Six Shaken Roads: How the 1931 Earthquake affected Havelock North
As part of the 80th anniversary of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake, Michael Fowler will be giving a talk illustrated with photos on how Havelock North fared during the earthquake
On February 3, 1931, an earthquake centred near coastal Aropaoanui, 12km north of Napier, turned Hawkes Bay into a virtual war zone. The shock brought down buildings between Gisborne and Waipawa and toppled chimneys from Taupo to Wellington. On a per capita basis it was New Zealand's most lethal single calamity. There was 171 aftershocks that day. There were 525 aftershocks recorded in the following two weeks. The main shock could be felt in much of the lower half of the North Island. The 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake caused the largest loss of life and most extensive damage of any quake in New Zealand’s recorded history.
GNS Science
• Location: Hawke’s Bay
• Date (NZ Summer Time): Tuesday, February 3 1931 at 10:47 am
• Epicentre: 39.3°S, 177.0°E
• Focal Depth: 20 km
• Maximum Intensity: MM 10
• Magnitude: MS 7.8
• Casualties: 256 killed, thousands injured
• GeoNet Summary:
The official death toll was 256 and 593 people sustained serious injuries that required hospitalisation. The earthquake was followed by fires in the business areas of both Napier and Hastings that became uncontrollable as water pressure dwindled because of broken water mains. The Ahuriri Lagoon in Napier was raised drastically in the earthquake, changing the coastline significantly and leaving hundreds of fish and horse mussels exposed on dry land.
The earthquake was felt throughout most of New Zealand except for areas in the far south and the far north. It also deformed the surface of the land in the surrounding area, pushing up a long dome running northeast-southwest. The dome was 17 km wide and over 90 km long, and extended from the northeast of the Mohaka River mouth to southwest of Hastings. The ground was raised by up to 2.7 m near the mouth of the Arapaoanui River, while at Hastings it sank by up to one metre. Along the dome created by the earthquake, some rock folded under the pressure, while at the south-western end about 15 km of rock was broken by surface faulting. Today, only 3 km of this fault trace remains visible.
In Havelock North there was damage to Iona College, structural and cracks in the main office, the hospital had some substantial damage too. Woodford House School again had damage mostly cracks broken windows etc., St Luke's Church where a wedding was about to happen when the quake struck it, the church tower toppled and the main entrance was blocked. No one was hurt and the wedding went ahead in the afternoon outdoors on the lawn. The was some damage to St Columba’s Church and Manse. The power transformer and toilets had some damage to the bell on the roof. In the central business district of Havelock North there was substantial damage to the two storeyed building of Foster Brooks, it collapsed and caught fire. The Forrester’s Lodge and Library was okay. The Exchange Hotel crumbled to the ground. The Havelock North Bridge was devastated and the water supply was lost and Havelock was isolated from Hastings and Napier. I was three weeks before the bridge was re-built.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
Gordon Vogtherr : Almost 100 years of Bacon and Ham Curing in Hastings
Gordon Vogtherr : Almost 100 years of Bacon and Ham Curing in Hastings
Well-known local Hastings business Holly Bacon Co Ltd has been in family ownership since it was started by Carl Vogtherr in 1914. Carl originated from Germany, but he immigrated to England to avoid conscription, and to learn a trade. Carl apprenticed to become a pork butcher, at which he became very successful.
As an avid fancier of dogs, birds and fowls, Carl was chosen to be judge of Rough Coated Collie Dogs at the Berlin Dog Show in 1907.
When ill-health caused Carl to retire from his butchery, an uncle suggested he move to New Zealand to recover. Carl and his family arrived in Hastings in 1913, and his health recovered sufficiently to once again start in business as a pork butcher, amongst other things.
Gordon will talk about his remarkable family, which is one of the few remaining businesses in family ownership in Hastings from the beginning of last century.
Well-known local Hastings business Holly Bacon Co Ltd has been in family ownership since it was started by Carl Vogtherr in 1914. Carl originated from Germany, but he immigrated to England to avoid conscription, and to learn a trade. Carl apprenticed to become a pork butcher, at which he became very successful.
As an avid fancier of dogs, birds and fowls, Carl was chosen to be judge of Rough Coated Collie Dogs at the Berlin Dog Show in 1907.
When ill-health caused Carl to retire from his butchery, an uncle suggested he move to New Zealand to recover. Carl and his family arrived in Hastings in 1913, and his health recovered sufficiently to once again start in business as a pork butcher, amongst other things.
Gordon will talk about his remarkable family, which is one of the few remaining businesses in family ownership in Hastings from the beginning of last century.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Six Shaken Roads: How the 1931 Earthquake affected Havelock North
Six Shaken Roads: How the 1931 Earthquake affected Havelock North
As part of the 80th anniversary of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake, Michael Fowler will be giving a talk illustrated with photos on how Havelock North fared during the earthquake.
The talk will take place on Thursday, 3 February 2011, from 7.30pm until 9pm at the Havelock North Community Centre. Tickets are $10 and available from the Hastings i-site or Poppies Bookstore in Havelock North.
Supported by Art Deco Trust, HBS Bank and the Hastings District Council
As part of the 80th anniversary of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake, Michael Fowler will be giving a talk illustrated with photos on how Havelock North fared during the earthquake.
The talk will take place on Thursday, 3 February 2011, from 7.30pm until 9pm at the Havelock North Community Centre. Tickets are $10 and available from the Hastings i-site or Poppies Bookstore in Havelock North.
Supported by Art Deco Trust, HBS Bank and the Hastings District Council
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Dr Barry : One Public Hospital for Hawke's Bay A brief History.
In the early days government provided little in the way of health services. People in need of care relied on independent doctors, and family and community support. The first public hospital opened in Napier in 1860, and this served the entire region until a second was opened in Waipukurau in 1879. Other hospitals followed, including Wairoa (1888), Dannevirke (1906) and Hastings on ANZAC day 25th April 1928 the Hawk’e Bay Fallen soldiers Hospital was opened by the Minister of Health & Hasting mayor Sir George Ebbett. It was a low lying single storeyed building set back from Omahu road.
1931 Napier hospital buried in landslide after earthquake. Temporary hospital set up.
A new Napier Hospital on the hill was opened in 1969
In the 1990s the government wanted to rationalise health services, and some hospitals, such as Napier and Dannevirke, closed.
1995 the big debate on one hospital for Hastings and Napier was in full swing.
In 1995, following a hotly contested debate between Hastings and Napier, it was
decided that the regional hospital should be in Hastings.
Napier people were assured, by both political and health authorities from the highest
level down, that after its establishment:
they would have two-thirds of the services they had previously enjoyed
these would include accident services, day surgery and maternity. It would be pointless for Napier to be in competition with Hastings. The
Napier Public Health Action Group [NPHAG] does not, repeat NOT, seek duplication
of a regional hospital in Napier. It DOES seek fulfilment of the assurances given
when our hospital was closed – a public community hospital offering real treatment of cases not requiring high tech equipment.
In the 2000s the region was covered by the Hawke’s Bay and MidCentral district health boards. The main hospital was located in Hastings. District and community health centres were in Wairoa, Napier, Waipukurau and Dannevirke. Māori organisations such as Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Hastings provided health and other social services to Māori in the region.
1931 Napier hospital buried in landslide after earthquake. Temporary hospital set up.
A new Napier Hospital on the hill was opened in 1969
In the 1990s the government wanted to rationalise health services, and some hospitals, such as Napier and Dannevirke, closed.
1995 the big debate on one hospital for Hastings and Napier was in full swing.
In 1995, following a hotly contested debate between Hastings and Napier, it was
decided that the regional hospital should be in Hastings.
Napier people were assured, by both political and health authorities from the highest
level down, that after its establishment:
they would have two-thirds of the services they had previously enjoyed
these would include accident services, day surgery and maternity. It would be pointless for Napier to be in competition with Hastings. The
Napier Public Health Action Group [NPHAG] does not, repeat NOT, seek duplication
of a regional hospital in Napier. It DOES seek fulfilment of the assurances given
when our hospital was closed – a public community hospital offering real treatment of cases not requiring high tech equipment.
In the 2000s the region was covered by the Hawke’s Bay and MidCentral district health boards. The main hospital was located in Hastings. District and community health centres were in Wairoa, Napier, Waipukurau and Dannevirke. Māori organisations such as Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Hastings provided health and other social services to Māori in the region.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Dr David Barry - One Public Hospital for Hawke's Bay
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board member, Dr David Barry is Landmarks History Group’s guest speaker for November 2010 on the history of how one regional hospital was formed in Hawke’s Bay. The process which resulted in the regional hospital for Hawke’s Bay had many influences on the decision. A mixture of parochialism, civic pride, Hastings’ growth in population, central and local government influence and medical advances in intensive care, all make the ingredients for a fascinating talk by Dr Barry.
Dr Barry is well-qualified to talk on this subject having been first employed by the hospital as senior pediatrician in 1972, and was chairman of Hastings Memorial Hospital medical staff at the time of the initial moves toward establishing a single hospital
Dr Barry is well-qualified to talk on this subject having been first employed by the hospital as senior pediatrician in 1972, and was chairman of Hastings Memorial Hospital medical staff at the time of the initial moves toward establishing a single hospital
Sunday, 17 October 2010
The Kirk, the Laird and the Lady Principal – an account of the founding of Iona College Jo McGlashan
Iona College was the dream of three visionary yet practical people:
Mr Hugh Campbell of Breadalbane, Havelock North, who offered the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand eight acres of land, initially for the establishment of a Deaconess College.
Reverend Alexander Whyte, Minister of St Columba’s Church, Havelock North, 1898-1910, who saw the need for a Presbyterian Girls’ School and petitioned the Presbyterian Church to establish one.
Miss Isabel Fraser, Principal of Wanganui Girls’ College, 1893 — 1910, whose dreams were for a Christian education for young women and who, in 1909, offered her services to the Presbyterian Church should a girls’ boarding school be established. Incidentally, it was Miss Fraser who introduced the kiwifruit to New Zealand.
These visions coalesced when the 1911 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church set up a committee to ‘investigate the support for the establishment of a girls’ boarding school’. During the next year a further four acres of land were donated by Mr Mason Chambers; Miss Fraser travelled to Britain where she visited schools seeking ideas and models, and funds were sought throughout the North Island in order to meet the conditions of Mr Campbell’s gift.
At the November 1912 meeting of the Presbyterian Church committee, several important decisions were made: the gifts of land from Messers Campbell and Chambers were accepted and a boarding school for girls was to be established; Miss Isabel Fraser was offered the position of Headmistress — she accepted and, as well, offered her services free for a period of five years!
The committee adopted several of Miss Fraser’s suggestions:
The name of the school was to be Iona College, Iona being the first place in Scotland where Saint Columba had preached Christianity.
The College crest was to be the Celtic cross.
The College’s motto was to be ‘Love, Joy, Peace’ — gifts of the Holy Spirit as outlined by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5.22.
Architects Rush and James were asked to submit a plan for the school taking Miss Fraser’s ideas into account. The committee itself was enlarged and an Executive Committee was appointed.
Miss Fraser again travelled to Britain seeking equipment and staff. She was overseas when on May 14, 1913, the College Foundation Stone was laid by Mr Hugh Campbell at a gathering attended by over 1,000 people. The Foundation Plaque sits in the main building outside the Principal’s office.
Opened in 1914, Iona College is the oldest Presbyterian School in New Zealand. It was established as a girls’ boarding school built on land donated by Mr Hugh Campbell.
The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable W F Massey, opened Iona College on February 14, 1914.
Iona opened with a roll of 48 pupils who were accommodated in buildings that were habitable but unfinished.
In its infancy, Iona developed very quickly and prospered under the leadership of Miss Isabel Fraser, the founding headmistress, who offered her services free for the first five years. During its early years, Iona College developed at an unforeseen pace. In 1916, the staff cottages were built and the swimming pool was opened. In 1917, St Oran’s was built as a separate hospital but, upon completion, was used for boarding accommodation such was the demand for places. By 1918 there were 125 boarders.
Miss Fraser retired in 1921. Her name lives on in one of the school’s four Houses and her generative wish for the school is contained in these words:
"May Iona do its share in furnishing our beloved land with women whose bodies are free with the freedom of health, whose minds are free from all littleness, and whose souls are free with the fruits of the spirit against which there is no law."
Miss Fraser was succeeded by Miss J R Barr, from New Plymouth Girls’ High School, who convinced the College Council that Iona should become a registered secondary school. This became possible after the conversion of a classroom into a science laboratory.
Despite the manse upbringing and excellent academic record of Miss Barr’s successor, Miss Ann Drennan, her term as Headmistress was short and, at the end of 1924, Miss Irene Stollery was appointed as acting Principal and then Principal in 1926.
1924 saw the College near bankruptcy and facing a diminishing roll. Those who worked to keep the Founders’ visions alive included Mr Archibald McLean and Mr J B Campbell (son of Hugh) who became Chairman of the Council in 1931. This period was when Commercial and Primary Departments were added. The other major event which happened in this period was the Napier earthquake.
EarthquakeIona’s buildings were severely affected by the February 1931 earthquake and the College had to be closed for a year while refinancing and rebuilding took place. The opening roll in 1932 was 27 boarders and nine day pupils. In 1927, Miss Christina McNeil joined the staff as a teacher of French. In 1936, she was appointed as Headmistress and Iona was to become her life for the next three decades.
The war years saw Iona standing fast in the face of even more adversity. Girls received certificates rather than books for prizes and the money saved was donated to a welfare fund.
The highlight of this period was the opening of St Martin’s chapel in 1958. It was the fulfilment of dreams, visions and 12 years of fundraising.
For Miss McNeil it was the highlight of her days at Iona. Iona was complete with “a place to work and a shrine in which to worship.”
Mr Hugh Campbell of Breadalbane, Havelock North, who offered the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand eight acres of land, initially for the establishment of a Deaconess College.
Reverend Alexander Whyte, Minister of St Columba’s Church, Havelock North, 1898-1910, who saw the need for a Presbyterian Girls’ School and petitioned the Presbyterian Church to establish one.
Miss Isabel Fraser, Principal of Wanganui Girls’ College, 1893 — 1910, whose dreams were for a Christian education for young women and who, in 1909, offered her services to the Presbyterian Church should a girls’ boarding school be established. Incidentally, it was Miss Fraser who introduced the kiwifruit to New Zealand.
These visions coalesced when the 1911 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church set up a committee to ‘investigate the support for the establishment of a girls’ boarding school’. During the next year a further four acres of land were donated by Mr Mason Chambers; Miss Fraser travelled to Britain where she visited schools seeking ideas and models, and funds were sought throughout the North Island in order to meet the conditions of Mr Campbell’s gift.
At the November 1912 meeting of the Presbyterian Church committee, several important decisions were made: the gifts of land from Messers Campbell and Chambers were accepted and a boarding school for girls was to be established; Miss Isabel Fraser was offered the position of Headmistress — she accepted and, as well, offered her services free for a period of five years!
The committee adopted several of Miss Fraser’s suggestions:
The name of the school was to be Iona College, Iona being the first place in Scotland where Saint Columba had preached Christianity.
The College crest was to be the Celtic cross.
The College’s motto was to be ‘Love, Joy, Peace’ — gifts of the Holy Spirit as outlined by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5.22.
Architects Rush and James were asked to submit a plan for the school taking Miss Fraser’s ideas into account. The committee itself was enlarged and an Executive Committee was appointed.
Miss Fraser again travelled to Britain seeking equipment and staff. She was overseas when on May 14, 1913, the College Foundation Stone was laid by Mr Hugh Campbell at a gathering attended by over 1,000 people. The Foundation Plaque sits in the main building outside the Principal’s office.
Opened in 1914, Iona College is the oldest Presbyterian School in New Zealand. It was established as a girls’ boarding school built on land donated by Mr Hugh Campbell.
The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable W F Massey, opened Iona College on February 14, 1914.
Iona opened with a roll of 48 pupils who were accommodated in buildings that were habitable but unfinished.
In its infancy, Iona developed very quickly and prospered under the leadership of Miss Isabel Fraser, the founding headmistress, who offered her services free for the first five years. During its early years, Iona College developed at an unforeseen pace. In 1916, the staff cottages were built and the swimming pool was opened. In 1917, St Oran’s was built as a separate hospital but, upon completion, was used for boarding accommodation such was the demand for places. By 1918 there were 125 boarders.
Miss Fraser retired in 1921. Her name lives on in one of the school’s four Houses and her generative wish for the school is contained in these words:
"May Iona do its share in furnishing our beloved land with women whose bodies are free with the freedom of health, whose minds are free from all littleness, and whose souls are free with the fruits of the spirit against which there is no law."
Miss Fraser was succeeded by Miss J R Barr, from New Plymouth Girls’ High School, who convinced the College Council that Iona should become a registered secondary school. This became possible after the conversion of a classroom into a science laboratory.
Despite the manse upbringing and excellent academic record of Miss Barr’s successor, Miss Ann Drennan, her term as Headmistress was short and, at the end of 1924, Miss Irene Stollery was appointed as acting Principal and then Principal in 1926.
1924 saw the College near bankruptcy and facing a diminishing roll. Those who worked to keep the Founders’ visions alive included Mr Archibald McLean and Mr J B Campbell (son of Hugh) who became Chairman of the Council in 1931. This period was when Commercial and Primary Departments were added. The other major event which happened in this period was the Napier earthquake.
EarthquakeIona’s buildings were severely affected by the February 1931 earthquake and the College had to be closed for a year while refinancing and rebuilding took place. The opening roll in 1932 was 27 boarders and nine day pupils. In 1927, Miss Christina McNeil joined the staff as a teacher of French. In 1936, she was appointed as Headmistress and Iona was to become her life for the next three decades.
The war years saw Iona standing fast in the face of even more adversity. Girls received certificates rather than books for prizes and the money saved was donated to a welfare fund.
The highlight of this period was the opening of St Martin’s chapel in 1958. It was the fulfilment of dreams, visions and 12 years of fundraising.
For Miss McNeil it was the highlight of her days at Iona. Iona was complete with “a place to work and a shrine in which to worship.”
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
The Kirk, the Laird and the Lady Principal – an account of the founding of Iona College Jo McGlashan
The Kirk, the Laird and the Lady Principal – an account of the founding of Iona College Jo McGlashan, an old-girl of Iona College, and a past chaplain, is the Landmarks History Group speaker for October where she will talk on the founding of Iona College. One person that will be mentioned is founding Principal Miss Fraser, an interesting and farsighted lady who is credited with bringing the first Chinese Gooseberry (now Kiwi Fruit) seeds to New Zealand. As usual the talk will take place at the Hastings Public Library, Warren Street, on Tuesday 12 October from 5.30pm until 6.30pm. Gold coin donation upon entry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
