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Past Newsworthy

Early Settlers' Diamond wedding - 28 February 1935

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Mr and Mrs Richard Perkin of Hagley avenue, Christchurch, who will celebrate today the diamond jubilee of their wedding. “The change in the face of the city and in the methods of travel since they arrived were the first things to be commented on yesterday by Mr and Mrs Richard Perkin, of 488 Hagley avenue, when talking with a reporter yesterday. Mr and Mrs Perkin will celebrate the diamond jubilee of their wedding to-day. Mrs Perkin was only six weeks old when she arrived at Lyttelton from England in June 1851, as she was born during the voyage. The boat in which she came with her parents was the Jack Stedfast, the sixth ship to arrive at Lyttelton and she was called Stedfast [sic] after it. The family settled in Lyttelton at first, and Mrs Perkin's memories of the place are associated with the Maoris, who had a large pa where the station now is. For the six years that she lived there she was very much afraid of them. In 1857 the family made the journey over the hill to...
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3763 Honourable Captain Bandmaster Frederick BOWES B.E.M.

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  So Anzac Day has appeared again.  Always an emotional day for a lot of us on this side of the world. As usual, I visited a cemetery to take photographs of family memorials (not my family) mentioning loved ones buried where they fell overseas and often walking through other sections headstones/plaques catch my eye.  Frederick BOWES resting place was one of these.  He appeared to maybe have something to delve deeper in to. Frederick was a bit of a sharp shooter!  A sportsman whose achievements which included representing New Zealand have been lost to time as well as his notable talents as a cornetist and trumpet player who was a founding member of and played regularly in the Auckland Municipal Band and who was highly respected. On 28 March 1935 this article appeared in the Auckland Star RIFLEMAN ENTERTAINED. "Mr. Fred. Bowes the King's Prize winner at the recent Dominion rifle championship meeting, who is a member of the Auckland Municipal B...
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Location: 4128 Great North Rd, Glen Eden, Auckland 0602, New Zealand
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Making connections - the s.s. Tainui Disaster

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I snap thousands of grave and memorial photos.  Of course sometimes they 'ring bells' in my head as the various facts come together during research.   New Zealand is a small world after all and  lives of those who have crossed each others paths for some reason or other does happen. Here are a couple that have that connection and one of them, Charles WILLIAMS provided a few surprises. The s.s. Tainui Disaster [32] The Tainui which was a wooden cargo vessel, was carrying a load of benzine that it was ill equipped to do so.  The inevitable happened, she exploded near Shag Rock on the Canterbury Coast, off Gore Bay in North Canterbury and all but 1 of the 9 crew were drowned on 16th September 1919. [1] Excerpts from Paperspast well cover the story. Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 7221, 17 September 1919, Page 5 Lifeboat Capsizes when Launched The Tainui went ashore about four miles North of Gore Bay, the spot being marked by clou...
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