Family History 2.48

Bigelow Story

William back in Auckland

By 1917, Fanny's mother had died, so Joshua Robinson, her father, built a house for himself and Fanny and William and their children at 17 Banks Street, Mt Eden. The house has been demolished and replaced, but I well remember it from numerous visits when I was a boy. By that time Fanny too had died.

When it was built, the house was on the growing edge of development in the Auckland suburbs, with the tram line along Mt Eden Road being progressively extended, first to the Mt Eden shopping centre, then to Balmoral Road, where Banks Street is, and then to three Kings. William had a two minute walk to the tram stop on his way to work each morning.

In 1913, during the time of the Government's fight with the "Red-Fed" strike, William enrolled as a special constable, one of "Massey's Cossacks". He was, as we have seen, a life-long supporter of the Liberal Party, which morphed into National in 1936. His interest in politics was probably the most important legacy he gave me.

William in 1941

Back in Auckland, the family got involved in the Grange Road Baptist Church, which was the liveliest around at that time. Later, as the suburbs expanded southwards, he moved his attention to Shackleton Road Church, which is where I occasionally went with him. And when Mary married Noel in 1932 and they moved to Mt Albert, they joined the Sandringham Church, another branch of Grange Road.

William became the Treasurer of the Auckland Baptist Association (it was called Auxiliary in those days), a position which he held for 25 years. He also joined the Mt Eden Bowling Club, between the Mt Eden shops and the Training College buildings, There I went with him on several occasions as a small boy to watch him and his friends playing.

He was also Treasurer of the club for 25 years, until he finally left in protest when the club decided to open a bar. William was a life-long teetotaller and supporter of the Temperance movement, which is why he supported the Liberal Party.