Women’s Christian names curiously absent
GOOD morning. The Wash is back in ‘‘blastfromthepast’’ mode today, as you may have guessed from our black and white photographs, with one in particular published as part of a request for readers’ help.
I am referring to the rather staunch lineup of ladies who comprised the first executive (193642) of the Otago Pioneer Women’s Association Inc (OPWMAI) in Dunedin.
I’ve been sent the photo by Rachael Francis, who is the ‘‘historian in residence’’ at OPWMAI, which has its base in the Memorial Association Building at 362 Moray Pl, a building I’ve often walked past but never ventured beyond the front door.
Rachael has contacted The Wash because she has rather unusual request — she hopes our readers can provide the Christian names of the women in the photo.
She explains: ‘‘Kia Ora Dave. Part of my residency is to give people the opportunity to reflect on the history of the building, its origins and its members.
‘‘I cannot locate the first names of these women, they are referred to in the minute books by initial only, as they are in the photograph I attach, aside from one.
‘‘These women are the ancestors of people who are most probably still living in Dunedin/Otago and who may recall OPWMAI activities and have links to the building themselves. Can you help me to uncover their names? It would be invaluable to my research if the answer was yes!’’
Naturally I told Rachael we would give it our best shot because, as always, I have great faith in Wash readers to rise to any challenge.
You will note, as Rachael has, that one of 23 women is already named as Miss Jean A. Burt. Why is she singled out? I can only surmise there was another Miss J.A. Burt in town.
And of course many will recognise the president in the photo as Dr Emily SiedebergMcKinnon (18731968), New Zealand’s first woman doctor who was the driving force behind the formation of the association.
It has a long and wellresearched history but I will compress it heavily by saying the OPWMAI was formed in 1939, incorporating the Otago Women’s Centennial Council, and held its first annual meeting on April 30, 1940. The council, which was formed in 1936, comprised 43 women’s groups.
Another big shift!
Earlier this week we recalled a couple of major transportation operations — trucking the Moana from Port Chalmers to Kingston in 1954 and shifting a house backwards up Baldwin St in 1993.
This prompted Diane Isaacs to email us about another ‘‘big shift’’ in the city, when Cadburys moved their ‘‘very tall milk silos from the Cumberland St side of their works round the roads to the Castle St side of the property.’’
She continues: ‘‘This was done by using sections of rollers only lifting them a small way off the ground. St Andrew St was covered in thick gravel to make it level. It was really a good evening’s entertainment watching the careful manoeuvring as each one was towed around.’’
Diane’s memory had me trawling through the ODT files and there on June 27, 1991, on the front page, was the photo we have republished today, under the heading: ‘‘Silo’s travels like scene from Lilliput’’.
There were three storage silos to be shifted from where the Countdown supermarket is now, the first of them 28m high and weighing 70 tonnes. Moving it was a sevenhour operation for Downer and Co, starting at 7pm, and involving 20 people.
It was transported on a custombuilt platform of steel girders suspended between four twinaxle trailers, and hundreds of people turned out to watch proceedings on State Highway 1, which had to be closed.
The other two silos were shifted in July and August that year, the whole operation costing about $500,000, which, the ODT reported, was paid for by Magnum Corp, developer of the new Countdown supermarket.
Photos sought
While I’m on the subject of removing objects, I’ve had an email from Hugh Schofield, who enjoyed the column about Jack Mowatt shifting the
Moana to Kingston.
Hugh writes: ‘‘ One thing you may be able to assist me with is photos of the old Crust & Crust trucks, particularly in colour, which I’ve been searching for the last 25 years.’’
Crust and Crust. Now there’s a wellknown name from the past.
If anyone can help Hugh with photographs, let me know and I’ll pass them on.
Old remedies
Discussions this week about ‘‘ZamBuk’’ ointment led to this email from Allan Johnston, of Alexandra:
‘‘Hi Dave. Not only ZamBuk that brought back childhood memories. Condy’s crystals also stirred the memory banks. Can still recall the very distinctive smell of ZamBuk. I can also recall apprehensively gargling with Condy’s crystals as a deterrent to diphtheria, which was circulating at the time. Was firmly advised not to swallow any as it was poisonous!’’
Hose reel returned
Yesterday’s story about some petty thieves out South Dunedin way who have been targeting a retired couple’s garden has had a happy sequel.
A reader contacted The Wash to say a hose reel — perhaps the one reported stolen — had been dumped near their property. We put the two parties in contact; yes, it was indeed the right hose reel, albeit not quite so intact.
‘‘They [the thieves] have taken the snapon connection for the tap off the hose. It must have been too heavy to carry, so they opted to just take the fitting — so it’s still theft. Nasty people!’’ our grateful correspondent says.