Aspiring Station matriarch served community for decades
Wanaka community leader
PHYLLIS May Aspinall, nee Manson, was an outstanding contributor to rural life and an important member of the Wanaka community for the best part of 80 years.
Mrs Aspinall was born in Lawrence on January 1, 1922 to William and Julia Manson and died peacefully on May 4, aged 96.
She attended primary schools in Invercargill, Alexandra and Oamaru before boarding at Waitaki Girls’ High School in Oamaru and King Edward Technical College in Dunedin.
During her time at boarding school, the family moved to Wanaka, and Mrs Aspinall joined them in 1940, where she helped her mother in the upstairs shop above the Mansons’ Motors garage.
She also taught piano and formed a pack of Brownies.
In 1950 she married Jerry Aspinall in Dunedin, and relocated with him to his home at Aspiring Station.
It was a challenging life, as outside contact was by radio and the only way in and out of the station was to cross the West Matukituki River.
Restricted electricity and cold winters also brought great hardship.
It was during this time that she raised and educated her four children, wrote radio broadcasts on life in the high country and was a national adviser for Lone Guides and the Correspondence School Parents Association.
In 1957, the Aspinalls voluntarily surrendered 50,000 acres of their station to the Crown to help form Mount Aspiring National Park.
In 1969, they moved to a new homestead on the station, which meant no more crossings of the river, except for farming operations.
The two moved back into Wanaka eight years later when their late son John and wife Sue took over management of the station.
Mrs Aspinall quickly became involved in many groups, including the garden circle and church, and founded others such as the Wanaka Historical Society, Wanaka Arts Society, Wanaka Herb Society and Wanaka Travel Club.
That same year, 1977, she received a community services award from the Queenstown Lakes District Council and in 1993 was awarded a Women’s Suffragette Award for her contribution to rural life.
She was described by her surviving family as ‘‘one who never flinched in the line of duty’’.
Phyllis and Jerry celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 1990.
Jerry died two years later. In her later years, Mrs Aspinall resided at Elmslie Rest Home in Wanaka.
She is survived by her children Willie, Christopher and Julia, grandchildren Catie, Randall, Rachal and James, and greatgrandchildren Johnny, Josh and Genevieve. — Sean Nugent