Girl Peace Scouts in Oropi

Girl Peace Scouts, Oropi 1923
Image courtesy of the Tauranga Heritage Collection

While cataloguing photographs recently at the Tauranga Heritage Collection as part of my volunteer duties, I came across this intriguing snapshot of a group of Girl Peace Scouts in Oropi, dated 1923.

Reverse of vernacular photograph, 80 x 55mm
Image courtesy of the Tauranga Heritage Collection

The reverse of the photograph has all of the individuals identified:

Back row: Daisy Dunn, Mrs Rogers, Eileen Wilson, Esther Parkinson, Mrs MacPhail, Liny Fugill, Mrs Hodges, Miss Woods
Front: Gwyn Aldiss, Gwen Heap, Doreen MacPhail, Clarice Hodges, Lorna Heap ... Dick Aldiss

As a local resident, several of these names are still familiar to me.

The Girl Peace Scouts were formed in New Zealand as a separate organisation to the Boy Scouts.  The Tauranga company's first camp in a paddock in 1925 is recorded as proceeding well, although the latrine pit was dug 2 feet deep and 4 feet wide instead of vice versa.  They traded in their khaki uniforms for Girl Guides Association blues in the mid- to late 1920s.
- extracted from ‘Making happy, healthy, helpful citizens’: The New Zealand Scouting and Guiding Movements as Promulgators of Active Citizenship, c.1908-1980, a 2012 Ph.D. thesis by Helen Alison Dollery

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.

Elva Brain's Doll

Elva Brain's Doll, Brain Watkins House
Image courtesy of Brett Payne

This doll forms part of the Brain Watkins House Collection, and is displayed in one of the bedrooms of the house.

Cabinet Portrait of Elva Brain with her doll
Taken at Tauranga by T.E. Price, c. 1898-1900
Image courtesy of Brain Watkins House Collection

It is presumed to be the same doll that is displayed being possessively held by Joseph and Kate Brain's youngest daughter Elva Phoebe (1891-1979) in this cabinet portrait, taken around 1898-1900 at T.E. Price's corner studio on The Strand.

Elva Brain's Doll, Brain Watkins House
Image courtesy of Brain Watkins House Collection

Unsurprisingly for a doll well over a century old, she is not in pristine condition.  A close-up photo demonstrates that, although repaired moderately successfully at some stage during her life, the head has been damaged substantially.  Society member Justine Neal has kindly provided the following description:

Her face is wax over composition, with composition arms and legs, the legs ending in painted socks and shoes. She is unmarked. Her body is cloth , straw stuffed and well made. She has her original underwear. Her hair is mohair but that puzzles me a bit because if she is the same doll as in the photo, and she looks like it, then it must be a replacement wig. The cracks on her face are common damage to these types of doll.

The loss of eyelashes perhaps explains why the doll's eyes look somewhat larger in the original cabinet portrait.  It's not clear whether she still has her original head of hair, although if so, then it is clear that she was subjected to at least one rather radical haircut.  Justine thinks the curls of the current doll are too tight and close to the head to be trimmed from the original, and is of the opinion that, since the head is of a shoulder-plate type which can be removed, this one is probably a replacement.

The Brain Watkins House museum, situated on the corner of Cameron Road and Elizabeth Street, Tauranga, is open to visitors every Sunday from 2.00 to 4.00 pm.  Private group tours may be arranged on request.

WW100 Headstone Project

Heather McLean and a damaged headstone

This project was started back in April/May 2014.  Heather McLean (a committee member on WW100) raised $1170 towards the cost of three new headstones.  The stones have now been
installed in the Tauranga Catholic and Presbyterian Cemeteries.

Heather and the restored headstone of Tpr R.B.B. Cooper

Heather would like to thank the Tauranga Historical Society members for their kind donations.

Headstone and plaque for Cpl Lewis Jones

These two headstones are new ones in the Tauranga Catholic cemetery for Pte Lewis Jones and Pte.  P. (Barney) Retimana.  Someone had removed the Bronze plaque for Lewis Jones, possibly taken for the scrap metal value.

Headstone and plaque for Pte P. (Barney) Retimana

Private Retimana never previously had a headstone

Artifacts from Tuhua (Mayor Island)

Paper Nautilus Shell
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, Ref. 0716/06

This shell is made by a female knobbed argonaut octopus (Argonauta nodosa), to protect her eggs. It is produced from a thin horn like secretion from two tentacles. These shells can be found on Mayor Island.

Photographic Print, Mayor Island
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, Ref. 0191/08

Mrs Bell and her catch on Mayor Island in the 1930s. Several famous fishing expeditions took place in the waters around the Island and it was visited by American writer Zane Grey.

Fish Mount, Blue Marlin
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, Ref. 0033/12

This Blue Marlin was caught in the waters off Mayor Island in the 1940s. It was mounted and adorned a wall of the Oceanside Hotel for many years.