NOTICEBOARD
Letters to the editor Along with other excellent articles in your Winter 2019 magazine, I enjoyed Sharon Stephenson’s account of your wallpaper collection and history. It tweaked my memory of a great-grandfather, Peter Gourdie, who came out from Scotland in 1875 on the ship Wellington. He tried goldmining in Otago, then [growing] kumara before becoming a prominent builder in Ashburton. Peter brought his wife and first child from Dunedin on the first passenger train to Christchurch, pulled by the locomotive K-88 Washington, which has been restored and now runs at The Plains Vintage Railway and Historical Museum in Tinwald, Ashburton. The locomotive had been dumped in an Otago river but was recovered and restored by rail engine enthusiasts. Peter Gourdie built many town and rural houses, as well as banking and other commercial buildings in Ashburton.
Despite having a family of 15 children, he and his wife made a couple of trips back to Scotland. In 1913 they bought a Willys Overland Model 69 Tourer car and travelled 4500 miles [7200 kilometres] around Scotland and England before filling the car with wallpaper rolls bought for sixpence a roll, and selling the rolls in Ashburton for two shillings and sixpence a roll. Canny Scots! It took me a while to get to the wallpaper bit, but I hope you enjoyed the story. David Field (abridged) Regarding the article in your Summer 2019 issue on the film projector at Te Araroa, I was reminded that, many years ago, my wife and I stopped there to see a film. At that time, the small complex was owned by residents who lived in a house next door. You called in there in the evening and were charged a
nominal sum to enter, with the owners pointing out that the proceeds went to the upkeep of the theatre and projector. We were instructed to close the door behind us and if anything went wrong during the film to knock on their door to fix it. At a certain time the lights went out and the projector started on a time switch; later the projector turned off and the lights came on. All went well, the film finished and we walked out to our small campervan. Eric Strickett (abridged) I have just been reading the item on Meretoto in the Summer 2019 issue. I was one of the crew on the Spirit of New Zealand for the amazing Tuia 250 pōwhiri there. The entry to Picton was incredible too, with [HMB] Endeavour and the various waka following the Spirit into port with a huge escort of small vessels. I feel disappointed that the media have largely ignored the various Tuia 250 events around
the country – I have been on the Spirit for three of them. There has been such a wonderful coming together and sharing of our history from all points of view and a celebration of all Pacific navigators over the centuries. Sheila Budgen
HERITAGE NEW ZEALAND DIRECTORY National Office PO Box 2629, Wellington 6140 Antrim House 63 Boulcott Street Wellington 6011 (04) 472 4341 (04) 499 0669 information@heritage.org.nz Go to www.heritage.org.nz for details of offices and historic places around New Zealand that are cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
In the last edition of Heritage New Zealand magazine, I promised to share some images in this issue of the wonderful new roof at Ruatuna, which you all helped to fund, and the Open Day, during which we showed off this heritage gem to our members and the local community. So here they are. For those of you who couldn’t make it to the Open Day, there will be other opportunities, I promise! And for our Wellington-based members in particular, we’re also planning a ‘sneak peek’ so you can look around Old St Paul’s once this work is complete. Keep an eye out for more news on that in a few weeks’ time.
Brendon Veale Manager Asset Funding
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
... WITH BRENDON VEALE
4 Ngahuru • Autumn
0800 HERITAGE (0800 437482) bveale@heritage.org.nz
Heritage New Zealand
