Family History 1.138

Gaze History: NSG Memoir

South Island Holiday

At the end of 1951, with a railway strike following on the heels of the great Waterfront Strike, the family planned a South Island holiday.  Mary and Olwyn were to take the train to Wellington, while Noel took Franklin and Stuart and most of the luggage in the Prefect by road.  The strike meant that the womenfolk had to go in the car as well.  They left a few days before Christmas and motored as far as Turangi, where they took out groundsheets and sleeping bags and slept on the side of the road under a line of pine trees. 

Next morning they continued on their way.  The car was cold (no heating in those days, or air conditioning); the boot door was down and all the luggage, covered by a canvas tarpaulin, was packed on it.  The children sat in the back seat. At Wellington, the car was hoisted on to the ferry in a sling, and the family boarded in the more conventional manner by gangway. 

In Cathedral Square 1951

After a day or two in Christchurch, they headed south along State Highway 1, eventually reaching Invercargill on New Year’s Eve.  On New Year’s Day they visited Stewart Island, and then headed north towards Te Anau.  The roads were unsealed, petrol stations were few and far between, so two four-gallon tins of petrol were carried on the boot along with all the luggage.  The dust from the hot, summer unsealed roads came into the car through the boot opening.

After Te Anau, the family spent a few days in Queenstown and then headed back to Dunedin and places north.  During their journey through Canterbury, the car’s electrical system developed a fault, so that the horn refused to sound.  When there was a corner coming up the whole family would shout, to warn oncoming traffic of the immanent danger! 

In spite of all the difficulties, Noel guided them all safely back to Auckland, with a stopover at the Chateau at National Park on the way up the North Island.  This was the occasion of a memorable scene in the Hotel dining room: when the waiter brought dinner, there was a cooked blowfly on Noel’s plate! The embarrassed waiter quickly replaced it when Noel gently drew his attention to it.

Expansion 

Noel’s business was still expanding, and Graham Bond had gone off to work in his father’s office after graduation.  As a stop-gap Noel asked Franklin to work one day a month to work on the accounts, which helped with the student budget and served to introduce Franklin to the work of a legal office. The auditor at that stage was again Henry Massam, Noel’s old friend. 

Before long Noel was able to employ Gordon Jones, son of his old friend Harry Jones, who had spent his adult life as a missionary in India.  Gordon was of course studying for a law degree, but after working in law for a few years he decided to follow his parents and head for the mission field.  

Graham Bond, who accepted Noel’s offer of a partnership at this stage, writes:

 

I'm honoured to recall moments in the life of NSG.  More than 20 years association in legal practice with him and never a cross word between us.  

 

PAPATOETOE---- Kolmar Rd was a large property surrounded by hedges which he hated.  His hedge cutting became slower & slower as he used the hours to consider some of the problems of his clients.  His vege garden was also too large for his liking.  He planted onions under the watchful eye of a certain oldest son who blotted his copy book by following along behind and replanting the onions up side down. The son may have been up side down for a short while thereafter.  Their house was always full.  Young people always found a ready welcome as did long term guests such as Rev Lloyd Crawford and Mrs Olsen.  

 

MT.EDEN ---- St Leonards Rd.   After spending many of my student years working for Mr Gaze I left him to join my father’s firm where I was never happy but stayed there for duty only.  During a social call Mrs Gaze and Nola had been having a heart to heart when my state of mind was discussed. The outcome of this discussion changed our lives forever.  Gordon Jones who had replaced me in the office was going overseas and it was suggested that I should take his place and join the firm as junior partner. Noel left us to go and fetch Olwyn who was at Girls Brigade. As I was parked in his driveway I had to shift my car so moved over to temporarly park in the neighbours drive.  My very old car moved partly over and then stalled.  Noel did not hear my warning toot.  The resultant crash cemented our partnership.  

 

Our families shared an old house at Goldworthys Bay during the holidays of Xmas 1952.  Noel borrowed a small dinghy which he collected from the owner on a trailer not built for boats.  To his surprise the trailer was empty on arrival at St Leonards Rd. 

 

To be continued