Ladies club still a district hub
A Hunterville women’s club celebrates 100 eventful years.
On May 12, 1914, a group of people met in Hunterville to talk about forming a new club. Two months later, it was up and running, with its own committee and constitution, and its own special name: The Wharekoa Ladies’ Club.
Today, 100 years later, the club (Wharekoa means ‘‘happy home’’) is still going strong.
Through two wars, a Depression and various other ups and downs, the club has been both social outlet and fundraising stalwart in its community.
Joan Bull and Edith Bull are present-day members and past presidents of the club – they married farmers who were cousins, of the same surname. Edith has been compiling historical details for the club’s centenary get-together on November 9, a day promising reunions, fun and memories when, as she says, ‘‘past members will be coming from all around the country’’.
Joan first arrived in Hunterville in 1949 as a district nurse, and says she was made welcome by the country population – and the Ladies’ Club – straight away. Marriage and a contented life in the district followed.
The object of the club, as stated in its first set of minutes, was: ‘‘To meet a want felt by a large number of ladies, by providing a place where they can have lunch, have afternoon tea etc, meet friends or interview servants, and to afford those who require it a permanent Hunterville address where letters may always find them.’’
The club was open to all local women aged 18 and up. Entrance fee was a guinea (21 shillings) with an annual subscription of £1.
A member’s daughters, governesses or staff were charged 10 shillings and sixpence annually, and no entrance fee.
Where there were multiple daughters, one was to pay 10 shillings and sixpence annually ‘‘and additional members of the family shall be elected honorary members’’.
Children were not to be left at the club ‘‘unless in charge of some responsible person’’.
A copy of the rules was available for 1 shilling.
Current president Pauline Hall says the club originally grew out of a need for women and their children to meet while their menfolk were at the big regular Hunterville stock sales. ‘‘They had to have somewhere to change their babies and wait for their husbands.’’
The first Ladies’ Club meeting in July 1914 ‘‘was in the Temperance Hall, the second meeting at Mrs Dallas’ Tearooms and the third and from there on, at the clubrooms,’’ Pauline says. The first officers were listed in the minutes: Mrs J Powell, president; Mrs R Craig and Mrs AG Simpson, vice-presidents; secretary-treasurer Mrs J Chisholm.
A poignant entry in the club minutes of July 31, 1917, reflects the community’s loss of many of its men in World War I. President Mrs Jean Simpson wrote: ‘‘The shadow of the war still hangs over us, and many of our members have sent their bravest and best; but we are all proud of our men who are fighting and dying for us, have taught us many things and made us better women. May God help us to be worthy of them.’’
From August 1926, the club’s home base was in part of the Plunket rooms gifted to the town by Jeannie, Lady Duncan, wife of Sir Thomas Duncan of Otiwhiti and Otairi stations, west of Hunterville.
Pauline Hall says today’s club membership is approximately 30. ‘‘It varies. There were 49 members in 1945.’’
During the early 1900s, picturesque Hunterville was listed in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand as a ‘‘rising township’’, of the Rangitikei 16 miles north of Marton, a station on the main trunk railway line with shops, churches, two hotels, a large post and telegraph office, a BNZ branch, school, public halls and a daily mail service from Wellington. With some variation, the population has remained at about 500 people since a 1906 peak of 600.
It’s thought the township may
Milestone: have been named after Sir George Hunt (1859-1880), MP for Waipawa, who is said to have placed a peg on the site from which the settlement spread.
Until about five years ago, the Wharekoa Ladies’ Club was a member of the Federation of Women’s Clubs of New Zealand, but is now again a stand-alone entity.
Members have always been fervent fundraisers for good causes, with recent projects being a cancer-support pink ribbon breakfast; a high tea fundraiser for the local pipe band; fundraising luncheons, tree plantings and Hunterville beautifying projects, among other activities.
For the centenary celebration, Edith Bull says ‘‘it would be lovely if people could come in 1914 costume. But we’ll just leave that up to whoever wants to.’’ Email: tinawhite29@gmail.com Facebook: Memoryland