NZ’s best deer hunter revealed in new book
Frank Erceg is still remembered as one of New Zealand’s most prominent deer hunters of his era (1950-60s). He is frequently cited in books on the history of deer hunting in New Zealand, however, no book has been written specifically on Frank, his life and his achievements, until now.
Author Louise Maich has spent more than two decades piecing together her uncle Frank’s previously untold story through family research, letters, compelling recollections and yarns from Frank’s contemporaries — the last of the great hunters of that era.
We asked Maich some questions:
When did you decide to write this book and what was the reason behind it?
It was in 1998 that the germ of an idea formulated, that Frank’s story was worthy of a book of its own. This was after a chain of events that included discovering the book New Zealand Hunter by Phillip Holden published that same year, and Phillip’s accolade that Frank ‘ . . . was perhaps the greatest hunter of them all.’
Did you family talk about Frank a lot when you were growing up?
No not a lot. Frank died when I was a pre-schooler, and my one lasting memory is scant and hazy. I grew up knowing very little about his life, he always appeared as a handsome adventurous uncle who died tragically, and of course someone I wished I had known. He was a part of my family history, someone that I was driven to uncover and write about.
Do you know how Frank and Johnny Cumming’s tragic deaths affected the local community when it happened?
Their deaths were the first in the helicopter hunting industry in New Zealand. Many people I interviewed for the
book told me how they were shocked and in disbelief to hear the tragic news, and to lose both Frank and Johnny in the same accident. They were well known in the hunting fraternity. Both great guys, and top shooters.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I took those first tentative steps in 1998, its now 2023 so 25 years this project has been in my life. From 2011 on would be the most active and intense years, that’s when after a few bumpy early drafts I hit my stride, and the story started to take shape. Of course there were times when it all seemed a bit overwhelming, or I doubted my ability to get the job done. I have though, always held onto that vision of holding a finished book in my hands. And here we are!
There are rare images from Frank’s photographic archive in this book, did you discover them yourself?
Dave Osmers had boxed them up to go back to the Erceg family. I was very fortunate to be the one to receive them, and I’ll never forget the day they arrived in the mail. By then it had been a good 12 years or so into the project and I only had a handful of photos, now I had over a thousand. I was over the moon! It was like hitting the jackpot.
Frank’s family migrated from the former Yugoslavia to New Zealand, did they find the migration difficult?
From what my mum told me, and my research, Frank’s mother Anka in particular, found the migration difficult. The family lived remotely, there weren’t any close neighbours, and with eight children and a house to keep it was I believe very isolating for her. She struggled with the language and must have missed her homeland and family very much. As a family though, they worked hard and made the best of what they had. They were very resourceful and just got on.
Did you uncover any pieces of family history that were unknown to you before writing this book?
The main one that had been evading me for some years was concerning Frank’s father, Petar Erceg, and his army service in WWI. He first arrived in New Zealand in 1913, aged 19. When the war broke out he signed up and was recruited into the NZ Expeditionary Forces. Fighting in France he was injured in the field and transferred to England to convalesce. He was then transferred into the Serbian Army – of which I knew nothing about. This is all explained in detail in the book and forms part of the first chapter that also had me researching and learning more about the early migration of Dalmatians to New Zealand.