Band’s proud tradition
Coal deliveries – they were part of my childhood, but are now well into the realms of ‘‘history’’. I remember a truck laden with sacks of coal coming up the drive, the coalman heaving a full (and heavy) sack of coal onto his shoulders and emptying it into the coal bin in our garage. The coal dust made it a dirty job, and as with coal miners, the coalmen would have coal dust ingrained in their skin and clothes.
Many houses built in the 1920s-60s had a coal bin built against the back of the house, with a lift-up lid for loading in the coal and a ground-level hole for shovelling it out into the coal scuttle.
Earlier houses had a separate utility wing that included the coal shed, washhouse with copper, maybe a tool shed and toilet.
But at our house, built in 1959, the coal bin was out of sight and well away from the house. The need to control air pollution has seen a major change away from coal as heat and cooking fuel in the home, but coal is still available, generally from supermarkets and hardware stores - in clean small bags.
One of those merchants delivering coal during the late 1940s to 1960s was David Vorback.
He came to Hamilton as a young man with his parents, Philip and Evelyn, in 1930. Philip Vorback was a blacksmith (see Dead Tell Tales March 26 2022), originally based in the Renwick-Blenheim district, which is where David was born in 1907.
David Vorback had a relatively low profile in Hamilton, though he played rugby for the Frankton team and in March 1937 he was elected to the executive of the Hamilton Labour Representation Committee.
Vorback worked for Central Electric Power Board as a linesman and at a Christmas social in 1938 his impending marriage was recognised with a presentation from the engineer-manager; his wedding to Lella Pearl Andrews took place at St Andrew’s Church on December 22. He and Lella had a son in January 1940.
He signed up for military service in WWII, initially for the territorials in July 1939, but was called up for artillery division in April 1941.
As Lance-Sergeant, he was stationed at Green Island (Nissen Island), part of the Solomon Islands, after the highly strategic capture of the islands from the Japanese forces in February 1944.
After the war Vorback returned to Hamilton and with his brother-in-law, Harold Nicoll, set up as Vorback & Nicoll, Carriers &
Coal Merchants. They were also known as the Claudelands Coal Depot.
In the electoral rolls, David Vorback gave his occupation in 1946 and 1949 as linesman – this latter despite being listed in the 1948 and 1954 telephone directories as ‘‘Vorback & Nicoll, Carriers & Coal Merchants’’ in Grey St. He either had two jobs or he was slow to change the electoral roll entry he had before the war. In directories from 1961-1965 the depot’s address is given as 799 Heaphy Terrace, but this relates to the change of street naming and numbering rather than to them shifting sites.
There were other coal merchants in that vicinity as well; this part of Grey St-Heaphy Terrace is close to the eastern railway line, convenient for incoming coal deliveries from the mines. Vorback & Nicoll advertised Glen Afton coal, as well as coke and carbonettes, and Raycarbo from Rotowaro.
In subsequent electoral rolls Vorback opts for ‘‘carrier’’, ‘‘labourer’’ or ‘‘driver’’; by 1978 he was retired. Vorback married twice, he and his second wife, Rachel Amelia (Amy) lived in Mansel Ave, and later in Nixon St. In the 1940s he lived across the road from his mother and the Nicolls in St Winifred’s Ave. Rachel predeceased him by nearly three years.
David Vorback died in Waikato Hospital on November 22 1983. His body was cremated and his ashes are in the Garden of Memories at Hamilton Park Cemetery. The death notice inserted by his son David includes: ‘‘He enjoyed giving. He gave me the most precious gift of all – his name’’.
The Hamilton Brass Band has a long and proud tradition of music. The band evolved from the military settlers who arrived in 1864, the first mention of them performing is noted in the Waikato Times of July 1881.
There are many mentions of the Band in the Waikato Times, including a promenade concert and dance held in 1886 to raise funds for uniforms and many civic events that the band performed around the city.
We do not have the exact date of these rules, but they provide a fascinating glimpse into how community groups were formed and run in days gone by.
Contributed by Rowan Miller, Digital Delivery Librarian, Hamilton City Libraries. Explore more of our heritage collection online by scanning the QR code.
For further information or to contribute information about the items highlighted, please contact archives@hcc. govt.nz quoting HCLE_00207