Pt Chevalier Times No. 31

7/27/2019 Pt Chevalier Times No. 31

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Newsletter for the Point Chevalier Historical Society

No. 31 July 2013 sites.google.com/site/pointchevalierhistory/

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Next issue due out

September 2013Contact Lisa Truttman (editor) :

19 Methuen Road, Avondale, Auckland0600, phone (09) 828-8494

or email [email protected]

Times

CalendarMeetings—2013

10.30 at the Horticultural Society rooms, 990 Great North Road, Western Springs15 August—Sue Thomson on Carrington Hospital17 October—Ted Scott and his old postcards21 November—Lisa Truttman, Partington’s Mill

Searching for info on

Thomas Courtenay

From an email received recently ...

Dear Lisa,

My name is Kirsty MacDonald and I live in Point Chevalier in Joan Street.

Not long after we moved here 18 months ago, my mother received the email below from an extended family member.

My mother's maiden name is "Bell" and she had recentlyhad contact from family on that side whom we had not met before.

As you will see below, my mother was asked to see if shecould track down any information about Thomas Courtenay(photo at right).

In a strange twist of fate I had joined the Point Chevalier Sailing Club and learned how to sail last year, so it is fasci-nating to realise that a previous family member may have been there since its earliest days.

I asked the current Commodore if he knew of ThomasCourtenay (he didn't). But I believe in a newsletter fromseveral years ago you had a photograph on the cover thatincluded Thomas.

Today I met a Point Chevalier local Don Welch, who is amember of the Point Chevalier Historical Society with you.

Kirsty [email protected]



ANNUAL REPORT

POINT CHEVALIER HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

20TH JUNE, 2013

It is my pleasure to present this report on our Society'sactivities for 2012-2013. First, I must offer my sincerethanks to Jenny Wilton, Alison Turner and Lisa Trutt-man for their work on behalf of the Society. Our thanks,too, must go to our Sponsor, Heather Hannah

of Ray White Real Estate.

We are fortunate to have been able to hold our meet-ings at the Auckland Horticultural Society rooms andthe Point Chevalier Library. Other organisations inAuckland have difficulty in finding venues for daytime meetings.

Lisa has continued to find interesting and varied arti-cles for the "Point Chevalier Times" with photographsand maps to illustrate the text. Our speakers have cov-ered a wide range of topics, both local and general.Suggestions for future topics and/or speakers are al-ways welcome.

On behalf of the Society, I have attended severalmeetings organised by the Albert-Eden Board to

discuss and submit proposals on heritage and his-torical places and buildings for the Unitary Plan. As part of that process I have been compiling a list of places and buildings which seem to be significant. Itshould also be noted that the buildings included arethe original ones still part of Unitec, new ones suchas the Marae, and the Chamberlain Park golf club-house and the former Saint Helen's Hospital (nowA.I.S.). Probably as part of this we should also in-clude historical notes on the origin of local streetnames.

If you have thoughts on a place or building in thedistrict which could be marked with a permanent plaque, let me know ( written, with backgroundfacts verified, please).

We have been represented at meetings of the Fed-eration of Historical Societies by Lisa Truttman, and by me, as well at the Mangere meeting. It is interest-ing to realise that most societies have managed tosecure premises, often quite small, but neverthelessspaces in which memorabilia and documents can be

housed. All we have is a glass case in the Library,and it is not ours! Give it some thought.

(see back page)

Pt Chevalier Historical SocietyMinutes of meeting Thursday 20th June 2013

Auckland Horticultural Council Rooms

Meeting started at 10.30 am. Present: 25 people

Apologies: Pam Burrell, Jean Jones, Elaine Read, Lisa Truttman, Maurice Wallan, Jan Williams,

Welcome extended to our guest speaker Eric Kearney

President’s annual report: this was presented by Margaret. If you would like a copy please contact the

Secretary.

Treasurer’s annual report: this was presented by Alison. Members wishing to obtain a copy should contact the

Treasurer.

Election of officers: Control of the meeting was passed to Colin Gallagher.

President: Margaret O’Connor –unopposedVice President: Lisa Truttman –unopposedSecretary: Jenny Wilton –unopposedTreasurer: Alison Turner –unopposed

Committee: Jocelyn Cullen, Colin Gallagher, Jane Jones, Barbara SmithGeneral business

Reminder from Ray Patterson about the gathering of old friends, RSA Saturday 29th June. Ray also mentioned

that our newsletter is being read in Scotland

Guest Speaker

Eric Kearney: A history of the Civic Theatre

Meeting Concluded: 12.05 pm

Next meeting

15th August –Sue Thomson – Carrington Hospital



Top: Nicholson coal & wood merchants, Hall Corner, PtChevalier. Above: Jack & Joy Nicholson, with John,Anthony and Shirley, a Sunday at Coyle Park. Left : from

Auckland Star , 6 February 1933. Photos from ShirleyKnight.

Commended for

devotion to duty:

John Nicholson of Point

Chevalier

Shirley Knight, née Nicholson, came to the PCHS table atthis year’s Pt Chevalier Reunion at the RSA with a sheaf of papers, photos copied from her family collection, and aletter written to her father on 22 February 1933 from theSecretary of the Pt Chevalier School Committee. Theletter read:

“At the last meeting of the School Committee, favourablecomment was made on the report that had recently ap-

peared in our local press on the good work performed byyou and Mr Storey at Motuihi.

“I have been instructed to write expressing our deep ad-miration for the splendid effort put forward by you, andfeel proud to have such fine young fellows in our midst,ready and willing to uphold the great tradition of that mostworthy brigade, St John’s Ambulance.

“We trust your example of devotion to duty will be an inspiration to all members of the Brigade and, if at anyfuture time you are called upon, we feel confident you would again do duty and service, no matter what the cost,as an Old Pupil of our school and resident of the district.

I wish to congratulate you on having save the life of Mr J Brown at Motuihi.”

According to Shirley’s notes, John Nicholson went on to become a divisional superintendent for Waterview andPoint Chevalier in the brigade.



Membership of the Point Chevalier Historical Society

Membership is open to all with an interest in our area’s history, and costs only $10 per person. This entitles you tovote at our meetings, and to receive mailed copies of the Point Chevalier Times.Send cheques to: Pt Chevalier Historical Society, C/- 119C Hutchinson Avenue

New Lynn, Auckland 0600

Your membership fees mean that we can keep publishing the Point Chevalier Times. Your support would be

appreciated.

(from page 2)

Looking ahead — Heritage Festival, Family HistoryFair 2-4 August, Alberton -150 years .............

Finally, although we have managed to keep this or-ganisation afloat with a committee of four, please givesome thought to joining the team - we each have other responsibilities and priorities - let's share the load a bit

more.

Margaret A. O'Connor, President.

The Nurses Registration Act provided that every personwho had attained the age of twenty-three years and was

certified as having had three years' training as a nurse in

a recognized general hospital, together with systematicinstruction in theoretical and practical nursing from themedical officer and the matron of that hospital, and who

passed the prescribed examination, was entitled to regis-

tration. Not all practitioners in the early 1920s went

through these steps, though. Mrs E Smith, in Point Chevalier, was unfortunately one of these.

The hearing of the case against Mrs E Smith, who wascharged with being an unregistered midwife, was contin-ued yesterday at the Police Court before Mr J WPoynton, SM. Mr Paterson, for the Health Department,stated that defendant had attended a maternity case at

Point Chevalier. She did not obtain the services of a doc-tor, and the infant had developed jaundice and died after 12 days. Evidence previously been given by Dr Sharethat the child would have lived if medical aid had beenobtained at an earlier stage. The department warned de-fendant, over a year ago, that she was not to practice as amidwife, said Mr Paterson.

Mr J J Butler, for the defence, contended that there had been no misrepresentation, and Mrs Smith had not beenasked if she was registered. She did all the housework during the incapacity of the mother of the child and she

had not asked for a doctor to attend the confinement asshe considered she was thoroughly competent. Defendantwished to reduce expenses, as she knew the family wasin poor circumstances. Mrs Smith had had over six years'nursing experience at Ngaruawahia, and was consideredto be a very capable nurse. This was the first instance inwhich she had undertaken a maternity case without theassistance of a doctor.

The magistrate said he would take the plea that defendanthad wished to reduce expenses into consideration. Heconsidered she was actuated by the best intentions, andshe had shown great kindness in undertaking the house-

hold duties. In these circumstances I will not inflict aheavy penalty," said Mr Poynton. A fine of £2 was im-

posed, with costs, £10 8s.

NZ Herald 18 October 1923

14 August, 12 middayTalk on Maternity Homes by L Truttman, Auckland Cen-tral Library, 2nd Floor

15 August, 10.30 am

Pt Chevalier Historical Society meeting, HorticulturalCentre, 990 Great North Road, Western SpringsSue Thompson, history of Carrington Hospital

24 August

Auckland Regional Gathering at BirkenheadZion Hill Church Hall opens at 9-30 for a 10am start enter car park from Onewa Road,. Coral Malcolm to talk aboutZion Hill Church, and show half of the guests around the

building. Brian Potter to give talk to the other half aboutBirkenhead in 1880. Then swap.

Lunch between12.00 and 12.45. Bus tour will depart at1.00 and visit the Museum. 3.00pm review of all Societiesactivities. Afternoon tea available for those who want,

before departure.

ALL ENQUIRIES TO MRS MAVIS THROLL 4837230 , E-MAIL: [email protected]

P.O BOX, 34- 419.BIRKENHEAD,AUCKLANDCost $20 per head.

10 October, 10.30 amTalk on Early Days at Auckland Zoo, by L Truttman, PtChevalier Library

.

Upcoming Event dates

Unregistered midwife in

Point Chevalier, 1923

Documents

Pt Chevalier Times No. 31