Within their lifetimes: a 20th Century of Change - part one of two

 From Tauranga City Library’s archives

A monthly blog about interesting items in our collection

The mix of mirth and indignation is a strange cocktail. My first taste was at hearing my childhood years described as the late 1900s. For the briefest of moments, my mind's eye overshot that location by several decades, scrolling from memory into imagination and then, with bewilderment, back again.  The 1980s after all was only about 20 years ago, surely?

This next collection for some people risks evoking a similar response. The people involved are neither ancient nor of the colonial era, in fact, some of them (some of you), are still alive.

It begins as a collaboration (in the closing years of the 1900s), between Tauranga Library archivist Jinty Rorke (1942-2014), journalist and author Max Avery (Living History Productions), veteran Bay of Plenty Times journalist Glen Pettit and videographer Ross Brown (Vision Media). The collaboration resulted in at least forty fascinating interviews with local personalities whose memory and contribution stretched back much of the 20th Century.  The interviews are in two audio-visual collections, a peculiarity of archivists who like to arrange things by donation rather than as a project or by format. The second collection I will look at in a future post, along with the journey the interviews took from analogue to digital.

Jinty Rorke (and Jill Best), from the Lee Switzer Photographic Collection, 6 December 2007

The first collection is AV 21-002: the Jinty Rorke Collection. You can locate them on Pae Korokī by clicking the "Audio Visual" menu and following your nose.

These include:

• D.H. Duff Maxwell (1903-1997) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1989) – coming soon
• Vi Simons (1900-2001) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1990)
• Capt D. Munro (1904-1995) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1990)
• R.A. (Bob) Owens (1921-1999) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1996)
• Alan Bellamy (1923-2004) interviewedby Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Nora Prior née Fenn interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Thelma Smith (1911-2013) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Lyn Harpham (née Christian) (1919-2011) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Rev Wynnton Poole (1908-2005) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Arthur Dagley (1919-1998) interviewedby Jinty Rorke (1997)
• V. Bruce Cunningham (1919- ) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• N.R. (Rex) White (1919- ) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1997)
• Peter and May Densem interviewedby Jinty Rorke (1997)
• A. (Alf) H. Rendell (1917-2019) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Lionel Lees (1906-1998) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Peter Densem (1917-2019) interviewedby Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Dr Joy Drayton (1916-2012) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Capt. S.R. (Rollo) Davis interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• J. H. (Harry) Graham (1907-2003) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Patrick and Nita McBrearty interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Nan Garrity and Gipsy Mackenzie (née Norris) interviewed by Jinty Rorke (1998)
• Kate Jones Madill interviewed by Jinty Rorke (2003) – not viewable
• Glenn Pettit interviewed by Jinty Rorke (2003)

AV 21-002 also includes a documentary on the Ōmanawa Falls power station, commissioned by the Tauranga District Libraries in 1998. The documentary is researched, filmed, and produced by Max C. Avery with Jinty Rorke narrating.

You can locate AV21-002 on the library’s heritage platform, Pae Korokī, under "Audio Visual",  or by clicking here.

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For more information about other items in our collection, visit Pae Korokī or email the Heritage & Research Team: Research@tauranga.govt.nz

Written by Harley Couper, Heritage Specialist at Tauranga City Library.

The Battle for Rangataua Bay

Maungatapu, c.1960
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library, Ref. 00-152

Our home in Welcome Bay looked out over beautiful Rangataua Bay and after I had heard the following story recalled by Carole Gordon I would often feel a wave of gratitude to those earlier settlers who put up a brave fight to prevent sewage being pumped into the bay.

In Carole’s words “I can’t remember the year when the fuss about the state houses actually began.  I think Jim Keam’s little subdivision had been put in when the Housing Corporation bought the low-lying tidal swamp below for a housing site.  The town was growing rapidly and there wasn’t enough housing so they were looking for cheap land.  When the swamp site at Welcome Bay was announced as a state housing site, local people were shocked.  We all knew that it filled up with water after storms or when there were high tides.

The Bay itself at the very end of Waitaha Road was very open and there was a real beach down in front or slightly to the left of the hall where a culvert went under the road; it took natural drainage from the swampy lower-lying land at the end of the road.  Children played there when they got off the school bus or kids from around the district would play down there on the beach.  As local people, we were very honest when we said that that was the children’s beach and that they were going to foul it by putting a sewage outlet there, from the proposed state housing subdivision.

The Demonstration
Image courtesy of Carole Gordon

This was the beginning of a long legal and heartfelt journey, people versus the state, to save Welcome Bay and the great harbour environment. The outcome was that the people prevailed and the city won an amenable government loan to the city sewage system that would replace septic tanks and avoid the leaching into the harbour.  Welcome Bay got a system of filter tanks and pumping stations that lead to Chapel Street.”

But in case the battle should appear easy this was far from the reality.  The fight went right through to the Environment Appeal Court but it began as “a spontaneous, organically erupting process.  It was totally the people, Maori and Pakeha, old and young, farmers and professionals, scientists and mothers, step by step, one challenge after another, learning as we went.  The issue of sewage disposal catalysed the Welcome Bay community.  A loosely connected action group formed in order to object to environmental effects.  Simply put we had to build a case that there was insufficient water flow.

Officials Discussing the Problem
Image courtesy of Carole Gordon

The scope of building the case grew as the process went through various legal processes.  The successful outcomes from the project are due to the many community volunteer hours, to the legal profession of Tauranga who gave services including Environment Court hearings and the DSIR scientists who freely gave advice as we undertook regular scientific testing such as coliform counts on the harbour perimeters. Over time testing revealed alarming levels of seepage from septic tanks. The houses on Waitaha Road sat empty while the process went on and on.”

George Gair, Minister of Housing, Addressing the Crowd
Image courtesy of Carole Gordon

The culmination of the project came when Bob Owens, the Mayor at the time, invited George Gair, The Minister of Housing to view the march and speak to the people.  The Bay of Plenty Times had been very supportive, carrying the story through to its conclusion.  Local bus companies offered free buses for all who wanted to be part of the event.  St Mary’s Catholic School was involved because they were feeling the effects of pollution on their foreshore.  They closed the school for the day and teachers, parents and children made a great sight as they walked across the harbour to Welcome Bay.

The march went from Maungatapu to Welcome Bay and in the end the decision was made on the day. George Gair came with a solution which he and Bob Owens must have worked out, which was to offer the council a low interest loan for sewage reticulation.  A victory for Welcome Bay and for the harbour.

Reference

A History of Welcome Bay, by Peg Cummins, 2015, ISBN 978-0-473-31165-0

Taffy Davies

Taffy Davies. Interviewed by Peg Cummins in 2007.

Taffy Davies (Senior) brought his family to Mount Maunganui in 1930 when Taffy (Junior) was 6 months old. The family had been living in a rehab. house in Ngaruawahia but the father’s quality of life was being adversely affected by shrapnel damage in WW1 and a move to the milder coastal climate was advised.

The Davies’ Donkeys, Mount Maunganui's Main beach, circa early 1950s.
Photograph by Alf Rendell, Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection

Mr Davies was on a War Pension and had the mind of an entrepreneur. He conceived the idea of running donkeys on the beach at the Mount as was done on the beaches in England. The Chamberlains of Ponui Island in the Hauraki Gulf had donkeys that were running wild. Four jacks had their legs tied up and were put in a long boat before being loaded on a 500-ton Northern Steamship Company boat. They were hoisted on and off with derricks.

Greg Oliver in donkey cart at Mount Maunganui c. 1962.
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library, Ref. 02-260

They were named for four of Mr Davies’ war cobbers. Snowy was the leader and light in colour. Next came Smithy who was light grey, then Murphy who was dark grey and Brownie always brought up the rear. The turning place was Donkey Rock, now covered by sand. The other donkeys always went around the rock abut in an attempt to keep up with the rest, Brownie would never go around the rock, no matter what anyone did. The cost was 3d (threepence) per ride so that each time the four donkeys made a trip 1/- (a shilling) was made. The price of a ride never went up over the years but the ride was shortened to accommodate the crowds. One of the donkeys once walked into the family’s kitchen and ate a ration book which was lying on the table. Disaster! Mrs Davies had to go to the Post Office to explain what had happened in order to get another one. That was one excuse they’d never heard before.

The donkeys took very little caring for. Now and again their feet would need clipping and they were brushed down from time to time. They ate grass and bread scraps in the main. However, every now and then they would go walkabout and walk through the tents in the camping ground fossicking for bread. Taffy commented that the campers never got annoyed about this but took it rather as an amusing part of camping at the Mount. Not so tolerant however, was the lady whose garden the donkeys would make for when given the chance. One can only imagine her fury to see her carefully tended vegetables being munched and trampled by four donkeys. The donkeys also ate cardboard and one Maori chap who saw Taffy feeding the donkey in this way said he bet they wouldn’t eat red paper and held out a ten-shilling note. He found they did!

When Murphy died in 1943 it was decided to send for replacement donkeys. The first four donkeys had cost £5 but the next two cost £20. Two donkeys were duly despatched on the Northern Steam Ship line again and the Davies decided to take the other three donkeys to meet the boat to make the job of bringing the new ones home easier. The boys set out on their bikes, leading the donkeys to the wharf not suspecting what was in store. No-one had told them that the new donkeys were jennys. Suddenly the jacks began behaving strangely, pawing the ground and hee-hawing, looking as if they were going to dive off into the water to meet the incoming boat. Having lived like monks for the last few years they were not about to let a stretch of water deter them. The journey home was a nightmare, with the jennys in the lead and the jacks following. From then on, the three jacks fought to establish who was the top donkey. They kept the whole village awake, causing the proprietor of the hotel to complain because his guests were leaving on account of lack of sleep.

Joy Drayton

This story by Peg Cummins was taken from an interview with Joy Drayton conducted about ten years ago. Joy was Prinicpal of Tauranga Girls’ College from 1959 until about 1981. She was the recipient of many honours the last being when she was made Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009. Joy added Te Reo to the College curriculum, the first state school in New Zealand to do so. At various times she was on the executives of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the National Council of Women, Chairperson of the BOP Women’s Refuge and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Waikato. Joy Drayton died in Tauranga in 2012 aged 96.

Joy Drayton, 1986
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library, Ref. 99-1236

Joy Drayton came to Tauranga to be the second principal of Tauranga Girls’ College. Mrs Wakelin (later Mrs Allo), the first principal resigned after a year and Mrs Drayton was appointed in her place.  In those days the Boys’ and Girls’ College shared a Board of Governors with Otumoetai College but when Otumoetai College opted for a separate Board the other two colleges did the same. At first pupils came from Mount Maunganui as well, until a college was built there. The Girls’ College began in 1957 (on the site of Mowatts’ farm) with about 600 pupils but this number grew rapidly until numbers settled at about 8-900. When Mrs Drayton left the college in 1982 the roll stood at 1162. Now (in 2008) they are around 1600. When the Girls’ College was built it was on the periphery of the town but that did not last for very long. At first Mrs Drayton did not have a car so she would catch the school bus in the mornings but because the school buses left at about 3.30 in the afternoon she had to walk back to town to catch a bus later on. Cameron Road was still in its formative stages in those days and negotiating it was often like walking down a rocky stream bed. There was no trouble in attracting suitable staff to the Girl’s College. Staff was appointed on the basis of “building a good team.” One teacher who stands out in Mrs Drayton’s memory is Mrs Claudia Jarman, the art teacher. She was not an artist herself but was a brilliant art teacher, who believed that everyone had artistic ability and encouraged her pupils to exercise their talents by instilling that feeling in every child. Maths and physics teachers were always difficult to find and for some time girls requiring physics had to go to the Boys’ College for that subject.  The Boys’ College was the first secondary school in the country to have a guidance counsellor and the Girls’ College was the second. There was always a friendly relationship between the Girls’ and Boys’ Colleges.

In the early days Mrs Drayton remembers girls as being provided with an education to make them good wives and mothers. Later, women accessed education because they deserved to be educated, just as men did. The third formers in the early days seemed more like children whereas those from a later generation were more like young people, older in their years. The curriculum was carefully divided into “academic” for the brighter pupils, “commercial” for the less academic and “homecraft” for the rest. These decisions were based on the records that come from the primary schools. Mrs Drayton preferred the girls to have greater choice in what they were able to do and in the early seventies, introduced an “options” scheme. As an example, girls from the academic stream were able to opt for some homecraft if they wished. Some of the more unusual options for the 6th Form girls were golf and horse riding.  And at one time the girls wanted to paint a frieze on the top of the library building. Having given permission the staff then had to take out insurance for those who took part. "Options" was an innovative scheme but, in pre-computer days it was a logistical nightmare which tested the timetabling team to the utmost. Of course, there were basic curriculum requirements to be covered and girls’ wishes were not always able to be catered for but in the main the scheme worked very well. In the early sixties some of the girls did a survey which took in a mile’s circumference of the college to find out what the parents thought about thing and how many children there were at home. They were appalled to find that in a number of cases children as young as two years were being left at home alone. This prompted the college to set up first a play-group and later a fully fledged childcare centre to cater to the needs of the area. This provided the girls with the opportunity to observe the children through one-way glass and also to be involved in their care. There was no problem attracting children to the facility.

Dr Drayton’s efforts in the local community were not confined to the college. At various times she took her place on City and Regional Councils and as Deputy Mayor. She was also a Trustee and is now a director of the Elms Trust. Her doctorate from Waikato University was awarded for her work on behalf of the university and for her services to the community. For a time she was Vice Chancellor of Waikato University. One of her proudest achievements is the city library. In the early days the collection was housed in the old town hall and during heavy rain the building leaked, which was disastrous for the books. Getting proper library built was one of the reasons she sought election to the Council and she had to work hard for it because not all councillors thought a library was important. Traditional sporting fixtures were followed but under her leadership the college branched out on some of their own.  Academic standards of the school were very important and Mrs Drayton was also involved in singing and in dramatic productions. Attending the Girls’ High School’s 50th Anniversary celebrations were a highlight and Mrs Drayton is also invited to all important occasions at the school. One of the pleasures of life now is the contact she has with former staff and ex-pupils. Many of these people keep in touch and no doubt Mrs Drayton finds it gratifying to see what her pupils have done with their education.

Recollections of Wynnton Poole in 1997

Holy Trinity (Anglican) Church, Devonport Road, Tauranga, built 1875
Photograph taken c.1902 by unidentified photographer
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library Ref. 04-443

Wynnton Poole came to Tauranga when he was four months old in 1908. His family were considered pioneers of the district and Pooles Rd in Greerton was named after them. Mr Poole senior was a dentist and had ‘rooms’ on the Strand. In 1997 Wynnton, then approaching his 90th birthday, claimed to be the last person alive who remembered Rev. Chas Jordan who died in 1912. He’d been the first  Anglican vicar in Tauranga and was also Mayor twice. Another interesting connection is that in 1911 Wynnton’s future father-in-law Mr Lysaght had the first car registered in Tauranga, with the licence plate TA 1.

Looking west up Spring Street, Tauranga from the Triangle, c. 1900
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library Ref. 99-1310

Tauranga had about 1800 residents around that time and the present Mid-City Mall was actually a small inlet where dinghies were stored. There was a spring under our State Insurance building; the whole lower Spring Street was swampy. A trough provided water for the horses to drink.The above photo (taken circa 1900) shows the Star Hotel on the left, the town pump visible at centre, on the left side of the road. St Peter's Church is at the end of the street, and Springwell Brewery buildings (demolished in 1912) are on the corner of Willow St (west side).

Interior of Holy Trinity chursch, c.1920s
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library Ref.04-446

Poole was a farmer until 1959 when he and his wife took over the care of Holy Trinity Church in Devonport Road. In those days it was common to have 150 people attend the morning service and 200 or so in the evening. He also served in the Waipoua district, near Gisborne. Retirement finally came when he was 80 and needed to care for his ill wife.  A past president of the Tauranga Historical Society, from 1977-78 and 1982-88, he was quoted as having said, ‘We look at the past and examine it so we can see where to go in the future.’.

This information has been gleaned from a 1997 Bay of Plenty Times article. Wynnton was interviewed because Cedar Manor Rest Home, where he was resident, had contributed a sum of money towards technology to facilitate the digitising of paper records in the Tauranga Library.

The History of Welcome Bay, by Peg Cummins

Five years ago, just after I had finished my sixth book of local history, I decided to do something I’d not done before.  I would write a history of the place I am living in.  I began by consulting Papers Past which yielded a rich seam of information about the late 19th  and early 20th centuries.  The Bay of Plenty Times was my main source although other publications featured as well.

I then decided to interview people who had lived in Welcome Bay all their lives. This proved to be a valuable source as well especially with the likes of Jim Keam and Roger Lauder whose families had  settled here a long time ago.  Many names were given to me but I was unable to contact all of them.  However, I tried to ensure that the whole history was covered by the people whose stories I included.  Many of them provided photos to complement what was written.

Staff & pupils on opening day, Welcome Bay School, 1979

Several aerial photos are included in the book and these show that until the second half of the 20th century Welcome Bay was mainly a farming area.  When farms began to be sold to developers things moved fairly rapidly until now Welcome Bay is a sizeable suburb and is still growing rapidly.

I have included the rural area of Welcome Bay as well because these farming people contributed much to the life of the area and their stories contribute a valuable part of the history of the place.

I have always tried to include Maori history in my books and in this I was helped greatly by two men, Awanui Black and Colin Reeder.  They have provided an excellent overview of what happened here before pakeha settlement occurred.

Copies of the book are available at the Welcome Bay Community Centre during the day.  Otherwise people are welcome to phone me in order to set up a time to receive a copy.  The book costs $30. for which cash or a cheque are acceptable.  (Sorry, I don’t have EFTPOS.)  Copies of the book can also be posted for an added $6 to cover packing and postage. My address is 48 Corinna Street, Welcome Bay Tauranga 3112, my phone is 07 544 9700 and my email address is cummins@kinect.co.nz

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Peg Cummins is an amateur historian who took up writing local history after she retired from teaching.  Her first book, based on her grandfather's diaries, was called Happy in his Work.  Then followed A History of Kawhia, Memories of Tirau, Learn Teach, Serve -  A History of Ardmore Teachers' College, 100 Years of the Catholic Church in Matamata and No. 2 Road Hall and District - Te Puke.  Copies of these are also available from Peg.

Tauranga’s Past Captured on Tape

In 1988 James Hartstonge, broadcaster, Village Radio volunteer, and founder of the Tauranga District Museum Oral History Unit, wrote:

“Already too much time has elapsed for us to collect invaluable material firsthand, but that is all the more reason to press on and make sure we capture what still remains in the memories of our older citizens.”

The Oral History Unit consisted of a small group of volunteers: James Harstonge, Graham Birkett, Reg Spence and Kel Raine. Other interviewers included Maureen Wood and Gypsy McKenzie. This group did not work in isolation. An advisory panel including Jinty Rorke, E. Morris and Alan Bellamy guided the selection of suitable interviewees. The Unit's primary focus was recording the memories of Tauranga's older residents with the hope of capturing their unique account of the past.

Wynnton Poole as a baby with his father William and grandfather Duncan Poole
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library Ref. 04-065

From late 1988 to 1992 a total of 75 recordings were made - quite an achievement given the small team of volunteers and the amount of time needed to research an interviewee’s life and establish a rapport. Questions asked ranged from what they had eaten for breakfast as a child to their earliest recollections of Tauranga. Often personal stories would emerge. Reverend Wynnton Poole grew up in Tauranga and farmed in the area. When he retired he began a new path as an Anglican minister. In his recording he recalls stories from his childhood that have a uniquely Tauranga flavour.

“You know I was an attractive child and the old ladies used to goo over me while I was in my pram. Later as I got a little bigger I became a terrible wanderer and finally my mother thought she had solved the problem. She put a belt on me with a ring at the back and a ring on the clothes line and a long line so I could play around the yard and not escape. I fairly quickly found out that if I removed my pants that I could slip off the belt and I didn’t necessarily stop to put my pants on again.”

The Faulkner family home in Beach Road, Otumoetai with Eric and Connie Faulkner standing at the front door
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection

Topics such as local government and the Tauranga Harbour were also of interest. A good example of this is the interview with Eric Faulkner. Mr Faulkner was the great-grandson of trader John Lees Faulkner and was born and raised in Tauranga. His love of the town saw him become involved in local politics serving both as Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Tauranga. In his recording Mr Faulkner discusses the development of the harbour bridge.

The last interview was recorded in 1992 and the Tauranga Library was given copies of the tapes. The originals became part of the Tauranga Heritage Collection and have recently been digitized.