acid solvent.”
Mr Leigh had all sons and I think his boys all became chemists and opticians, but I could be wrong. I will never forget Tom, who was some years older than myself, and Douglas the youngest boy. We were playing outside on Wallace Road. The Leighs lived over the road from us, we lived in Wallace House. There were a lot of us playing and I remember Christmas was not far away. We were talking about Father Christmas. Douglas Leigh and I were the two youngest children and the rest were all saying there was no Father Christmas at all, and that he doesn’t bring presents. Both Douglas and I were maintaining that he existed and we had got to the howling stage when Tom Leigh came out wondering what all the noise was about. We appealed to him, “There is so a Father Christmas, isn’t there Tom?” He was a big boy so we knew he would know. It has stayed in my mind ever since how he was so sympathetic to two little kids that day.
Mr Leigh and his sons played in the Orchestral Society. A few years ago, about ten or twelve, Mr Leigh visited Waipukurau and called on a cousin of mine and talked of old times. They are both dead now. [handwritten – They were well in their 90s.]
Leigh’s Chemist was where the present day Grant’s Pharmacy is now, and what is now Mayo’s Drapery was a frock and dress material shop owned by Mr Harold Roach. Mr Harold Roach was one of the Hastings brothers, who when the firm split up chose Waipukurau. One other brother chose Porangahau and one carried on business in Hastings.
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Mr Roach was a very tall, dark man with a very nice wife. He sold frocks and dress material. Floral Pique 3/3 yd, Liberty linens 4/11 yd, Spot pique 2/3 yd, Crepe Orie 1/11 yd, Dura Crepe 2/9 yd. Washing materials dainty design, Haircoards 7½d yd, Terrier prints 9d yd, Dapper cambric 1/- yd, Vatella cambrics double width 1/3 yd.
In those days lots of ladies did their own sewing, making all their own frocks.
Moving along Ruataniwha Street there was a big space before coming to the Public Trust. The T.A.B. is in this space now.
The Public Trust was built in front of Mr Elmslie Reid’s house, Airlie. This house is now owned by Mr Harry Winlove. When the Public Trust building was built the ledges at the front on Ruataniwha Street had spiked railing sticking up. I don’t know when these were removed but people sometimes climb up there and sit, and they couldn’t do that originally. Upstairs in the Public Trust building Mr F.A.G. Dunn had his accountancy office. Later Mr Eric Styles [Stiles] joined Mr Dunn. Mr Dunn was also Secretary of the Jockey Club. One would see him at Race Meetings come out of the top of the totalisator holding up his hand shouting “only five more minutes before closing”.
Doreen Rutherford worked for Mr Dunn at the accountant’s office. She had had to take lessons in typing from the Sisters at the Convent. The High School taught shorthand and bookkeeping but not typing in those days.
Mr Styles was also a mayor of the town. His wife Phyllis was a very popular person in the town. She had been very popular at school as well, and she had the gift of mixing well with everyone, organising and taking part in the activities of the town.
There was a small alleyway between the Public Trust building and the Union Bank. Mr Paterson was the manager during this period. He lived at Benoni, a large house opposite the Nurses’ home on Porangahau Road.
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This house was later sold to Percy Tremaine, who had his photography studio there. The Hospital Board were to use Benoni to house some of their senior nurses as the Nurses Home did not have enough rooms before the new wing was added to the old Home. The Union Bank in time was to merge with another to become the A.N.Z. Mr Noel Grant, who had after the war taken over from Mr A.M. White, was to shift his law practice to what had been the Union Bank building.
Next door Mrs McConchie had a drapery and baby’s shop. They lived above the shop. She was a little lady with two sons and one daughter. Alan I can still see carrying a bucket of milk so they must have had a cow somewhere. I vaguely remember a Mr McConchie but I think he died about the beginning of the twenties. Alan drowned some years later in Wellington. Dorothy worked in the shop and Stewart, the younger boy, was a very brilliant lad, the Brains Trust type. He was annoying at school because he always had the right answer, he never seemed to be wrong. He joined up with Gordon Warren and they had an Accountancy business in Wellington. Some years later Stewart decided to join the Anglican priesthood. He was a minister down Wellington way and I think he married Velma Hill, a Waipukurau girl, after losing his first wife. He must be well retired by now.
The Professional Real Estate and N.Z.I. Insurance are now in this shop.
Mr Cyril Parker moved his Melody business from across the street to what is now the antique shop. He sold all musical instruments. Mr Parker played the saxophone in the Ritz Orchestra which put on Mr W. Lints vaudeville show “Revielle [Reveille]” in 1932. He also had his own band.
The next block of shops seemed to change again. I remember Chandler’s Tearooms and Mr Hall’s Book Arcade. Chandler’s also sold sweets. They
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advertised – The Ideal Tea and Luncheon Rooms
3 Course Dinner 1/6
Morning and Afternoon Teas 9d
Supper on every night. Only the Best supplied.
H.F. Chandler.
Chandler’s had a machine outside the shop which if you put 1d in and pushed the button a bar of chocolate would slide out. 1d would also buy a small sized bag of aniseed balls, acid drops or blackballs in those days. If you didn’t have a pocket in your dress to put them in, you might have one in the leg of your bloomers. They were made with pockets sometimes so handkerchiefs could be put there.
Chandler’s also had a delivery service. Mr J Rapley used to deliver out as far as Tikokino once a month. They lived up Airlie Lane in the house which was later Rushers. Rushers were to have a fish shop here when they moved from their other premises.
Mr Hall’s Book Arcade was on the corner. He sold gramophones as well as books. In an advertisement – Table Columbia Model Gramophone, was £15.0.0, reduced to £9.15.6, It’s a Snip. Lending library 650 novels, 5/- deposit, 6d a book. Newspapers, magazines, periodicals faithfully posted to all parts of the district. Watermans “Ideal” fountain pens £1.5.0 to £3.10.0.
Mr Hall was also a very active member of the Operatic Society and had many leading parts. In fact if you dressed him in raggedy old clothes, put big boots on him, gave him a stick and bowler hat you could have Charlie Chaplin. Otherwise if you greased his hair flat, parted it on the side and made him wave his arms and yell and give a Hitler salute, you could have Adolf. He was a very versatile actor and a loss to the Operatic Society when he left Waipukurau. He must have had an excellent staff because when he sold his business to Mr A. Moore they must have carried on well, Mr Moore, or Azzie as he was always
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referred by, was rather a ditherer, but always a very polite gentleman. He would have his shop full of boxes of goods that he would open sometime later but he could not get around to it. It was like an obstacle course to get inside. He later shifted along the street. Mr Hall’s shop was to become Mr Len Hawke, the electrician, for many years. It is now Mitre 10.
Airlie Lane, leading to the school and past Mr Winlove’s house, goes on to become the service lane of the shops. This starts on Porangahau Road behind the telephone exchange, joins what was Airlie Lane and comes out in Kitchener Street. Halfway up Airlie Lane from the street was where Mr Booth had his engineering business that was burned in 1911. The bits were there for many years. Rushers lived in the house after Chandler’s. On the other side of the lane was a big red two-storey house where Miss Violet Carr lived. Back on the corner of Airlie Lane and Ruataniwha Street, Mr Bert Mathison had a men’s outfitter. He advertised pyjamas 8/6 a pair, – S men’s, OS and Men’s. Blue serge suits. Lynx suits, Dinner suits, Dress suits
£10.10.0 £11.11.0
Visit Bert Mathison, your Men’s Outfitter.
Mr Mathison was Secretary-Treasurer of the Operatic Society for some years. His business failed in the depression and he left Waipukurau. The Wine and Spirit shop was opened on the corner with Mr W. Clarke managing it after leaving the butchery. Mr Skidmore had a men’s outfitter, but I think Mr Moore moved into that shop and was there until he was bought out by Mr Hallagan. Mr Skidmore’s shop was later. I have been told Mr Tinney had a tearooms here but I can’t recollect it.
Mr and Mrs Bowen had the jewellery shop and lived above it until they retired and moved to Reservoir Road. They advertised L.A. Bowen & Co.,
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Quality watchmakers – Waipukurau. For Quality and Value our diamond rings are unsurpassed. Buren Bever Watches. All watches guaranteed. The Bowens sold out to Mr Salter.
Miss Violet Carr had a millinery business next for a few years, then Len Beachen had a sports shop. Miss Carr served as a WAAC in the war. She died in Fisher Ward about ten years ago and is buried in the Waipukurau cemetery in the Returned Services Area.
[Handwritten – The book shop that was advertised in 1905 was Mr D. Annand Bookshop.] Mr Alpe had this bookshop. His 1927 advertisement read – William J. Alpe – next door to the Post Office. Bookseller and Stationer. Let us demonstrate our gramophone records to you. Parlophone records. This shop changed hands several times, D. Annand, Jack Cook. W. Laurie. The building is no longer there. [handwritten – Mr D. Annand was a relative of the original owner.]
The Post Office next door had living quarters for the postmaster. In 1922 Mr Bogle was postmaster. I can only remember the name of one, Mr Ward Browne, and I only remember because of his wife once caddying for me in a golf match. He had two daughters called Wendy and Gypsy. Wendy Browne came to High School and announced herself as “I’m Wendy Browne, spelled with an E.” so forever after she was called Wendy Browne spelled with an E.
In my last year at High School I had qualified into the final of the Junior Women’s Golf at Mt Herbert. I had been playing as a school girl golfer. Well, Mrs Cutforth, who was the headmaster’s wife, was to caddy for Miss Mary Davey who I was to play in the final. Mrs Browne (Spelled with an E) offered to be my caddy and Mrs Nita McRae was to umpire the match. This was to be played on the Saturday afternoon. On the Saturday morning my brother took me over the back paddocks of the hospital. They had cows in those days. He had me hitting up and down. I was terrible and couldn’t do a thing right.
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Ken and I came home to lunch quite disgusted that I was hitting the ball so badly. Anyway we went to the golf. No-one of course thought I had a dog’s show, especially after Kennie had muttered that I would get a whale of a hiding, but he didn’t say whale! So we set off. I played every shot a winner. I couldn’t believe it myself and I was getting so embarrassed as Mrs Browne kept whispering “you’re doing well dear. Keep going, you’ve got it won.” And I did, I wanted to win, but not to embarrass Mary Davey 8/7. Well when Mrs Browne gets home she tells Wendy (spelled with an E) Browne and Wendy rings up half the class and they arrive to celebrate. I wonder today how many teenagers could have a party with fish and chips, some of Mr Denne’s lemonade and playing lots of records, singing “Wagon Wheels”, “Home on the Range”, “The Prisoner’s Sweetheart” and all the old songs. Ramona and Broadway melody and pedalling rolls on the pianola “Little Annie Rooney,” “The Sidewalks of New York”. The party wouldn’t be anything by today’s standards but we thought it was fun.
Working on the Post Office counter I remember Geordie Davis, Jim Madsen and Sid Pettingall, and the telephone exchange had Don Urquhart with his one leg. Sandy Davies and Porkie Smales. I think his name was David but he was always known as Porkie. He also was a good golfer at Mt Herbert Club. Jim O’Dowd and Lindsay Cochrane, with A. Jacobson and Keith Fields were part of the G.P.O. There would have been lots more. The mail runs left the Post Office daily. In 1922 Mr A. Glenny was advertising ”Porangahau Daily Passenger Service. Watch for the Yellow car”. Mr Glenny had bought the service from his brother. It was sold again to Mr W. Mahoney who had several drivers, Tom McLaughlin [McLaughlan], Peter Jones, Jack McGreevy, Mr W. Healy. Mr Harold Nairn also had a passenger service. Eventually Mr Mahoney bought them all. They changed again several times. They were advertised- “Cars leave daily for Porangahau, Wimbledon and Herbertville at 4pm. For Porangahau 12 noon.
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Return to Waipukurau from Herbertville, Wimbledon and Porangahau daily & in time for morning mail train”.
Across from the telephone Exchange was Mr Norris, who had shifted from Ruataniwha Street. His law practise was where the taxi stand is situated. A few yards further on lived Mrs Smith in the large square house. Mrs Smith was always referred to as Mrs Kember Smith. This was not the same Smith as Miss Janie Smith who taught me at Sunday school. Mr Smith had been a member of the Legislative Council. This house is now the law firm, Messrs Grant, Dicks and Harding. Over on the other corner opposite the school was the old Winlove home. Miss Winlove owned it but she lived with her sister Mrs Scruby in Wallace Road. This house has now been demolished. Town houses are built there now.
On Ruataniwha and Porangahau Road corner was the drapery business of Mr Saunders, later to be Leach’s corner. William Leach for Household drapery. Blankets, pure N.Z. Wool – white single 25/- 27/6 33/11 36/11 a pair
White 3/4 size 34/6 45/- 49/11 57/6 a pair
White double 39/6 42/6 47/6 63/- 65/- a pair
Grey single 23/6 and 25/6 a pair
Grey 3/4 34/6 a pair
Leachs sold out to Bairds, of Hastings, who were sited there for a few years before moving further up the street to where Kershaws had been. Mr Wallis managed Bairds. I have a small purse mirror with ‘Leachs Corner. With compliments of Leachs Drapery 1927’ on it.
Mr Sterry had a saddlery next. I can only just remember him. Mr Hopkinson took over and did much of the leather repairs. I can’t be sure when he retired. His advertisement read – F.S. Hopkinson, Saddler.
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Harrisons Bakery was next. Elsie worked in the shop and Mr Harrison’s son did the bread delivery. This was known as “The Tavistock Bakery” – The oldest established bakery in Waipukurau. Harrisons for meat pies. Look out for the van starting Jun 1, 1922″, The building is still there and has been used through the years as an auction mart, an electrical shop, a furniture shop and is now a video shop. Harrisons used to live above the shop.
Eustages had a fruit shop next door. This I think became the Zealandia Drycleaners some time in the early ’30 period. The Zealandia shifted further up Ruataniwha Street, then a few years ago to new premises built in Russell Street, I think where Mr W. Chambers would have been located. The shop that was the Eustages fruit shop has been demolished and Mrs Burden’s shop has been built about there.
I met up with Rose Eustage a few weeks after I started at Dannevirke Hospital. I hadn’t known her very well when her people had the shop but I was so glad to see someone from home, even just to say hello, how are you? I didn’t see her again but seeing a familiar face helped the homesickness.
Miss Hurley had a small sweet shop in this area, later she went to Racecourse Road corner. Noel Murphy had a men’s hairdressers for a while about this time. I think he took over Miss Hurley’s shop. I have seen an advertisement for S. Ross, Boots and Shoes, in 16.12.35. I think perhaps it must be in this area. I remember Mr Burfield had a boot and shoe business here. He was just learning to play golf at Mt Herbert Club. I don’t know if he came from Yorkshire but he was nicknamed Yorkie. He was very keen. This would be about where Annie’s Garden Shop is now.
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The 1935 Press states –
Founded on the suggestion of a commercial traveller, the Press was first printed in 1905 in premises next to Mr Bliss Bakery by Mr J.H. Claridge. The paper was issued twice a week. It was visited by Mr Seddon. Sir George Hunter was the local M.P. Hatuma Estate had just been subdivided and settled by the Government. The Waipukurau Town Board had just been formed. Mr W.A. Chambers was chairman. Previously the town had been under County control. Dr Godfray was the medical man at the hospital. Mr Cook was the school master.
After two years the Press was sold to Mr Venables of Cambridge, Mr Claridge was going to establish a Press in Tasmania. The Press then shifted to Russell Street in 1907, where it remained a few years, then moving back to Ruataniwha Street opposite the Post Office, to shift again to where the Homeworks shop is, in 1923. In 1925 it moved to its present site and in 1927 made into a Concrete building. Mr F.V. Ward was associated with the Press in the 1920- 35 era, also Mr A.C. Holms. Mr Ward was a very active member of the Operatic Society and Mrs Ward was pianist for the Orchestral Society for some years. The Waipukurau Press has unfortunately ceased as a daily paper. It has been gobbled up to emerge as the Central Hawke’s Bay Mail, a weekly paper.
Mr B. J. McCormick had a general store. It was established many years, as in 1905 the Press ran an advertisement for it. I can first remember Mrs McCormick and her daughters in the shop. Grocery on one side, drapery the other. Mrs McCormick used to wear a black apron with a large pocket and silver chain around her waist with a pair of scissors attached. Mr Stewart Annand also worked there.
I think when we came to town in the horse and trap from the farm, it was to the McCormicks and the Loan and Mercantile that we went to shop. This was before 1921. I only remember Wilsons for Ice cream and McCormicks and Loan and Mercantile in those days. Mr and Mrs
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McCormick retired during the war. They died before their grandson Jim became Waipukurau’s second All Black in 1947.
Messrs Sowry and Dowrick had been in plumbing business for some years. They advertised in 1922 – Plumbing and Drainage of A1 Quality.
Sowry and Dowrick, Waipukurau.
They had big tin sheds at the back which were used by the Education Board in the early twenties when the school was burned down. Later they continued using them as the sewing and woodwork rooms.
Mr M Finnimore [Finnemore] now has his panelbeating business in these sheds.
It was somewhere here that Mrs Parker had a fish shop, later to be Rusher’s fish shop, and again later to shift up by Mitre 10 shop, previously Chandler’s. Parker’s also sold Boston Cream 2d a glass. It was lovely and I haven’t had it since.
Miss Merrylees had a ladies hairdressing shop, only a small one and next door was Mr W Timms carpainting and upholstering business. Gordon and Peter Gay started a vulcanising business about 1927. They advertised – Gay Bros, Expert Vulcanisers for all kinds of tyre and tube repairs, One day Service. Sowrey [Sowry] and Dowrick’s Building, Waipukurau.
Across the drive the Salvation Army built their church. This would have been in the mid twenties. I remember it had a large round clock on one wall with “Presented by McClurgs, Napier” on it. I went to a Harvest Festival there one evening and Mr Paku, the auctioneer, was selling off all the cakes, biscuits, pumpkins and other vegetables. I was in the front with some other children eyeing a bunch of grapes. He leaned over and asked me did I have any money? I held up either 3d or 6d so he picked up the grapes and said How much for these? I’m bid 6d, going, going, gone, and he handed them to me. I was ready to be his friend for life. This building was bought by Tarrant & Rees’ Accountants, who later built next door. It is now the Little Theatre.
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The area past the Salvation Army Church to the Wellington Road corner was Mr Jimmy Nimmo’s market garden. The garden was well back from the street with a hut towards the back. He chased any children away if he saw them hanging about. He probably had good reason to do so. This has now completed the town area and we are back to the corner of Ruataniwha Street and Wellington Road.
This was the town in 1922. According to the Waipukurau Press for Friday, December 8th 1922, these were the businesses that advertised –
R. Scott – Glassware, crockery
G.J. Flight – Cycles and tricycles
R. Staines – Easy chairs, palm stands, writing bureaux
Alex Blom – Saddles
Mason & Paton – Solid satisfactory work
H.F. & M. Chandler – Central soda fountain, homemade sweets
S. Martin – Central meat supply, Ruataniwha Street
NZ Loan Mercantile Coy – Hinemoa manures
Tavistock Hotel, D.Keyvar – Xmas Hampers
Reckin’s – Billiards for all
D.H. Lindon – Auctioneer, land & stock agent
G.L. Chatwin – Toilet requisites
G. Wiggins – Wood & coal merchant, general farrier
M McGrath – Stationer & fancy goods
H.W. Hammond – Painter & paperhanger
Waipukurau Cleaning & Dyeing
Waipawa Hospital Board – Tenders for supplies
Bread, tea, fish, firewood, cartage, also Funerals. J.J. East, Secretary.
Stewart & coy. – Land agents, auctioneers
G.W. Bull – Tobacconist, billiard rooms
E.W. Taylor – Wood & coal merchant. Famous Puke coal
Waipukurau Building Society […]
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Euchre Party & Social Evening – Oddfellow’s Hall 12 Dec. In aid of Catholic Church.
Band Fair & Art Union – Loan & Mercantile Store 14th Dec.
Meat stall open 9am. Official opening 11am by Sir George Hunter. In evening admission by Art Union ticket.
Christmas & New Year Excursion Tickets
Income Tax Returns – Consult G. E Fowler
D. Spence – Blacksmith, opposite Railway
Miss Gordon – Dressmaker
Miss Isobel MacLean – Dressmaker, costumes
Bowens – Quality jeweller
Maurice Murphy – Men’s outfitter
Duckworths – Grocery
William Alphe [Alpe] – Books & weeklies
B. Mathison – Lynx suits
Carpenters – K. Boots
R. McLean – Motor & general engineers
E.H. Leigh – Kodak & Brownie cameras
Byfords – Crockery
W. Lourie – fish
A Copy of Election Results – Sir George Hunter 3745 Reform
J.J. Langride [Langridge?] 2707 L L
Church Services – Rev. F. Fish
A.W. Stace
Muncasters Jewellery
H.B. Farmers – Boots & shoes, London styles
Hall’s Book Arcade – Xmas toys. – 2 shops
H. G. Boyce – Building lowest rates. Capable tradesman, sanitary plumbing.
Tavistock Bakery – J.W.Harrison. Commencing motor delivery from 1.6.1922. Harrison’s for meat pies.
People’s Bakery – Opposite Public Library. C.H. Wood. Bread & small goods.
Morning & afternnon [afternoon] teas. Up to date tearoom.
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Roachs – Order by mail. Summer hosiery. (I think this is Hastings as paper is torn).
Kosy Tearoom
L.J. Taylor – Licensed plumber & drain layer
W. Miles – Bricklayer. Ring F. Wills Stables
E.A. Goodger – Best paint
A.M. White – Barrister & Solicitor – Agent Norwich Insurance
H.F. Norris – Barrister & Solicitor – Agent State Fire Insurance
D.B. Kent – Barrister & Solicitor – visits Takapau every Sat. 11.30-4.30pm
J.J. East – Company & General Secretary – Agent Southern Union Insurance
As one can see by these 1922 advertisements, the town was quite a thriving centre. Certainly by 1935 there had been changes and the depression had put some out of business and restricted others. However if not thriving, it was still able to struggle on and continue to be a good town to live and work in.
The 30th Anniversary issue of the Press in 1935 advertised these businesses.
Hawke’s Bay Farmers
Tavistock Hotel has now the addition of a Bottle Store, wholesale prices
Limbrick Bros. – Electrical contractors, Waipawa.
Ruahine Tea Rooms
Muncaster Jewellers
Poppellwells – Men’s Outfitters, Waipukurau.
N.Z. Loan & Mercantile Agency – Sheep dips
Climo’s Cycle shop
Up-to-Date Hospital Service for C.H.B. Class 1 Institution
Williams & Kettle – Large stock attractive crockery, crystalware
Scotts – Xmas Bazaar
J.C. Jordan – Grain seed, produce, general merchant
T.G. Given – The Shoe Store
Marcelle Toilet Salon
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Moores Original Street Bar
Central Hawke’s Bay Aviation Development
L. Hawke – Crosley Shelvador Refrigerators
Carpenter’s – Footwear for Xmas
F. Watson – Camping holidays
Mason McCormick – The Hillman Minx car
Turner & Butler’s – Dodge and Austin cars
Waipukurau Theatre – Holiday entertainments
Miss Morris Cafeteria
Annand’s – Books & toys
C.H.B. Concrete Works – W.T.J. Findlay
C.H.B. Electric Power Board – For ranges, hot water services
Tavistock Nursery – G.A.& E.M. Ellison, Farm Road.
J.J. Skidmore – Men’s Outfitter
Booth MacDonald & Co Ltd. – Sole agents for Moffatt sheep shearing machinery
The National Mutual Life Assn. Australia – T.J.C. Curr, Napier.
The Vogue – Ladies’ Outfitters
C.A. Bliss – For Xmas cakes
Blair Bros. – Carriers. Daily service Waipukurau-Porangahau
Heretaunga Butter – It is the Best
Murray Roberts – Hastings, Napier, Waipukurau. Stock & station agents
S.E. Salter’s – Practical watch makers and Jewellers
P.O. Connor – Deluxe Billiard Saloon
J. Haycock – Xmas novelties
Zealandia Drycleaning and Dyeing that pleases.
S. Ross – Boot & shoes, made to measure
H. Gair -The House for Value
Deighton Studios – Wedding Photos
Dalgety and Co. – McCormick Deering Farm machinery
J.L. Brathwaite – Ford dealers
F. Staines – Funeral Director
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These advertisements were in the extra supplement so there would be more in the main paper. Despite the depression the town was still surviving.
The night watchman was Mr Peter Madson, who would start at 11pm and visit the premises checking locked doors of the shops. Mr Bliss said he would call in at the bakehouse at 3am and have some refreshment.
There were milk deliveries. In those days it was billy or jug. Messrs Lindsay and Hanson, later to be Hanson Bros, then again later Mr Lansdowne. Mr Edgar, of Ashcott Road, also had a delivery. He advertised “Greendale Dairy”- Milk of high food value 2d a pint.
Cream ¼ pint 4d , ½ pint 8d, 1 pint 1/4.
Butter, sweet, aromatic and nutty flavour 1/- lb. A Edgar
Mr Dan Coughlan was to start a milk delivery also.
Police. We only had one policeman, who lived in the police house next to the Courthouse. This was Mr Policeman Butler, called that because about 400 yards down Mt Herbert Road was Mr Jimmy Butler and his farm. Jimmy Butler was a fine old Irishman. Mr Policeman Butler was a big man who looked huge to a small child as he walked the beat in his uniform. I don’t think he had very much trouble; maybe a few fellows wobbling home on a Saturday night or perhaps an occasional fight following a football match. These were played on Saturdays on the field in the afternoons, and retold at the Tavistock later. It was 6 o’clock closing in those days. Young people would get a telling off and told to get home and keep out of trouble. There were not the troubles in society as we know today. People could come and go, houses did not have to be kept locked and young people could go out in the evening without fear of being molested. There was more discipline in school and this had the effect of people being on good behaviour when out. Four-lettered words were not bandied about. Obscene language
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was just not on. Even the drunks one might encounter were harmless. There was a different behaviour pattern to present day. A couple might be in poor circumstances financially but there was no let down regarding manners and good behaviour.
The Fire Brigade. This was a volunteer brigade formed in 1912. A hand bell was used to alert people of a fire. The first appliance was a hand drawn hose reel. Later the brigade had a Model T Ford to carry the hose. In 1939 they were able to purchase a Ford V8 which is now a museum piece. The firemen ran and rode bicycles or motorbikes in the days before cars were available. Messrs Ashton Chambers, Jack McCarthy, Jim McBride, Jack Gibson and Stewart Annand come to mind. As a few years progressed, cars became available. The same firemen carried on with some new names to add – Tom Spencer, Charlie Ewen, Harry Woodward, Pat Dillon, Fred Welsh, Jack Arlidge and Ray Spotswood. I could go on paying tribute to these men because they are indispensible. One can do without lots of things, but not the Fire Brigade, especially as Waipukurau had a lot of wooden buildings in those days.
Churches. There were three churchs [churches], all sited on land that had been gifted by Mr H, Russell.
The Roman Catholic Church was in St Joseph Street and it wasn’t until a beautiful new Church was built years later that Waipukurau had its own Priest. Before that the Priest from Waipawa would have Waipukurau as part of his Parish. Father Minogue was Priest in the early 1920’s. Later there was Father McDermott.
The old Anglican Church was on the hill in St Marys Road. As I have said before, there were a few graves behind it. In the early ’30s a new Church was built and the old wooden one moved back behind it to be used as a Hall. The Rev. Stace was Minister in the old Church and he was replaced by Canon Rice, who remained here for many years. He
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and his family were very popular in the town. They lived in the old Vicarage in Porangahau Road. Another forty years would lapse before the new Vicarage would be built by St Mary’s Church.
The Presbyterian Church was in Porangahau Road. The Rev. McGuiness was the Presbyterian Minister. He also used to take a service at the Wanstead Church. He would drive a horse and gig out there. This was in the old wooden church building sited on a piece of land given to the church by my people, Janet and Edward Pope, for 1/-. I used to ride to Wanstead with Sandy and Mary on our ponies to the church service there. I wasn’t interested in the church in those days, it was just a lovely ride on Kitty for me. But I do have memories of what a stern, dour Minister he was. He wasn’t the forgiving type. Now Mr Fish was a different type of man. He and his family lived in the two-storey Manse in Porangahau Road. Mr Fish was a keen angler. I remember going with Marjorie and Jimmy in the old black Ford and we played on the river bank while Mr Fish tried for a trout. I don’t remember if he caught any. While he was Minister, the Hatuma Church was built and Mr Fish made all the pews. The Rev. Alister McLean replaced Mr Fish. He caused a terrific stir in the Church. He was a young, nice looking man and he was a bachelor and what’s more he moved into a nice newly- built Manse. Church attendance shot up. The ladies of the congregation took great interest in matters of the Church. Many bought new hats and were to be seen in new frocks. The Minister in those days would announce from the pulpit which street he would be visiting in the coming week. Of course, the ladies would be home, and all to no avail. He was still a bachelor when he left for another parish. The lovely new Manse did not get a bride. I had just started Bible class and I thought he was just fine; alas I was only thirteen then!
Mr Hutchison followed, but he already had a wife and a daughter my age.
The Salvation Army Church was erected in Ruataniwha Street about 1925-6. The home was on the corner of Marlborough and Northumberland Streets
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towards the river. I remember Mr Packer and some Salvation Army Ladies but not much more. They would sometimes have small meetings on the streets of a Friday evening. They did not have a very big following.
Pukeora. This was opened after the Great war and one would see convalescent patients in town. They used to wear light blue flannel suits. A few years later it was a Sanatorium for the treatment of patients with Tuberculosis. In those days they were under the care of Dr McLean. During the Second World War years and for some years after, the chest surgeons would use the Sanatorium for the convalescence of patients who had undergone chest surgery at Waipukurau Hospital. They would remain at hospital for a few weeks in Fisher Ward, then go to Pukeora to remain until fully recovered.
This treatment was so successful that Pukeora closed, but was to reopen as a residential home for handicapped patients many of whom being the result of car accidents. What will happen now the Area Health Board has taken over remains to be disclosed.
I must mention the Red Cross did very good work here, and in particular Miss Helen Hunter was to continue this work throughout her life. It was only when I was stationed at Pukeora that I realised just how much she did for the wellbeing of the patients. She was their friend. I’m pleased she was honoured by the Queen for her work. The T.B. boys would never forget her generosity and kindness. In the early ’30 period Mr Petersen, who was a registered masseur undertook to start classes in First Aid and Red Cross work. Classes were held in the St Andrews Hall. I think this may have been the beginning of St John classes in Waipukurau. Some of the people who attended these classes later did their sixty hours hospital nursing during the war and were to become Voluntary Aids for the Red Cross and eligible to be sent overseas to continue the work.
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The Hospital. The hospital started as a small cottage hospital in 1876. By 1920 it had expanded. Dr Godfray, who had been connected with the District and Hospital, had been succeeded by Dr Lewis Reed. Dr C Raymond also had a practice in the town. These men had done stalwart work and Godfray Ward and Lewis Reed Ward were so named. McLean Ward was named after Sir R.D.D. McLean, a benefactor. Dr Raymond was later to have the new maternity hospital named after him.
The matron was Miss Drummond. Waipukurau Hospital became a Nurses Training School in 1923. Miss Turnbull who was to follow Miss Drummond and Sisters Hawkins, B Mitchell, Meg Wagner, Hilda McLean and Elsie Dillon, will be remembered by many of the older residents of the District.
Dr W. Fisher was soon to arrive and take over the Hospital after Dr. Reed. In the later ’30 era new ideas were starting in the practice of medicine and surgery, and during the war and the years following this Hospital was the Chest Surgery Hospital for the North Island. Visiting chest surgeons would operate and do massive chest surgery. The Waipukurau nursing staff would respond. A new ward was built to cope with all this surgery. It was named Fisher Ward.
This good work was to continue until the Health Department considered tuberculosis well under control. The Hospital still carried on training its nurses and doing major surgery. Our Hospital has always paid its way and kept up with good equipment in all its departments. However, because others have not and because its not big enough it has been merged by the Health Department to become part of an Area Health Board and to be stripped of equipment and staff. I don’t doubt it will soon be just a memory. Being small and efficient doesn’t count. It is much easier for people to be a number in a big ward and become a statistic. Administration is much more important than the quality of life in rural areas.
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In the twenties Sister Kathleen Anderson had a private medical and surgical Hospital in Gaisford Terrace. I don’t know when she gave it up but in early 1930’s I had my tonsils removed at her hospital. Dr. Raymond removed them I know. I went in on a Thursday, had them out Friday and was home on the Saturday. I had been subject to such dreadful sore throats I felt that having one’s tonsils out was nothing. Sister Anderson owned most of the back land going from Gaisford Terrace towards Raymond Annexe. It seemed all paddock behind the houses in Porangahau Road and behind the houses in Racecourse Road. There was one house far back from the road.
Woburn Hospital was about to be built in the 1930’s.
The Hospital Store was built in the early twenties. It was a house with a small shop which was enlarged as years went by. I can’t think who had it then. Mrs Brittain had it for a while, then John Bruer [Breuer], who married Cynthia Chisholm, who I have said was a splendid dancer.
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Schools. I had been at school only long enough it seemed, to know where to put my hat, find the toilets and where to wash my hands when the wooden building burned down. This was a big building on what is now the lower playing field at Waipukurau Primary. There were three schools burned that week. Paki Paki and Takapau schools were destroyed as well as Waipukurau. We were then taught in buildings around the town – Primers in St Mary’s Hall on Porangahau Road, Standard 1 was opposite in St Andrews Hall, Standard 2 in the Masonic Mall, Standard 3 and 4 in a room at the new High School, standard 5 and 6 in Messrs Sowry and Dowrick’s big tin sheds. Even after the new school was built Sowrey and Dowrick’s sheds were used for many years. Cooking and sewing for the girls and woodwork for the boys under Mr Tuff. I must mention Miss Caugley [Caughley], Mrs Robinson and of course the Headmaster, Mr Curd. Miss Caugley who was infant mistress could always be seen coming and going from school with a horde of young followers.
We had to have our handkerchief safely pinned to a dress or jersey or pocket. It was important as having a clean rag and bottle of water for the slate. Miss Caugley had eyes at the back of her head. At the Annual School Ball her deep contralto would be heard as she with her charges sang “Will you please be my partner and dance in a ring. And we’ll join hands together and merrily sing”. There are some things one never forgets. At the School Ball each class did their dances, Sellingers round, Gathering Peascods, Captain Jinks. We were then to do the Grand March. Mr Curd would blow one whistle and everyone stood still, second whistle was assemble behind the leader for the Grand March. We had practised in the morning. The girls came to school with long hair wound in cotton rags to produce curls. These would be undone just before the Ball. Mr Curd would indicate to each pair with the forefingers of his right and left hand whether to turn right or left. Woe betide anyone doing it wrong. At the finish all these butterflies, fairies or early Victorian ladies and their partners
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who would be cowboys, Indians, clowns or pirates, would descend into the big supper room to partake of the spread of jellies, fruit salad, cakes, lemonade, etc. The next day there would a few sickly kids at school.
In the mid twenties there was an epidemic of Infantile Paralysis. Two local girls were to suffer this; one lost her life but the other girl recovered. Unfortunately, there was no Edna Kenny treatment recognised in those days. This didn’t happen until after the war and it was years later before a vaccine became available. There wasn’t any school for weeks during that summer. This was a disease that people feared. Little was known about it.
Mrs Robinson was another teacher we loved. Mind you there were some teachers we were not so fond of. Mrs Robinson made sure we learned our tables. We chanted tables, rivers and lakes. She also coached us for basketball. Nine aside it was in those days and she coached us when we were at High School also. She instilled a belief that though we were not big girls, if we were fit and quick we could still win. And she was right, we did eventually do that. Otane always fielded such big girls in those days but under her tuition we managed to win through when we were at High School.
Mr Curd in my opinion was exceptional. Most people would remember him as a stern disciplinarian who controlled his school as no one since has done. He was a Latin scholar and it was his endeavour to make each child in his school capable of reading and writing. He would enter a classroom, take the reading lesson from the School Journal and any child who had difficulty reading would be asked to a the table to go over it with Mr Curd. He would also examine our writing. I was always in trouble over my writing and would be kept back after school to do it again. Eventually I got the message and took more care doing it. I think everyone was scared of Mr Curd but
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looking back I think his bark was worse than his bite. In those days one did not automatically get promoted to a new class and Mr Curd marked the examination papers. One had to pass a certain standard, and in Standard 6 one had to pass the Proficiency examination. A pass enabled two years’ free education at a Secondary School. The school leaving age was fourteen years and many children sought employment even without the pass. [Handwritten – With a pass in proficiency one was allowed to leave earlier.] Win Lowrie and myself were only twelve so we went on to High School whether we liked it or not. In the 4th Form we sat the Senior Free place which meant secondary schooling till 19 years of age [handwritten – was available free.]
Mr Curd had the choice of the school motto for the new school when it was built. Everyone had thought that he would choose some Latin motto that few would understand, but Mr Curd showed his ambition for each child when he chose from Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress “I will yet go Forward”. He knew that the school would produce many professional pupils but he also wanted the rest able to face the future. Today we read of pupils in school who cannot read for write being pushed up another class until they emerge from school still unable to read or write. That would never have happened in Mr Curd’s day despite classes of sixty to seventy pupils.
There were only two teachers I did not like in all my years at school. Perhaps I had better leave it at that. Fortunately they did not stay long.
The High School was built about 1922. Before that anyone wanting secondary education had to attend Waipawa High School, travelling by a train each morning and coming back on the slow afternoon train. I was to spend several years at High School. During the depression when no jobs were available others like myself would be sent back to school to get Higher Leaving Certificate. This followed the Matriculation Examination which was the same as University Examination is
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today. No Bursaries were available during the depression for Higher leaving. Mr Les Cutforth and Miss L. Hale will be fondly remembered by all their pupils for the help they gave. I am sorry not to have met them again. I would always consider them as special friends.
Miss Grace Rood was the first Dental Nurse when Dental Clinics started in 1925 at the Primary School.
The Convent School was built about 1926 and the Roman Catholic pupils who had been at the Primary School were enrolled to be taught by the Convent Sisters. The Sisters would also take Protestant pupils for music. A Convent for the Sisters had been built beside the School. This was St Joseph’s in Russell Street. Sixty-five years later the brick school has been demolished and a new one built, opened on 3rd November 1990.
Town Activities. I will mention first that as a child one could attend the meetings of the “Band of Hope” on a Friday evening. This was held in St Andrew’s Hall. There was Mrs Smales, assisted by Mrs Major, who would lecture on the “Evils of Alcohol”, we would listen but I don’t think we really took much notice. We went more for the fun afterwards. They would have games and an impromptu concert. In later years I believe one could learn gymnastics. We would finish with a cup of cocoa then go home singing all the way.
I would often play with the Olivers but best of all I remember their mother. She couldn’t have been as old as I thought but all grown up people seem old to a young child. She was always so kind and happy. She sang as she worked, whether washing her kitchen floor or making scones, and she sang hymns. The only hymns I can sing without a hymn book are those Mrs Oliver sang. She is a happy memory.
One could join Guides when 11 years old; Miss Joblin and Miss Sainsbury would take us. We met in St Mary’s Hall and tied knots and learned about outdoor activities. I don’t know who took over after these ladies married, but Sheila Lee was to become very involved. She has raised much money for Guides and their activities ever since.
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Swimming was done at the river. The Baths were not built until after the war. Children were not taught swimming. We had to learn as best we could in the Tuki Tuki. Mr McCarthy the butcher, who was to become the Mayor when the Queen visited New Zealand in 1953, came to school in my time to demonstrate swimming. He was pretty good on the breaststroke and of course we only had the river to swim or dog paddle in.
Every year there would be big picnics. The Railway had a picnic, the Fire brigade and the combined Lodges. The School would have an excursion day to Napier, leaving about 8.20am, returning about 6pm.
The day before the 1931 earthquake there was a big picnic at Porangahau beach, everyone remarked how high the sea seemed on a beautiful fine sunny day. Next day we had the big earthquake, Monday 3.2.31.
The different Churches also would have picnics or outings.
There were sports clubs such as rugby, tennis, hockey, golf, athletic, rowing, croquet, bowling and I think there was a gun club.
A Queen Carnival was held to raise money to buy Central Park. Before this was bought, rugby had been played at Russell Park. Miss Eileen Butler was crowned as the Sports Queen at the Carnival. I think in those days the town fielded two rugby teams, Waipukurau and High School Old Boys.
Fundraising was always going on for various reasons. There would be concerts, card parties, dances and gymkhanas. Schools, churches, Plunket and sports clubs would all be trying to raise money. St Mary’s Hall and Masonic Halls would be used for dances. Home and School League dances would be held at the school.
Tennis was played at the hard courts at Russell Park Club. This had formerly been the Presbyterian Bible Class Club. Eventually this was to fold up and the grass courts in Mitchell Street were to be the only surviving club. This was adjacent to Central Park. The Agricultural and Pastoral show was originally held each year at the
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Racecourse. It was many years later before it was held at the showgrounds in Central Park.
In the 1930 era the Racecourse was also used by the Territorial Forces, who for some years would have an annual training camp there for about four weeks. The Territorials would hold a large ball in the Theatre each year. These were magnificent affairs. Unfortunately I was still at High School. They had their brass band, but often had a Wellington pipe band. I still have a Seaforth Highlanders hat badge given to me by John Morrison, an 80 year old piper who was with the band in 1933. He told me that it had been his badge when with the Seaforths in India and while serving there he had marched from Kabul to Kandahar. It was only an old badge but I still treasure it. I proudly wore it on my Balmoral many years ago.
The town used to have a very good hockey team in the twenties. This was played on Russell Park. Some of the players were Eileen Butler, Annie Butler, Rene Butler, Hazel Robinson, Gwen Haswell, Mary Urquhart, Emily Davies, Grace Rood, Connie Burgess, Melvie Hartley, Lucy Guy, Olive Wilson, Elsie Booth, Kitty Svensen, Winnie Russell, Dulcie Russell, Joyce Wharmby, Mary MacKenzie, Kate Johnstone and of course, Miss Grace, who was the headmistress of the High School and a powerful goalie. Hockey was the game then. Basketball now netball was to take over later. Also at Russell Park was the croquet lawn and also bowling. This was between the Rose Garden and Scout Hall. The Croquet was to eventually fold up and the bowling to move to Francis Drake Street.
Golf Club. In the early twenties the Mount Herbert Golf Club became divided. Some members decided to form a club on land at Marakeke [Maharakeke], while some stayed at Mt Herbert with the old club. The Mt Herbert club had been using land belonging to Mr John Main and decided to shift to Mr Monkton’s property across the road. When I joined as a school girl member it was on Mr Monkton’s property. It was not far to walk though the rugby grounds, climb a fence or two on Pah flat then over to the tee at Number 8 hole. One could play Number 8 and Number 9 over the
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tree tops to Number 9 green and come out by the clubhouse. This was a nine-hole course. One could go by road, climb a stile, walk the plank which crossed a smelly stream, climb another fence or two to arrive at the clubhouse. It was only a small club but it was close to town and it’s members were very keen. They produced some good players as well as some not so good. I must now mention that one member of the club should be in the Guiness [Guinness] Book of Records. We had one young player who was no Arnold Palmer or Walter Hagen, but he did distinguish himself and the club. A very quiet, shy John Turtle who liked a game with the rest of the fellows at the weekends, holed it in 1 on three occasions in four weeks, June 24 and July 8 and 15 1934 were very special weekends. The club presented him with a Tobacco jar. Mrs Turtle still has it.
Old members of the club will remeber [remember] this; I certainly do. Eric Bliss and Ken MacKenzie were playing with him on the first occasion. The Mt Herbert Club was later to shift to Woburn and go into recess when its members were so few because of the war. The Marakeke Club has progressed and become one of the best 18 hole clubs in Hawke’s Bay, also producing some top golfers. This is now Waipukurau’s only club.
The Athletic Club. The Athletic Club in the 1920 – 30 period produced some good athletes. I must mention the Smales family and in particular Gladys, who always managed very good times. She was a very fast runner who would have distinguished herself had she been born 60 years later. During the depression the club had little support and went into recess, but was to get going again when Mr Fulford helped revive it. Marjorie Urquhart was a young runner who trained at Russell Park but had to join first Dannevirke then Hastings clubs to run. ‘She distinguished herself running for Hawke’s Bay with Gladys Symes, Rona Tong and Doreen Swayne, to win in Dunedin the New Zealand Ladies Relay Event in 1936. Marjorie was at 15 years old considered the baby of the team.
John McLean started running and jumping the High Jump and the Broad Jump.
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We used to travel to Napier with the Urquharts when Marjorie was competing. He was considered the baby of the team. When Mr Fulford came to Waipukurau he started girls marching. Different teams from Roachs, Gairs, Power Board and H.B. Farmers would do tableaux and have competitions. Mr Merv Holmes and Mr Fulford also instigated the teams to have athletic events. This started the Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club which somehow kept going through the war years with young members. John McLean held several Central Hawke’s Bay records. He competed for twenty-one years. John was selected to attend the first coaching school at Eastbourne. Later Waipukurau was to produce Tony Polhill, who ran for New Zealand at the Olympics in Munich.
Parks. There were three parks in the town. Russell Park which is a memorial to H.R. Russell, who donated to the township sites for the school, the Public Hospital, the cemetery, Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic churches, and planted thousands of trees on the hill.
This part of the hill in [is] now the Paul Hunter Memorial Park. Referred from Mr J.G. Wilson’s book “On the Road to Porangahau” –
Paul Hunter Memorial Park 1928. This used to have a Maori Pa at the top of the hill, Puke Kai Hau [Pukekaihau] or “Windy Place”. There were no trees there and one could see in all directions.
In the 1920 era there were still not many trees on this hill. At the top was the town reservoir for water. The hillside facing Ruataniwha Street was very steep. Some boys would slide down on cabbage tree tops, though looking back I think it was an easier slope they used.
The Women’s Rest and Plunket Rooms, after much fundraising, were built in this park, and now on the Racecourse Road entrance the Band have their rooms. The old Band room was in Russell Park in the twenties, about where the Rose Garden is now situated.
One must mention the support the Band got from faithful members of the Denne family, Mr Malkin, Tom Walker and others whose names I cannot remember at present.
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Adeane Park was formerly Wallace House. This large house had been built many years before by the Mackersey family who owned Lake Station. Mr Ian Mackie had told me that when he came to Waipukurau in his early years he used to stay with the MacKerseys. The house was sold several times and in the 1920 era it was owned by Mr A’Deane of Ashcott. The rooms were large and had silly little fireplaces but beautiful surrounds. The entrance hall was large, about the size of a modern house lounge. It had panelling around the walls, as did the large dining room. A 10ft wide verandah went around three sides of the house which was U-shaped. It was so big that my sister Katie had her wedding reception on it. The Brides table being in the corner of two arms of the verandah. There was a large kitchen and laundry, but the house only had two flush toilets. There had been another one over the laundry side of the house because there was a room with a bench and three round holes in it. This must have been used in the days when the night cart called. It was papered with pages from Ladies Fashion books. We used the room as a coal room. Mr A’Deane had left the property to the Waipukurau Borough Council for a town park on the condition it was named Adeane Park. In 1929 the house was demolished. The area was cleared and all existing trees were uprooted. Today I think that all that beautiful wood in that house would be very valuable.
Other Activities.
Waipukurau had a Gentlemen’s Club in Russell Street. I don’t know when it started but it always seems to have been there. My recollections are of the Atkins family. Mr Bernard Atkins, who was always prominent in the Operatic Society, was the steward.
I used to play tennis with Francis and young Bernie, now Father Bernard on the Bendeich’s court across the road from the Club. The court was well fenced on three sides but the side by the house didn’t have a fence. It had a row of gooseberry bushes where young Kennie Bendeich
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and Peter Atkins would hide and grab any tennis bells that landed there. Away they would go, out the gate and down the road. Play would stop and we would give chase to recover the ball. They were both a couple of likeable little rascals. Unfortunately Kennie died at 9 years with a brain tumour. Peter also died while a young man.
In the mid twenties when the Threatre [Theatre] was built Waipukurau made its name with the productions put on by the Operatic society. This had a large membership which increased each year until the depression in the 1930s. As I have mentioned there was a very large stage which could be used. The first production was “The Pirates of Penzance”, which proved such a success that the following year “The Mikado” was performed. As J.C. Williamson’s had the production rights to all Gilbert and Sullivan operas they had to branch into a different kind of opera – 1927 “Dorothy”, 1928 “What Happened to Jones”, and “A country Girl”, followed by “High Jinks” in 1929. Messrs Owen Cardston and James Davidson Baxter produced these shows. Programmes cost 6d. Waipukurau had a wealth of talent for acting and singing. Jack Boyce, Edmund Haldane and Herbert Tansley would have been an asset to any show with their singing and Jack Cook, John Piki, J.E. Hall, B. Atkins, F.V. Ward, G.L. Chatwin to back them up with their acting.
The ladies whose voices one had to admire included Mrs Spackman, Misses Lily Welsh, L Jones, I Martin, G. Gay, N McRae, P. Clark, C. Grovenor [Grosvenor] to name just a few. There were chorus girls and ballets. Miss Irene Polhill was the choreographer. These productions were very popular and it was only in the depression years that they could no longer be staged. They had been able to stage the productions in Waipawa, Hastings and Dannevirke, as well as three nights in Waipukurau.
In 1932 Mr Lints put on a production of “Reveille”, It had a huge cast of about sixty. It was performed to raise money for the Plunket Society.
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It had a terrific write-up in the Press and there was not one dull moment. When I read it I thought the whole town was in it. The audience must have been all the mums and dads who were left. Why wasn’t I in it? Oh yes, I was back at school for yet another exam. I think Win Lourie, Esther Ganderton and myself must have been the only ones of our age who were made to go back to school. The Plunket Society must have benefitted well because they were soon to open their rooms in Hunter Park.
The Orchestral Society, during the times the operas were being staged, must have been comparable to any city orchestra, The personnel of the orchestra which is shown in the programme for “Dorothy” is as follows – Musical Conductor – Mr S.H. Woods
Deputy Conductor – Mr E. Malkin
Pianiste – Miss R. Fergusson Deputy – Miss M. King
First Violins – Messrs T.G. Kitchen, J. Windle, L. Maloney, E. Barnes
Second Violins – F. Hunter, G.I. Leigh Viola – A. King
Cello – E.H. Leigh Bass – C. Winter Flute – D. Swainsbury
Clarinet – P.H. Leigh Cornet – A.S. Annand Horn – E. Malkin
Trombone – T.W. Walker Drums – Bert Orr
This was of course in the happy years before the depression. In those days, dancing was taught by Miss Irene Polhill. Mrs Balfour Rowan also taught dancing. About 1920 Mrs Rowan, very much to Mr Curds displeasure, put on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in the new Theatre. It was a huge success and involved sixty to seventy children. I think Phyl Clark, Marjorie Robinson, Gwen Hindman nad [and] Betty Bryce had the main parts. The rest of us were elves, pixies, Ladies of High Degree and of course dwarfs. We all had a lovely time and felt we were budding movie stars. [Handwritten – We loved the boquets [bouquets] of flowers and chocolates presented after the show.]
Music was taught in the 1920s by Mr Haunsell when he had the music shop, Mr S.H. Wood while he was in Waipukurau, Miss Muriel King until she married and left, Mrs Swain of Waipawa and the Sisters at the Convent. Violin was taught by Mr Adam King and Mr Lawson from Dannevirke.
In the 1930s Mrs Bill MacKenzie taught dancing and elocution.
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In 1936 Waipukurau formed its Women’s Institute. Miss Jerome Spencer, of Rissington, started the movement in New Zealand. It had originated in Canada. Norsewood was the first, to be followed by Waipukurau under the leadership of Mrs G.L. Jamieson, of Bush Road, and Miss Norah Wilson. There were 104 foundation members. The motto “For Home and Country” is recognised all over the world. They not only do good voluntary work but aim to help other women. This is a very strong organisation in New Zealand.
There was a Returned Soldiers Association which after the war became the Returned Services. A club was formed the R.S.A. rooms built in what had been the Houseman’s paddock.
1931 Earthquake. On February 3rd 1931 school started again for another year, a lovely sunny day. We had just had the mid-morning break and filed back to our classrooms and settle to work when at 11am came the terror of the earthquake that was to devastate Napier, Hastings and Wairoa. Both High School and primary schools were built of brick. All around us chimneys were down and buildings askew. Surprisingly the two schools remained intact.
Fortunately no-one was injured and everyone was accounted for. The children after a few more shakes had taken place were dispatched to their homes. Parents of course appeared from everywhere. In the town, shelves of goods were thrown everywhere, bottles broken and glass and china. The building by Mr Blom’s shop was brick and occupied by a fruiterer. I don’t remember his name. He was not hurt but the wall collapsed and there were bricks everywhere. The Tavistock Hotel had the whole side wall parallel to the Railway lines down, displaying beds and furniture from the street.
That night everyone slept outside under the stars. Big quakes were occuring [occurring] at irregular intervals. Communication anywhere north of
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Waipukurau was out. All lines were down. The Mayor Mr McLean with all help set up an emergency relief depot in the old Leviathan Sample Rooms. Nowadays its called Civil Defence but then everyone assisted. The Red Cross and the whole town helped refugees who fled from Napier and Hastings. The supply of blankets, bandages and food was kept up. People stayed on in shifts to help out. Transport was commandeered to go through to Hastings to help dig in the rubble for survivors. Fires had started in the cities among the rubble.
Hastings Racecourse was the emergency centre. Messages could only come by way of ham radios until lines could be repaired. Railway bridges north of Waipukurau were not safe and the lines were buckled. Around Te Aute, Opapa and Te Hauke the hillsides had great splits in them. These were to be seen in the terrain as far as Wairoa. Waipukurau was fortunate to have got off so lightly.
The seabed at Napier rose 7ft and it was due to the ship Veronica which was in the bay that the outside world knew of the disaster. Seamen were soon ashore helping with the rescue work.
I don’t remember how long we stayed from school but when we did return we had some new schoolmates, survivors from Napier.
The Hospital acquired some more nurses as the surviving trainees from Napier were evacuated to Waipukurau, Dannevirke and Palmerston North to complete their training. Winnie Staines, a Waipukurau girl who had started her nursing training at Napier, was one who was killed in the Nurses Home at Napier Hospital.
Characters of the Town. Some of the characters of the town I must mention would be Archie, or Bert as he was sometimes called, who talked to himself all the time and when teased by some of the young rascals would say “My word old bird, just wait till I catch you bending”. He had a very bad fall from a horse when young and wasn’t as silly as some would think. He was never violent. He drove a little Baby Austin
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car which would somehow get him home. His house was full of books and he had a large collection of stamps. He was part of the town.
There was the chimney sweep who was known as Romeo. He lived with a lady named Julia, so of course that’s how they were known.
Old Dick I always thought was a swagger because he always had a sugar bag on his shoulder, but I’ve been told he did gardening. He wheeled his barrow upside down whenever I saw him.
There was Joe, a drover who would celebrate and sing Irish songs all the way home. His horse would get him there and if not he swayed along.
And now Paddy. He was another Irishman. I don’t know where we got all these Irishmen from as Waipawa was the Irish town with its Flynns, Moroneys, O’Reillys and McGreevys, but anyway Paddy was a footballer. He played in the blue and white jersey. He was also a fireman. He would be happy after the match and would be singing Irish songs. He was also a good dancer and showed me some of the old Irish steps. When I returned to Waipukurau, Paddy and family had left for the city. He would always accept invitations from the Fire Brigade when they had some big do on. But alas although our Paddy would get to Waipukurau, he just couldn’t get to the functions. He always had too many friends and wasn’t able to go the distance.
And now there’s Baden. Well he was a likeable rascal. He was a jockey in his youth and his mother owned a race horse “Handy”. Well, our Baden rode Handy for mum. Around the course he went well in the lead and the winning post comes up and our Baden pulls up, the rest of the horses sailing around him. Alas he had forgotten there were to be two circuits of the course. I understand there are no swear words in the Maori language but I’m sure his mum found some. Another day he was to redeem himself. He was watching a steeplechase while standing at the railings, when at the last fence the leading jockey came off his horse and lay there on the ground. Over the railings jumps Baden, catches the horse and rides it out to get 3rd place for the owner, This happened at Hastings many years ago. Another time Baden was riding in a steeplechase and
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only Baden and Arthur were left in the race. Coming up [?] Arthur shouts to Baden who was about half a length back “Baden, the rakai! The rakai!” Baden smiles and nods but still keeps half a length back with the winning post coming up. Arthur wins on his horse and as it turned out he and his fellow jockeys had put their money on Baden. But Baden, the wily old bird had put his money on Arthur and no way was he going to use the whip. He was making sure. There was no argument about the decision and no photo finish to find the winner.
The Depression. In the 1930 era there was a great deal of unemployment. Single people could not get jobs. Single men would have to go to Public Works relief camps and be working on the roads or planting trees. Married men who became unemployed would be put on relief work. This meant three weeks work and one week off. £7.10.0 for the four weeks. Many had to seek charitable aid during the fourth week. All labour schemes had to be through Local Bodies. Most people took a cut in wages just to be in a job. Mince was the meat most families ate. Vegetables were grown in all gardens. Old frocks were cut down and remade. Old recipes were used in cooking, fancy food was out. People did without luxuries or what little things had been considered luxuries. Charitable Aid Committees would be formed. Money would not be given but a relief in the form of food or clothing may be issued to a family. It was always the welfare of the children that counted. The policeman, Hospital Board member, clergy and Mayor would be on the Charitable Aid Board to consider what might be done, The economy only showed signs of improvement in the latter half of the 1930’s.
[Handwritten – I have forgotten to say that in the early 30 period several Dalmatians arrived in the district. They were honest hard working people who became established and settled in the town. Their descendants are still members of this community.]
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The Bridge. The Waipukurau traffic bridge was an old wooden one-way bridge which rattled every time a car, horse or herd of cattle crossed it. It could be heard all over the town. It was built in 1889 and rendered forty seven years of good service. On 26th June 1935 the new bridge, which cost £14, 600.00, was officially opened by the Minister of Public Works. It was built in reinforced steel with curving approaches and a width of 30ft, a 4ft footpath and 900ft in length of 20 spans of 45ft each. It was built under the supervision of the Patangata County Council. One could walk across then without having to climb the wooden sides if a mob of cattle came on the bridge as one had had to on the old bridge. There was usually a good swimming hole below the bridge. I don’t think boys would dive from the new bridge. The old one had been better because it wasn’t so high. The river would often change its course and so would the swimming holes.
Young Dick Bevan was the first to cross the new bridge the day it was officially opened.
I have stated most of the activities of the town and mentioned many business people, like all towns, some of the folk made indiscretions, usually with trusted funds. I have thought of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar “that the evil man does lives after, The good is often interred with the bones”. Well, in this case I will let the evil be interred. Only people of my own generation will remember any odd bits of embezzlement, etc., and we are all losing our memories, so let the good remain. This has been a good and happy town and the people in it all helped to guide the young folk.
As there were no jobs available I continued to go back to school. Matriculation and Higher Leaving were behind me so I had a jolly good time. Eventually I dug my heels in and refused to go back to school. I had a set of old hickory shafted golf clubs. Everyone in my family had given me their cast-offs. I played golf and tennis as much as I
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could. I had no money, only what I won dancing at Sports Meetings. Onga Onga, Takapau, Tikokino, Elsthorpe and Porangahau all used to include Highland Dancing in the programme. If Mrs Bill MacKenzie was judging we could not compete, but fortunately she mostly judged up Hastings way. It was 1st Prize 12/6, 2nd Prize 5/-, 3rd Prize 2/6, so I wasn’t wealthy by any means.
I didn’t want to be a nurse. My sister Mary had completed her training at Masterton and she had told me enough to put me off nursing, besides telling me I would never last the distance. However as there didn’t seem to be any chance of being a domestic science teacher I applied for nursing as soon as I reached my 19th birthday. One had to be nineteen to apply. Dannevirke was the first to answer my application and gave me an interview with Matron Brown. She sent me home with six or seven uniforms to be shortened. I had to pay 25/- for them. They were an ugly dark grey and looked to me like prison garb. I was to return some weeks later for a three month trial period and if successful would commence my training as a nurse.
In the November I arrived at Dannevirke Hospital armed with the uniforms 9 inches from the ground, black shoes and black woollen stockings, to start my three months trial period with my head still in the clouds. I was brought to earth smartly. Three months later I sat the exam and after weeks of emptying and scrubbing bedpans, beds, walls and lockers, then the patients and learning to make beds so that the patients could barely breathe when tucked in, I was considered suitable material for a nurse and allowed to enter the Nursing Profession. In February 1936 I started my training. I discarded the ugly grey uniform and donned a stiff white collar, large white apron, stiff cuffs which were only worn at meals and coming and going off duty, and a stiff wide belt. The under uniform was a light grey as a junior and a deep blue as a senior. No hair was to be shown under the starched cap, no petticoat to be seen, no holes in stockings, no makeup allowed, just well washed
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faces. And for three years I was to stand to attention, hands behind the back when spoken to. Discipline was harsh. Instant dismissal if any hospital rules were broken. By today’s standards life was grim, but it was the same for all.
In 1939 on August 31st I returned to Waipukurau for one week’s holiday before going on to another hospital. That night we listened to Hitler’s armies marching into Poland. I was to return again to Waipukurau, but there were those who left and would only return in the memories of their own loved ones.
L.J. Bell
P.H. Bailey
D.G. Bradley
R.G. Brassell
L.H. Chapman
J. Dixon
D.A. Dunbar
D.C. Gibson
A. Guy
M.E. Harris
I.S.C. Holmes
A.S. Lee
W.P. Lee
K. MacKenzie M.M. 18.4.41 19 Battalion
V McLean
C. Raymond
J. Raymond
V.E. Rice
C.A. Rickey
R.O. Spotswood
M.J. Yarwood
A.A. Zachan
I also add Jack McHaffey of the Public Trust Office. And P.K.V. 14.7.1940 RAF Coastal Command, [handwritten – of Dannevirke].
These to me are our Magic Kiwis.
JESSIE MACKENZIE HAMLIN.
[Handwritten – Sept 1990]
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Surnames in this memoir –
A’Deane, Agar, Agnew, Aitken, Alpe, Anderson, Annand, Arlidge, Atkins, Bailey, Baillie, Baird, Barlow, Barnes, Barrie, Batson, Baxter, Beachen, Bell, Bendeich, Bernard, Berwick, Bevan, Bicknell, Bishop, Black, Blair, Bliss, Blom, Bogle, Bonighton, Booth, Boots, Bowen, Boyce, Bradley, Brandon, Brathwaite, Brassell, Brittain, Broad, Brooker, Brown, Browne, Breuer, Bryce, Bull, Bungay, Burden, Burfield, Burgess, Butler, Byford, Carpenter, Cardston, Carr, Cassidy, Caughley, Chambers, Chandler, Chapman, Chappell, Chatwin, Chisholm, Claridge, Clark, Clarke, Clarkson, Clarry, Cleland, Cochrane, Coldwill, Connell, Connor, Cook, Costello, Cottrell, Cotter, Coughlan, Craig, Craven, Crocker, Crooks, Crysell, Curd, Curr, Cutforth, Davey, Davies, Davis, Deighton, Denne, Dicks, Dillon, Dixon, Donnelly, Doube, Doughty, Douglas, Dowrick, Drummond, Duckworth, Dunbar, Duncan, Dunn, East, Ebbett, Edgar, Ellison, Eustage, Ewen, Fairweather, Falloon, Fergusson, Fields, Findlay, Finnemore, Fish, Fleming, Flight, Flynn, Fogarty, Fowler, Fox, Fulford, Gair, Gallagher, Ganderton, Gardiner, Gay, Gee, Gibson, Gideon, Gilchrist, Given, Glenny, Glentworth, Godfray, Goodger, Gordon, Gore, Grace, Grant, Grosvenor, Green, Gunzel, Guy, Hagen, Haldane, Hale, Hall, Hallagan, Hamlin, Hammond, Hanson, Harding, Harker, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Hastie, Haswell, Haunsell, Hawke, Hawkins, Haycock, Healy, Hewald, Hill, Hindman, Holms, Holmes, Hopkinson, Hopper, Houseman, Huggins, Hunter, Hurley, Hutcheson, Hutchison, Hyde, Irvine, Issacs, Jack, Jacobson, James, Jamieson, Jenkins, Joblin, Johns, Johnston, Johnstone, Jolly, Jones, Jordan, Keene, Kenny, Kent, Kershaw, Keyvar, King, Kingsford Smith, Kitchen, Knight, Lambeth, Langride, Lansdowne, Larnoch/Larnach, Lawson, Leach, Lee, Leigh, Leitch, Lewis, Lidd, Limbrick, Lindon, Lindsay, Lints, Logan, Lourie, Lloyd, MacDonald, MacKenzie, Mackersey, Mackie, MacLean, Madson, Maher, Mahoney, Main, Major, Malkin, Malone, Manning, Martin, Mason, Mathison, McBride, McCarthy, McClurg, McConchie, McCormick, McDermott, McGrath, McGreevy, McGuiness, McHaffey/McHaffie, McKay, McKenzie, McLaughlan, McLean, McRae, Merrylees, Miles, Minogue, Mitchell, Monkton, Moore, Moran, Moriarty, Moroney, Morris, Morrison, Muldoon, Muncaster, Murphy, Murray, Myning, Nairn, Nana, Nash, Neild, Nelson, Nicholls, Nicholson, Nimmo, Norris, O’Dowd, Oemcke, Oliver, Orr, O’Reilly, Packer, Paku, Palmer, Parker, Parsons, Paterson, Paton, Paynter, Peacock, Pearson, Pendray, Percival, Perkins, Petersen, Pettingall, Phillips, Piki, Polhill, Pope, Price, Prujean, Pulford, Radnich, Rapley, Raymond, Reckin, Rees, Reed, Reedy, Reid, Rice, Ricketts, Rickey, Roach, Roberts, Robinson, Rood, Ross, Rowan, Rushers, Russell, Rutherford, Sainsbury, Salter, Saunders, Scott, Scruby, Seddon, Seymour, Shackleford, Sharpin, Signal, Simpson, Skidmore, Skipper, Smales, Smart, Smith, Sowry, Spackman, Spence, Spencer, Spotswood, Stabler, Stace, Staines, Sterry, Stewart, Stiles, Stoddart, Streeter, Sutherland, Svensen, Swain, Swainsbury, Swayne, Sweeney, Symes, Symons, Tansley, Tarrant, Tate, Taylor, Timms, Tinney, Tong, Tremaine, Tuff, Tulley, Turnbull, Turner, Turtle, Ujdur, Ulm, Urquhart, Vance, Venables, Wagner, Walker, Wallis, Ward, Warren, Watson, Wells, Welsh, Wharmby, White, Wiggins, Williams, Williamson, Wilson, Windle, Winlove, Winter, Wood, Woods, Woodward, Yarwood, Young, Zachan
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