Greetings, this will be the last full newsletter for this calendar year although there will be a brief reminder about our December programme and what is planned for the early New Year.

 

What we did over the last two months

August: We finally obtained our incorporation status and this will make some difference to our future activities. We had as our only public meeting our open committee meeting in the JSP office where some of us presented our research on a Topic that will go into the jail as part of our exhibition for the centennial of The 1909 Police Station. The next task is to turn the research into wall exhibits. We are amateurs but want to do as good a job as we can

September: We joined with Lower Hutt Historical Society to listen to an excellent address by Ken Scadden who was the first director of Wellington City & Sea Museum. Ken who knows a great deal about Marine history spoke about the trials and tribulations immigrants of the 19th Century faced when sailing to New Zealand

The photo shows Ken speaking to the crowd

4. "Memories of 20th Century Petone" We have had the box containing the manuscripts on Memories returned intact The next step is to acquire some photos about Petone that we can use. If we have to buy them the price of the book will increase. I am certain that enough unpublished photos about activities and people in Petone are lying around many homes. They are fresh and could stir many memories It would be great to obtain some to copy both for the proposed book and also for our records. We still have room for new stories from your own past that would interest others...

BEGINNING IN THE THIRTIES

I remember plenty of places to play in Tennyson Street - the stop bank area where we cooked potatoes in their skins, collected big bonfire inflammable material over there for Guy Fawkes Day and Hardham Crescent is there now! The boys built boats made of wooden frames and corrugated iron which leaked like mad, to sail in on the Te Mome Stream. We all got covered in tar in the water from Petone Gasworks in Udy Street flowing into the stream and we had to be smeared with lard and scrubbed in the laundry tub to remove it.

Cricket: Petone East Club at Wilford School. This club was formed by local Dads who started out using a garage door as wickets to have practice, with home ground at the Wilford School. My Dad played with Mum and I helping put on afternoon tea and mark the scorecards. The games played were in the 1930's and 40's.

While at school in the 1930's, I can recall going occasionally to Silent Movie Evenings at the school with a pianist playing appropriate music in the background. Movies were Cowboys and Indians, or Steam Train stories.

In 1934, I belonged to a Brownie group which met at Wilford School with Mrs Morgan as Brown Owl, after school one a week. Then I went onto Girl Guides with Mrs Turner, schoolteacher as Captain, meeting on Friday evenings at Wilford School. There were lots of activities with them both and learning things.

In the mid 1930's (depression time), I remember taking beer bottles down in the trolley to sell at the New Central Hotel for cash. Also Mum would get me to buy mince at the Gear Meat Company's shop on the corner of Jackson and Tory Streets and she would stretch that meat to several meals adding lots of vegetables that Dad grew to feed us.

Saint Augustine's Church used to have table tennis games and socials regularly in their Hall (in the 1930's and 1940's) and I attended Sunday School in a galvanised iron building (for east end children) in Heretaunga Street, Petone.

Always down to Petone beach for swims and once a year watching swimmers come ashore after a race from Somes Island and still being held now.

I attended dances most Saturday nights from 1940 - 1950's after learning to dance in lunch hours at the Hutt Valley High School. Dances were held at the Petone Labour Hall, Petone Y.M.C.A. (on the corner of Manchester and Cuba Streets), Petone Rowing Club, Woburn Railway Social Hall, Evan Draper's Studios, Horticultural Hall and some in Wellington. We walked to and from most of the dances with no problems - streets were safe.

Had an interesting work time at Bank of New Zealand, Petone, as lunchtime teller between 1941 - 1951 with men away at the War. Very busy cashing next-of-kin family members' cheques for the Army, Navy and Air Force. We supplied lots of firms like General Motors and the Woburn Railway Workshops with wages. Security when the Bank was open was really slack but, of course, no hold-ups then! First one I can remember was at the National Bank then on Richmond and Jackson Street corner.

I recall selling gate tickets into the Petone Recreation Ground one afternoon for some boxing matches with the main match being 'Bos' Murphy versus an Australian southpaw, Vic Patrick. A large crowd attended that day in the grandstand and around the ring. A Petone youth, Les Domney had a fight on the programme. He has told me he started when he was 11 years old learning to box under Mr Dunn at the Moera Boxing Club under the Hutt Park Grandstand until the War came and the U.S. Forces put their Marines there and the boxing moved to the Railway Social Hall. Boxing matches were held from time to time at the Labour Hall.

Family photos were taken by Mr Garvitch at his studios in Jackson Street, just past the State Theatre and remember the Milk Bar next door to the State? Without television, movies were favourite past times too. Over a period I worked Saturday nights at the Palace Theatre in Kensington Avenue selling tickets in the late war years. That building has now been demolished and a Mormon Church built there. It was originally built as a skating rink for holding Balls and dances and eventually a Picture Theatre and then a. basketball stadium before being a large supermarket.

School Reunions and Class Reunions - all four primary schools - Petone Central, Wilford, Petone West (no longer in existence) and Sacred Heart Catholic schools, have had celebrations.

About 1950 Len Southward raced his speedboat 'Redhead' off the Petone Beach on a triangular course - the Australasian Championships - and won the Masport Cup. A large crowd was there watching, especially on the wharf.

Lots of films were being made locally (from Avalon) in the 1980's for television and besides locations in Campbell Terrace, Richmond Street, Manchester Street, 'Joyful and Triumphant' in Tennyson Street, we had 'Bert and Maisie' at our place up the road at No. 55.

Oddfellows' Hall (in Petone Avenue) at one time had a gymnasium run by Mr Tom Pointon and Mr Emmett. This hall was next door to the Petone Working Men's Club, then in Campbell Terrace. Mr & Mrs Wiseman ran the first silent pictures in the Oddfellows' Hall and Mrs Wiseman played the piano for it. Then the Empire Theatre in Victoria Street, between Campbell Terrace and Jackson Street (west side), built by the Petone Working Men's Club and the Literary Institute had movies and to encourage children to go, they charged 3d each and gave them each a bag of sweets.

At the Palace Theatre when it was a dance hall, the Petone Rowing Club held a 'Masquerade Ball' - fancy dress and with masks. The hall was decorated with skiffs and oars and Mrs Pollock ('Bunk' Pollock's mother) played the piano for it.

Central Hotel was on the corner of Fitzherbert and Jackson Streets (east side), now the public toilets, with Mr & Mrs Wright as proprietors. Their daughter, Leone, married Mr Emmett and later they ran a dairy next door to Gees Fruit shop when they were on the north side of Jackson Street between Buick Street and Kensington Avenue. The Central Hotel's licence went to the New Central Hotel opposite Tory Street, now the Firemen's Arms.

McEwen & Carter started up early in Petone history, first as horses and carts, then to be motorised and a lot of local businesses depended on his business.

Mrs Ernie Harrison had a carrying business. One of the Sharpe brothers ran a horse tram down Jackson Street to the Railway Station.

Saint Augustine's Church started in Victoria Street as a Hall and having services there until they built the church in Britannia Street. Later on 'Ma' Stewart set up a cane factory there making prams, pushchairs, etc. He taught people how to work the cane including Mr Mons Wakely whom eventually had his own business in Nelson Street.

Draper: George & George's store was intriguing with containers for cash and bills being sent across the shop from counter to cashier in her office and back. (Called the Lamson Railway).

On the first floor of the shop there was a gymnasium where Miss Chennells taught young girls tumbling, swinging clubs, etc., and she put on show occasionally.

When J.R. Croft Limited's funeral parlour was in Cuba Street, they used a property around the corner in 7 South Street for a building where they built coffins. This house eventually was transformed into a house where Mr & Mrs Wakely lived.

By Norma McCarten

1. Have you read Alison Carey’s book on the origins of Street Names in Lower Hutt, Petone, Eastbourne and Wainuiomata entitled -

Well worth a read. It can be obtained from the Library, i-site or Paper Plus Cost $30.

17th October Celebrating 100 years of 1909 Jail 10.30 a.m. Jackson Street

21 October Committee meeting to hear from Clark Styles the new HCC manager of local studies. All members are welcome but please let me know if you are coming

19th November: Talk by Vicky Alexander on Wainuiomata 7.30 p.m. Petone Community House

7th December. Lighthouse movies "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" 6.30 p.m.

1. In February we will again host Lower Hutt members to our meeting on the third Thursday of the month

2. Next year the Petone Rugby Football Club will celebrate their 125 year anniversary. They are looking for past members to enrol. If you know of anyone who has played rugby for Petone tell them about the reunion.

The Club is also creating a Rugby museum on their mezzanine floor which will be most interesting

HAVE A GOOD DAY !