TOPICAL
AUGUST- SEPTEMBER 2024
Taranaki Branch Committee
TARANAKI BRANCH
BRANCH OFFICERS, BRANCH ADDRESS, AND MEETING DETAILS 2024- 2025.
CHAIRMAN:
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE: E-MAIL:
SECRETARY/TREASURER:
COLIN JOHNSTON. 63 BROADWAY, WAITARA. 021 131 6699 / 06 754 6216. cajohnstoncollections@xtra.co.nz
ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: E-MAIL: ROB THOMSON. 7 LEATHAM AVE, STRANDON, NEW PLYMOUTH, 4312. 027 701 2485 vcc.taranaki@gmail.com
CLUB CAPTAIN:
TELEPHONE: E-MAIL: JOHN MUTER. 06 751 5554 megandjohnny@xtra.co.nz
NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
TELEPHONE: E-MAIL: JIM LOGAN. 027 604 4821 / 06 751 0316. logandj49@gmail.com
BRANCH COMMITTEE:( ( ( ( KEVIN FABISH: 06 756 7665 kev.fabish@gmail.com
PARTS SHED:( ( (
LES BOGNUDA: 06 755 2810 021 084 82323 bognuda63@xtra.co.nz
DANNY PATTINSON: 06 756 7735 pattinson-family@farmside.co.nz
BRIAN EVANS: 027 956 0441 brian.julie@outlook.com
JOHN MUTER: 06 751 5554
CES BUDD: 06 241 0454
NEIL ROOK: 06 758 6737
COMPLIANCE / VIN’S / VIC’S: MIKE WILLIAMS: 06 765 4419 annmike21@hotmail.co.nz
LES BOGNUDA: 06 755 2810 021 084 82323 bognuda63@xtra.co.nz
MID WEEK COORDINATOR: BRYAN MORRIS: 06 272 8027
SCRIBE / BEADED WHEELS: MEMBERSHIP / ARCHIVIST: NAME BADGES: LIBRARIAN:
CLUBROOMS CUSTODIAN: GROUNDS CUSTODIANS:( (
BRANCH INFORMATION: CLUBROOMS ADDRESS: POSTAL ADDRESS: E-MAIL: MONTHLY MEETING:
COLIN JOHNSTON: 021 131 6699 cajohnstoncollections@xtra.co.nz
ROSE COX: 027 353 9968 roselcox7@gmail.com
KEVIN FABISH: 06 756 7665
JOHN MUTER: 06 751 5554
ROSE COX: 027 353 9968
LES BOGNUDA: 06 755 2810
DANNY PATTINSON: 06 756 7735
TARANAKI [19]
1040 MOUTAIN ROAD, SH3A, WAIONGANA, INGLEWOOD. C/o 7 LEATHAM AVE., STRANDON, NEW PLYMOUTH. 4312 taranaki@vcc.org.nz AT CLUBROOMS, 3RD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH, 8.00pm.
On The Cover: High Tea at the George’s Collection and Peter and Angela’s 1922 vintage Stanley Steamer
Chairmans Chatter for Topical Torque
Hello Folks
Our Sunday club run for July was a visit to Peter and Angela George's Family collection of Steam vehicles including a magnificent Traction engine named "The Mistress" all in running order breathing steam and chugging away for us all to admire. This was one of three Traction engines in this collection. Also on display was their fully restored 1922 Stanley Steamer Car. Angela George and her family members had arranged a surprise magnificent high tea for us, and we really appreciated the work that went into this using beautiful China cups, saucers and plates that are normally in the China cabinet. Thank you again Angela. The collection also had scale model steam trains and steam articles in glass cabinets for viewing and the knowledge that Peter and his family had about steam was outstanding giving us all something to think about when steam was king before petrol came on to the scene. A reminder to check out our Facebook page as you will see a video and photos that have our visit on with the page having 24 likes and the video has been viewed 222 times within 5 days.
Danny Pattinson has been working on the form to be filled out by members if they would like to participate in our members list of vehicles owned for our branch members use only. The form and a discussion will be held at our Noggin and Natter night in August to answer any queries. It will give us a great data base of vehicles owned by our members.
The committee are still waiting for a decision to be made by South Taranaki members on the event for the Rally for Cancer that could be a motor show held in Hawera.
The Vintage Car Club AGM is be held in Tauranga and Rob Thomson and I are attending and will report back at the August Noggin and Natter.
Our Club Captain's John Muter and Brian Evans have arranged some great outings for you the members so check out the Activities coming up in this newsletter.
Keep the PassIon..........There is still some great weather to get out and about........Keep to the Left ......... Safe Travels.
Cheers, Chairman Colin
EDITORS REPORT
Well, it has been a busy month for the Branch with trips to Patea Museum midweek and the Peter George collection last Sunday. Good attendance at both events, with numbers on Sunday boosted by invited members from the Morris Minor club.
Next month we have a visit to a private collection in Eltham, see John’s report for details. Our annual motorcycle rally comes around again in September, if you wish to help with marshalling on the day of the rally or join in the celebrations, please use the entry form sent out last week. Jim Logan
Some photos from our visit to the Peter George collection
CLUB CAPTAINS REPORT
First of all I would like to welcome two new members to our branch. Toni Farquhar who owns a 1954 Buick and Amy Rijumanag who had bought Des Cornwall's Austin eight and also owns 6 Jawa motorcycles. I hope you both will enjoy many events with our club. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the midweek run to Patea but believe it was well attended and enjoyed by all.
Many thanks to Bryan for organising this event. There was a good attendance for the visit to Peter and Angela George's amazing collection amazing collection amazing collection including traction engines, fairground organs a Stanley steamer and lots of models and memorabilia. Also, the unexpected afternoon tea which was fit for a king. Many thanks to you both and your family for making this a visit to remember.
As we have a good number of lady members attending club events, we would welcome any thoughts you may have for interesting club runs or guest speakers on club nights, please let me know. Coming Events:
Thursday 15th of August – club night at 8 pm
Sunday 25th of August - visit to Mike Coils Museum and Carrac Group, both in Eltham.
John and Yvonne Burling own this large manufacturing business that produces large volumes of equipment for trailers, general engineering with state-of-the-art machinery and TrackGrip which is marketed by them in the USA. For the ladies there are also several antique shops and cafés nearby. We will meet at Bath Street, Eltham (just behind the library and toilets) at 1 pm. We will also be joined by members of the Morris Minor, early Ford V8 and Hudson-Essex Terraplane clubs.
Wednesday 18th of September – a midweek run and New Plymouth venue to be advised.
Saturday 21st of September – our Rubber Duckie Motorcycle Rally
Safe Motoring, John
OTHER BRANCH’S EVENTS
AUGUST 9 VCC Executive & National A G M, Bay of Plenty – 25 National Daffodil Rally for Cancer.
SEPTEMBER 7 Vintage only Rally, Central Hawkes Bay – 15 Groves Memorial Rally, Wairarapa – 20-23 Manawatu Meander, Wellington – 28 Vintage Rally, Manawatu.
Report on Midweek Trip to Patea on 24th July 2024
Wednesday midday found an intrepid group of about 18 members plus more than a dozen cars drive onto our traditional South Taranaki assembly area at the Normanby Hall. Among our ilk were new members Lynette McComb and Bill Mobbs, each rubbing our noses into their beautifully prepared vehicles. Come 1:15 pm all engines actually fired up as requested, and thanks to our esteemed Sargeant At Arms Bryan Morris, we were well organized to set rubber to the road, his trusty 1931 Vauxhall VX Tourer leading the way, bound for Patea and the ‘Hunter Shaw’ building.
Hunter Shaw was born in Northern Ireland in 1839. He arrived with his parents and 8 siblings in 1872 and they farmed at Kakaramea, Hurleyville and later Kakaramea. None married, so on his demise 13 th Oct 1927, Hunter gifted his entire estate (£8,500) to the town of Patea. This was used to build the ‘Hunter Shaw’ library with Plunket rooms attached in 1930, a children’s wing at the Patea hospital, and a playground in town. This grand building was closed in 2013 as an earthquake risk, and since has been ingeniously and invisibly strengthened thanks to grants from the NZ Lotteries board and South Taranaki District Council totaling $700,000.
Having sat us all down and finally quieted, Jaque Dwyer- a most gifted and knowledgeable historian of the district, treated us to a beautifully prepared slide and commentary presentation on the history of Patea. So appreciated is Jaq for her devotion to Patea and its surroundings, she was last May awarded the King’s Service Medal for her work in this area (and a myriad of other organizations besides). She walked us through the Maori Land Wars, and building of the bridges, (present one 1959); the founding of Patea down by the river in the 1860’s as a military base, to shifting the town to its present site 10 years later. She described the building of the jetties in 1876- one by James Hirst, and the other by John Milroy- (Patea’s first ‘Mayor’), and then the first seawall at the river mouth in 1878 when the Patea Shipping Co was established, the second wall was built some 27 years later. We learnt the town was even named ‘Carlyle’ till 1881 when they officially declared it the ‘Patea Borough’, complete with their own mayor. The first ‘official’ one was George Sherwood, and it remained its own master till 1989 when it merged with South Taranaki District. The beach is still called ‘Garlyle Beach’. Jaq gave details about the freezing works which started as a meat cannery in 1883, moving to freezing in 1904, exporting huge quantities of mutton as carcasses mainly to England. 1920 it held the NZ record of 89,869 units. Patea was easily the largest port, and 1907 saw the most cheese (9151 cwt) exported out of NZ. The works owned two ships- the Waitangi, and the Waverley. Sadly their two-year-old ‘Waitangi’ was wrecked at the river mouth in 1923, and still lies there on Carlyle beach today. In 1926 Patea works pioneered the ‘Bobby Calf’ industry, which took its name from the monetary value of a calf “one bob, then a shilling, for a calf”.
Patea had its own power station commissioned in 1902, and in 1903, the FIRST CAR came to Patea- a 4 hp1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, built in Detroit. Owned by the local chemist Percy Walker, it was capable of 23 MPH! Someone commented at the time “Patea is getting more like London every day.” The works survived many dramas, fires and issues, yet continued to 1982, when it closed with the loss of 800 jobs. This was a terrible blow for the town and local economy. Not content with that, the now forsaken plant suffered another fire in Feb. 2008.
Special thanks must go to Robyn Carter, Jaq, and her mum Marie Dwyer, for our sumptuous afternoon tea, also to another town stalwart and historian Jim Livingston- Baker, and indeed our own Bryan Morris, for their collective contribution to a most memorable day out.
Thanks go to Malcolm Harding for this report
Photos from our Midweek run to Patea
Health and Safety briefing focusing on not using excessive speed Start Your Engines
Bill Mobbs’s 1939 Ford V8 Barrel nose
Lynette McComb’s 1961 Morris Major Deluxe
Outside the Hunter Shaw Building
Visit to Peter & Angela George’s Steam Museum
On Sunday 28th, the Club visited Peter & Angela George place there were at least 7 0 people there.
Peter started by introducing us to his working Steam Traction Engine “The Mistress”.
First there was a loud steam Whistle that got everyone’s attention. The Engine was ready for action up to pressure and the huge flywheel spinning very slowly.
The Mistress is a 3 speed Compound Traction Engine
Built in 1912 by Aveling & Porter in Rochester Kent England, It weighs 11 ½ ton and maximum speed on the Road is 12 MPH
The Engine worked its whole life in Wairarapa from 1913 to 1938 doing Road haulage and driving agricultural Machinery.
The Engine was Scrapped in the late 50s and many Thousands of hours of work was put into its restoration.
In the museum their several ¼ sized Traction engines and some Trains.
Peter has the track to build a track around his property to run his steam engines on. This will be marvellous for the museum when finished.
Peter had replicated a Steam Pipe organ that played several Tunes. We were also treated to some Music on the Piano by Megan Muter and Willy Wood. An amazing afternoon tea was served by Angela with 8 cake stands full of food and some flash China tea service.
Thanks to Michael Kruse for this report Some photos from our visit
DID YOU KNOW –
That any members are welcome to visit our parts shed by contacting a committee member to organise a suitable time for a visit. There are a wealth of parts within and there is not always time on Club night to rummage through them all.
WANTED TO BUY
• Ford T 21-inch wheel and rim, 4 stud bolt on type, ph John 7515554(mem)
FOR SALE
• Kent driving lights , chrome, as new $40.00 pr. Electric cooling fan, as new, $25.00 Metal Velocette sign, approx 400mm x 300mm new $20.0. Sunroof, suit 80’s on. NOS Vanguard rocker panels [sills] NOS, light surface rust, $50. Mazda B1600 ute tail gate skin, NOS, $5 Luggage carrier, rusty but will clean up, $50.00. Audi 5-cylinder engine, $200.00 . Contact Taranaki Branch - Parts Dept.
• Morris 1300, twin engined, unique, road legal and drives well, asking $9,000, ph Albert 0278588072)mem)
