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Recollections of the early days of the Nelson Historical Society

Jeff Newport

By about 1950, when I already had a wife and family of my own, I felt that the time had arrived for me to pursue a long held ambition, and record the local history of the back country districts that I had been acquainted with over the years. The late Russell Palmer, then Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail, encouraged me and said that he would publish some of my articles, but warned that once they appeared there was sure to be criticism.

In actual fact I personally heard none. Russell Palmer helped a new chum historian and, a little later, the late Ruth Allan, who was then writing the official book to mark the Nelson Centenary, came to my rescue. She was a painstaking researcher who encouraged me and was able to open some official doors for me. I honour her memory.

In early May, 1954, Mr Palmer told me that an organisation was being formed for the purpose of preserving the documents and historical material pertaining to our local history, including the Bett Collection then held by the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. He mentioned the names of Dr. James Jenkins and L. W Field so I contacted Bill Field. The first meeting was held at Dr Jenkins' home on May 20 1954. In due course I joined the Society and in 1956 I was asked to join the Committee. At the time the committee members were all professional or businessmen in the city and I was the first country dweller to be included. I think that Brian Dickinson and myself are the only surviving members of any of the early committees.

The Records Committee was formed at the same time as the Historical Society but it is not my intention to deal with this. Dr Jenkins was the Society President 1965–1967 and when he retired "An Appreciation" was printed in our Journal Vol 2, No 3, November 1968. Dr James Jenkins wrote a really good article about the Record Committee's work published in the Volume 2, Number 4 1970 issue of the Journal. Personally I did not see any great division between the two committees, as Dr Jenkins was very active in both. His enthusiasm for collecting and recording the particulars of any material available was amazing. All material was carefully numbered and all the particulars were entered in the Accession Register, in meticulous detail. That Accession Register was preserved and was turned over to the Museum.

In the earlier years of the Society there was a great deal of discussion centred on the attempt to preserve the Provincial Council buildings, but it can be said that this was a lost cause right from the outset. It appeared quite evident that the powers-that-be had decided years earlier that the wooden building had to come down, so that the site could be used to erect more modern buildings. The Provincial Council buildings had been erected using kauri and rimu heart timber but, when additions and repairs had been added over the years, some inferior timbers had apparently been used and the building had deteriorated. After much correspondence, the then Minister of Public Works came to Nelson and addressed a public meeting, telling his listeners that Nelson could keep the buildings provided that they were preserved in their entirety. Such an undertaking would have been very costly and it could not be entertained. The Provincial Council buildings were demolished but the Historical Society preserved the image of the old landmark by adopting it as the trademark, or logo, to use a modern term, of the Society.

Archdeacon Ault, Vicar of All Saints Parish, was an early member of the Society. He was a trained historian and his history of the Nelson Diocese, The Nelson Narrative, page 21was published shortly after the Historical Society started. In 1963 my wife and I were living in his parish. My original book, Footprints, came out about that time and he told me that he did not know how I knew what to write about as I had not been trained for the purpose.

About that time the Historical Society put on an historical display in the All Saints Sunday School building. Of course Dr Jenkins did the organising and much of the work but, as I did not have a job just then, I was very involved in the project. Perhaps one could say that this was an introduction to the city approach to history after all my years thinking about the countryside, which I saw as my natural environment. Even in the early years of the Society I was appointed as a Society sub-committee representing the Upper Motueka valley.

Dr Jenkins' article is one of the few records of the everyday activities of the Society. Minute books do not deal with everyday practical activities and I can assure readers that this is not unusual in many organisations. When doing historical research, I found it most tantalising to read that certain motions were passed with nothing to tell the story behind, or the reason behind the entry.

Possibly the biggest historical display ever put on in Nelson was the one mounted for the Centennial of Nelson City in 1958. There was a small book published and no doubt interested people will be able to read this for themselves. It was a marvellous collection of historical materials of many kinds, with many valued items being lent for the occasion. The Historical Society was involved and on page 46 of the book we find a plug was put in for members for the Historical Society, including "The Historical Society has, since its inception, steadily accumulated a wide range of material bearing on the past history of the province." One of the lectures given was on the aims and objectives of the Nelson Historical Society by Mr L.E.H. Baigent. Dr Jenkins was Chairman of the Exhibition Committee and, no doubt, did much of the organising.

Ruth Allan had died shortly before this exhibition, with the Nelson Centennial history still uncompleted. One of the main projects undertaken by the Society was to promote a provincial Museum and to this end deputations waited on the various local bodies, to get their interest and financial support. This writer remembers being in the deputations to both Murchison and Golden Bay County Councils. The matter of quarters for the working place and storage area had been a problem right from the start of the whole project. The whole story tells of the formation of the Nelson Provincial Museum which in due course took over all our material after the formation of that body and we were able to move into two rooms at Isel House. Some folk believed that the Historical Society would eventually just fade out. However there were those of us who felt that that should not happen.

The Society was quite a live body when Dr C.R. Barnicoat was President in the years 1967–70, but interest flagged during the term of Miss Elma Turner 1970–72. To prevent a collapse Brian Dickinson, a real stalwart in the movement, approached me with the request that if I would agree to become President, he would be willing to become Secretary. We were adopted and secured a good committee. One of the schemes was to have regular monthly meetings, to keep interest at a high level. In due course Mrs Natalie Wastney became Secretary and, as she was such an enthusiast, the Society became a lively body. I passed on the baton to Ian Simpson in 1977 and he carried on the good work.

At this point I feel that I should pay a tribute to the very good work done by Brian Dickinson. He joined the Society in 1958 and assisted the organisation in various ways over the years. He was interested in Nelson history and researched and wrote the his-page 22tory of Nelson street names which the Society printed in our Journal Vol 2 No 1, 1966. He also wrote and published Historic Tahuna.

In conclusion I have to admit that I was not always patient at meetings, when I was keen to see things getting done. One matter was concerning the fact that we should be doing things to interest our members and to encourage others. One of the early historical trips was to the Old Tophouse area where the Blenheim Historical Society members met with us. The late J.E. Tomlinson, who had known the area from boyhood, was able to point out the old sites to us. Another trip was to the old Horse Terrace goldfield area in the Murchison back country. I remember that Dr Jenkins was keen to collect the old post office sign from Queen Victoria's time, with the traditional V.R. initials.

I repeat that I was not always patient and did not always spare the feelings of my fellow members. One problem I had was to get members to write articles and submit them for publishing in our Journal. At times I declared that if I was left to write all the articles there would not be a Journal. I believed in the importance of producing the annual Journal.

In conclusion may I say that I made many good friends in the Society and pass on my respects. Amongst those still with us I would mention Brian Dickinson, John Savage, Margaret Brown and Ian Simpson. I honour the memory of those who have passed on.