New Zealand Memories - Issue 148

APPETISER
Tell the Story
Sam photographed with his son Alf in the late 1990s.
Courtesy: Sam Hunt
An interview with New Zealand poet Sam Hunt, by
author Rolland McKellar, is published on page 38 and
features photographs from Sam’s personal collection
plus one of his extraordinary works, Salt River Songs.
1

EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
As I write this note in early January, it is with thankfulness. New Zealand is
amongst the handful of countries able to enjoy the luxury of a Christmas and
New Year break subject to only limited restrictions. With news of vaccines
emerging worldwide, the arrival of a defence against this devastating virus during
mid 2021 is keenly anticipated. Meantime, let commonsense prevail as we keep
each other safe.
I was delighted to find a ‘fount of wisdom’ on navigator Abel Tasman during a
visit to Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Museum in Foxton. I have long awaited the
right author to write an article on the 17th century Dutch navigator and the
feature is certainly worthy of the leading placement for 2021.
Personal stories are always a highlight of the magazine. June Peka is welcomed back to our pages with a
heart-warming account of Taupo in the days before tourism expanded the locality, while George Gumbrell’s
memories of droving days in Canterbury reminds us of the hardships of life on the road. And Ian Gregory
experienced his share of road weariness of a different kind during a twenty-five day cycling holiday from
Taihape to Cape Reinga in 1953, quite an adventure for two boys aged fourteen with only seven pounds ten
shillings each in their pockets - “In total we travelled about 2000 kilometres, most of it on gravel roads and all
without getting a puncture”.
Rural women in particular will hold warm memories of the New Zealand Country Women’s Institute who
have served communities since 1921 … and their work continues. Kay Morris Matthews marks the 100th
anniversary of this esteemed organisation.
The works of Sam Hunt have been an inspiration for almost fifty years. With gratitude we publish one of
Sam’s a recent poems plus a selection of his personal photographs to illustrate Rolland McKellar’s interview.
I recall a fleeting encounter with Sam in the early 1970s when queuing at a buffet table - a larger than life
character in a green velvet jacket and classy boots who ushered me ahead of him in the line with a flourishing
bow. Unforgettable.
I close with the traditional wish of health and happiness.
Wendy Rhodes,
Editor
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2

Editor
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Contributors
Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington
Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection
Barrington, Ernie
Clark, Wendy
Collins, Bruce E.
Dawson, Dorothy
de Bonnaire, John
Dingwall, Alan
Dingwall, Paul
Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales
Gregory, Ian
Gumbrell, Bob
Gumbrell, George
Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi
Hedley, Alex
Hogg, Colin
Hunt, Sam
Jackman, Roger
Matthews, Kay Morris
McKellar, Rolland
McKinnon, Lyn
Moor, Christopher
New Zealand Women’s Institute
Peka, June
Pickmere, Alan
Rakiura Museum
State Library of Victoria
Stewart, Graham
Tairawhiti Museum
Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park
van der Boon, Arjan
Opinions: Expressed by contributors are not
necessarily those of New Zealand Memories.
Accuracy: While every effort has been made to
present accurate information, the publishers take no
responsibility for errors or omissions.
Copyright: All material as presented in
New Zealand Memories is copyright to the publishers
or the individual contributors as credited.
Contents
The Man Who Showed Captain Cook the Way to Aotearoa 4
A contribution from Arjan van der Boon.
Taupo Tonic Sulphur 12
From Petone to Taupo: a culture shock for June Peka in 1952.
Droving Days 16
George Gumbrell recorded his experiences as a farmer and drover.
To North Cape By Bicycle 20
An epic ride for teenager Ian Gregory in the summer of 1952.
Maintaining the Buses in the 1960s 24
Roger Jackman’s dream job.
The Copland Pass Affair 26
Paul Dingwall relates one of his father’s mountaineering escapades.
Ode to the Copland Valley 28
A poem by Alan Dingwall.
The ‘Perm’ 29
Who remembers permanent wave machines at hairdressing salons?
From the Regions: Gisborne / Eastland 30
Centrefold: Tolaga Bay 36
Punt across the Uawa River in 1916.
Charm it Crazy 38
Rolland McKellar interviews Sam Hunt.
Conquest Magazine 43
Dorothy Dawson still has copies of a treasured publication.
When the Boat Comes In… 44
Lyn McKinnon: war bride.
Mrs Markham Was Miss Galore 48
Actress Honor Blackman is the subject of Christopher Moor’s feature.
From the Regions: Southland 51
The Caretakers of Kawau 58
Wendy Clark explores her family’s link with a Hauraki Gulf island.
Lifting Horizons 64
Kay Morris Matthews marks the NZ Women’s Institute centenary.
Reader’s Response: My “O.E.” – 1972 to 1973 68
John de Bonnaire was inspired by an article in Issue 146.
Index and Genealogy List 70
Editor’s Choice: Sign Posting Patrol 72
Slow progress on the Helensville to Port Albert highway in 1929.
Cover image:
Glade House, Te Anau – Milford Track, 1 March 1911.
Courtesy: Graham Stewart
ISSN 1173-4159
February / March 2021
3

EXPLORATION
The Man Who Showed Captain Cook
the Way to Aotearoa
Arjan van der Boon
Co-Chair, Oranjehof Dutch Connection Museum Trust: Marketing Manager, Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park.
The ships Zeehaen and Heemskerck close to Three Kings Islands sketched by Isaac Gilsemans. View of Cape
Jackson (left) to Stephens Island (right) from the anchorage east of d’Urville.
Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ. Ref: PUBL-0105-004
4

EXPLORATION
When Captain James Cook set sail from Tahiti
for our shores in 1769, he took a Polynesian
star navigator on board. The ariori (priest)
Tupaia had extensive knowledge of the
cosmos, the stars, and the more or less exact position of
islands like Samoa, Tonga and Fiji and the lengths of time it
would take to get to each.
But the celebrated explorer and cartographer also took his
lead from another of the world’s great navigators. It is more
than likely that the Endeavour carried a copy of Abel Tasman’s
Journal on board, which was translated in English by one
of his captains – Joseph Banks. We also know that during
his journey, James Cook made use of a scholarly book on
mathematics which included a detailed summary account of
Tasman’s journey – written by Dutchman Van Nierop and
translated into English and published by the Royal Society in
1682. In other words, Captain Cook knew where to go.
Things had been quite different for the seafarer from the
Netherlands – 127 years earlier. Tasman took two small
wooden boats into unknown territory, across perilous southern
seas, to finally end up at the coasts of Te Wai Pounamu and
Te Ika a Maui. Still, many people believe that it is the English
explorer, with multiple statues all across our nation, who was
the first European to ‘discover’ Aotearoa…
International Man of Mystery
So who was this relatively unknown Abel Janszoon Tasman?
What are the mysteries that surround him? We know quite a
lot about his many voyages, insofar as 17th century records
of discovery go. The story of how he arrived at our shores is
well documented through his Journal and some other sources.
He departed from Batavia (nowadays Jakarta) for Mauritius,
where he repaired his run-down ships, so he could head east
with the Trade Winds in his sails. He arrived in Tasmania, had
his encounter with Ngāti Tumatakokiri in Mohua, and then
sailed home touching Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
The entire arduous journey is exceptionally well illustrated
through maps with highly exact coordinates, and artful
drawings of coastlines and encounters with local inhabitants.
Still, there are some interesting questions to explore like,
what kind of person was he? Do we even know what he
looked like? Did he set foot on land, in what we nowadays
call Golden Bay? And what exactly happened on that fateful
day of 19 December 1642, when Dutch as well as Māori men
died in the brief, violent exchange that took less than half
an hour to unfold. The first-ever encounter between Tangata
Whenua and Europeans…
Above: This ink drawing is a likely portrait of Abel Tasman from
a collection of portraits of early 17th century Dutch admirals,
navigators and officials employed by the Netherlands East
India Company or the companies which amalgamated from it.
Courtesy: Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales
5

EXPLORATION
Humble Beginnings
Both Captain Cook and Commodore Tasman had humble origins, as sons of farmers in a small rural village.
Both also were ambitious, smart and largely self-taught in the skills required to lead ships and men. Each took
advantage of the career opportunities that were offered by navies in turbulent times when many men died at sea,
and international trade was the way to make fortunes. But whilst Cook is celebrated in the English-speaking
Commonwealth, the Dutch have a less favourable opinion about Tasman. A modern authority on his discoveries,
B. J. Slot, puts it this way:
“Tasman was neither a pleasant man nor a gentleman… Tasman never achieved spectacular results and
… His career with the Company [the VOC] ended in frustration” 1
What the historian Slot is probably doing here though, perhaps unwittingly, is comparing Tasman with the
great so-called ‘sea heroes’ (zeehelden) of the Netherlands from the 17th century – fondly remembered on stamps,
bank notes and in history lessons. These are the famous names, who defeated Spanish, Portuguese and English
fleets, made conquests and captured bullion, or ships and hostages, from countries with whom the budding Dutch
republic was at war.
Tasman, for one, would definitely have disagreed with Slot’s assessment. He had transcended his humble origins,
and could happily retire as a wealthy man in the Dutch settlement of Batavia, together with his wife and daughter.
1 B J Slot; Abel Tasman and the discovery of New Zealand (1992), p.88.
6

EXPLORATION
Above: This is a copy of Frans Visscher’s chart of the discoveries made by Abel Tasman
during his 1642–43 and 1644 voyages. The west coast of New Zealand is shown at the
bottom. Unlike Tasman’s map, which showed Cook Strait as a bay, Visscher’s shows a gap,
suggesting the presence of a passage.
Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ. Ref: B-K 741-96
Left: Most mapmakers in the Netherlands used Tasman’s map of New Zealand – with Cook
Strait closed off (pictured at left). Others would use Visscher’s version (above) with an
unexplored opening between the North and South Island. This map shows how mapmakers
for over a hundred years were fooled by Tasman’s deceit.
Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ. Ref: Mapcoll 830a/1642(1726)/Acc.32129
7

FEATURE
The Copland Pass Affair
Paul Dingwall
My father, Alan Dingwall, was an assistant mountain guide at Mount Cook
during the period 1928 to 1932, spending a number of his university
vacations there. In January 1932, the chief guide, Vic Williams, asked
Alan to join him and assistant-guide Lynn Murray on a trip to the
Copland Valley in Westland to help escort a party across the Copland Pass. This is a
demanding and hazardous route requiring a high degree of mountaineering experience.
The pass is 2,150 metres in altitude, the terrain is rugged and unstable with snow cover
and often icy, and the weather can be wild. 1 A snowstorm forced the guides to stay
overnight in the Hooker hut, after which they made good progress in fresh snow on the
1,000 metre climb to the pass. Their packs were light, containing mainly fresh provisions
for the party, comprising eight loaves of bread and some butter. Having crossed the pass
they negotiated the steep and tortuous descent into the Copland River valley, stopping
briefly at the Douglas Rock hut and a nearby bivouac – a natural shelter under a huge
boulder, its walls blackened by many fires and the ground strewn with some bedding and
an assortment of rusted tins and discarded bottles.
On arrival at Welcome Flat hut they found the party well settled in – a group of 25
members of the Christchurch YMCA tramping club. 2 At four o’clock the next morning,
with Vic, Lynn and Alan leading, a winding cavalcade of eager young men set out on
the ascending trail, aided by torch and flickering candle light. Jumbled masses of storm
clouds ominously began gathering overhead and sweeping down the valley. Three hours
later, on reaching Douglas Rock hut, there was a very brief stop to boil the billy, before
the party continued on upwards in worsening and uncertain weather conditions. Soon
the wind increased, rain gave way to driving snow and the clouds, now at ground level,
reduced visibility to almost nothing. Exposed hands and faces turned blue, teeth began
chattering and feet were stamped to help restore circulation and warmth. Sensing an
impending tragedy, the guides reluctantly signalled a retreat to Douglas Rock hut.
The party was soon crowded around a blazing log fire, lines strung above the fireplace
were hung with an assortment of socks, and the hearth festooned with a confusion of
saturated muddy boots and cold feet. With the rain continuing in torrents and the
impassable, unbridged flooded streams blocking a further retreat down valley, the party
was now trapped within the confines of the hut. And it certainly was confined. Even
with packs stored under bunks and benches and the wet clothing stacked in a lean-to at
the rear of the chimney, it was near impossible for 28 men to move within a space meant
to accommodate fewer than 10, and was accomplished only if two or three moved at
once and were careful where they trod. With the incessant rain drumming on the iron
roof, the wind conveying the roar of the swollen river with large rocks tumbling along
its bed, accompanied by the booming of avalanches spilling over precipices high above,
there arose the prospect of a prolonged stay, which in the event was to extend to three
days and nights. Of immediate concern was the limited food supply. A search of the hut
revealed only a small bag of flour suspended from the rafters, with six cubes of ‘oxo’, and
some tea, salt and sugar in a cupboard, supplementing the meagre supplies of rice and
oatmeal and a can of Symington’s soup from the YMCA group, and what remained of
the bread and butter brought by the guides. For cooking there was only a well-blackened
fry pan and billy to use on the open fire. Long evenings in the dimly lit and smoky hut
were spent with wide-ranging discussions, especially about food, and a song or story
when these flagged. Bedtime was not welcomed. The few over-crowded bunks collapsed
and had to be laced with alpine ropes, while most of the group had to squeeze into the
1 The Department of Conservation warns that a number of climbers have died attempting to cross the Copland Pass.
2 By remarkable coincidence the party included Tom Harker, my future father-in-law.
26

FEATURE
Douglas Rock hut, Westland.
Christchurch YMCA tramping club booklet of 1931-32.
The trip to the glaciers and Mount Cook
limited space available on the floor.
On the third night the rain finally ceased and a few stars appeared. After a hasty breakfast of a slice of bread
from the last remaining loaf, at 3.00 a.m. the young men resumed their quest to reach the summit of the pass. As
dawn broke they gazed in wonder at the magnificent vista of the many towering snow covered summits, with the
three crowning peaks of Aorangi / Mount Cook sharply silhouetted and bathed in the golden glow of sunrise.
The enthralling sight elicited delighted exclamations that broke the silence attending the morning tramp so far.
On reaching the pass, with the guides breaking trail through a deep pack of soft snow, they encountered two
guides sent out by the anxious manager of the Hermitage to locate the overdue party. This additional manpower
proved invaluable for assisting the party members, all attached to guides in a series of ropes, to descend the steep
and hazardous slopes. Alan recalls the difficulty he encountered in negotiating the ‘Devil’s Staircase’, requiring
another guide to belay him (securing a rope around an ice axe) as he lowered his group down on a short rope.
Having safely accomplished the descent, the party then reached the Hooker hut where the very hungry young
men were quickly fortified by a hearty meal of tinned beef and fruit, washed down with lots of billy tea.
Arrival at the Hermitage in mid-afternoon brought the ‘Copland Pass Affair’ to a close. The group had set a
new record as the largest party ever to make a traverse of the Copland Pass. Chief guide Vic Williams declared
that in his 10 years of guiding it was one of the most perfect alpine crossings he had made. The YMCA account,
published as an illustrated booklet, called the Copland Pass traverse the gem of their entire trip, with memories
of “a day that will never fade from our minds”. Alan reflected that the adventure was a lesson in fortitude and
human relationships. Together with the awe inspiring scenery, it made a lasting emotional impression on him
that he expressed in a romantic poem Ode to the Copland Valley. n
The poem is printed on the following page.
27

REGIONS
36

Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ1/1-022067-G
GISBORNE / EASTLAND
Tolaga Bay
Transporting sheep on a punt over the Uawa River. Photographed by Frederick Hargreaves in about 1916. The
punt was built by Mr E.B. Boland following damage to the Uawa River bridge (built 1905) during the 1916 floods.
37

FEATURE
Lifting Horizons
The New Zealand Women’s Institute celebrates 100 years
Kay Morris Matthews
My mother was a member of the
Women’s Institute for 50 years and
really enjoyed the friendship and
camaraderie of the women in the
organisation.
She sang in the choral section and acted in the
dramatic productions. She entered floral art and
handicraft competitions and had a drawer full of
certificates as evidence of her successes. Mum also did
her bit serving on the Bay View branch committee and
attended a great many meetings
One particular custom she enjoyed, and often spoke
about, was having an anonymous ‘special friend’
allocated each year. This was someone who would
remember her birthday and bring food if she was ill. It
was always such a pleasant surprise to discover at the
end of each year just who that special friend had been.
Friendship and support have always been
fundamental to the New Zealand Women’s Institute.
So too, is having fun and providing opportunities to
participate in educational and cultural group activities
and events. Indeed, such has been the appeal of the
Women’s Institute that tens of thousands of women
joined and it became the largest women’s organisation
in New Zealand.
So where did the idea of a women’s institute
come from? It originated in Hawke’s Bay, in a small
settlement called Rissington, about 17 miles west of
Napier. The first meeting there, and many meetings
after that, were held at Omatua, a local homestead.
Omatua was the home of Amy and Frank Hutchinson
who were sheep farmers. Omatua was also the home
of Anna Elizabeth Jerome Spencer, who lived with
them.
Jerome Spencer and Amy Hutchinson understood
that women who lived in the country, were often
socially isolated. In 1914, they began a World War
One Soldier Relief Scheme as part of the New Zealand
Red Cross, which saw local women gathering regularly
at Omatua, where there was plenty of space, to work
together on knitting, sewing and parcel packing.
Of particular enjoyment for the women were the
sessions that Jerome Spencer planned, like a talk on
invalid cookery, or discussing a topic of mutual interest
as they knitted and sewed. A support network arose
from their conversation and sharing of skills. Women
began to visit one another and help each other out
when, for example, a family member became ill or was
wounded on the battlefield. They also comforted each
other when, in several cases, local men were killed in
action.
By 1916, when Jerome Spencer went to England to
volunteer her services for the war effort, she and Amy
Hutchinson believed that the gatherings of the women
would be greatly missed once the war ended. Writing
to Amy at Rissington, Jerome Spencer reported having
visited a display of handcrafts by branches of the
English Women’s Institute in London. She attended a
few meetings and spoke with members of the executive
body in a bid to find out as much as she could about
the Institute.
Once back in New Zealand, Amy Hutchinson,
who was credited as being the spiritual founder of the
Women’s Institute, sent out invitations to women of
the Rissington district inviting them to Omatua for
an afternoon tea meeting on 21 February 1921. There,
Jerome Spencer spoke of what she seen of the English
Women’s Institutes and wondered if there would be
sufficient interest in starting a branch at Rissington.
The levels of support were such that on 27 February
1921, the first meeting was held.
The camaraderie of women was the core of the
Women’s Institute, a foil to the everyday work of the
farming woman, filled with child rearing, cooking,
housework and farm chores. Jerome Spencer spoke of,
and wrote about, the value of “true neighbourliness
and cultivation of kindly feelings”.
She added her own ideas and understandings of New
Zealand rural women’s lives. Her thoughtful attention
to what would most appeal to women, in order to
have them sign up as Institute members, was key to
the huge success of the New Zealand movement. She
understood that for many farm women, the attraction
of the meetings was the company of other women.
For some it was the only time each month when they
interacted with others outside their immediate family
or farm. Having time-out and having fun was part of
her plan.
As she said: “At these meetings all the women of
a district, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, of
64

FEATURE
The first Women’s Institute members at Rissington, 27 February 1921. Amy Hutchinson, is seated at left in the
middle row. Next to her is Jerome Spencer. Collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, [17266]
65

EDITOR’S CHOICE
Sign Posting Patrol
Slow progress for the first Auto Automobile Association Sign Posting Patrol truck along the main highway
between Helensville and Port Albert in 1929. Photographed during a road sign posting exercise in the Province
of Auckland. The number plate is 1-800. Courtesy: Graham Stewart
72