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Foreword

The tragic death through accident of Ruby Heberley, descendant of Jacky Guard and wife of Charlie Heberley, descendant of 'Worser' Heberley, is a sad reminder of the importance of the Journal and other services of Nelson Historical Society in making known and conserving the history of 'the North of the South', and underlines the urgency for that.

Two days earlier Charlie had addressed a packed meeting of the Society and he, Ruby and our member, archaeologist Steve Bagley, were to lead our field trip to historic shore-whaling sites and Okukari farm in Tory Channel. We share the sorrow her death has caused. That we shall miss Ruby's account of the journey back in time – perhaps including her forebears' startlingly unexpected arrival there in 1827 – is a small matter by comparison, but yet a real loss to the many intending to take part in the now delayed field trip.

In this volume of the Journal we have four narratives of reminiscences and we warmly welcome such articles for consideration, indeed, any that will increase knowledge and appreciation of our local history. We rely on your help.

We thank all contributors and those who made material available and our gratitude goes as well to our Journal production team: editor, Dawn Smith, and computer-operating secretary, Noelene Ford. The Society lives by the work of its volunteers and no one deserves our thanks more than Dawn and Noelene.

The articles will tap a wide range of interests and the subject of the first is never far from our minds:

• • With the Earthquake Commission currently reminding us of the very high chance of damaging earthquakes in Nelson/Marlborough we find fascination in settlers' experiences of earlier Marlborough 'quakes, especially that of 1848 and the record 1855 one which terrorised many. The comprehensive article by Rodney Grapes and Agnes Goh is somewhat timely.
• • Before he died some years ago in Blenheim, Horace Workman wrote memories of his youth in the great Brownlee timber era – an example of an original document of local history scarce to be found.
• • Member, George Darry, provides an insight into Griffins that only such as he could tell, but many a small boy walking by would have confirmed it as a special place. Well, did you ever smell that chocolate?page 3
• • Member, Pat Win, of a pioneer Nelson family (Did you see the Wins on 'Our People Our Century'?), is a respected authority on things nautical in Nelson – as evident in 'Deal boats'.
• • Member, Dawn Smith, deserves accolades for how well she told the story of Isaac Coates and solved the mystery.
• • Have you ever wondered about the dry-stone wall seen as you approach Pelorus Bridge reserve from Blenheim? Member, Lesley Gardiner, leads us to the answer and why the Couper family, still in the district, is well known in our history.
• • Many will relate to the Geoffrey Gates memories – transcribed by member Helen Whelan – from the 1920s, especially those who knew Stoke before 1944.
• • Member, Bruce Bertram, in finding an historic former public school building in Nelson – and a cast-iron pillar-box to boot – has rung many bells in school-day memories: cramped, austere, sit-stilleries and impeccable knowledge of King Whoever. But we can be grateful that well before the near 1860 date of this building. Nelson had a free public school system which provided the model for NZ's landmark 1877 Education Act to provide free, compulsory and secular education for all.
• • Probably no story of living in an extremely isolated Nelson outback has captured the imagination as much as that of Henry and Annie Chaffey at Asbestos Cottage – altitude 2,700 feet near the Cobb. Member, Jack Boyer, almost 89, has given us the privilege of his interesting memories and observations of a couple he knew for 15 years.
• • Don't miss member Mike Johnston's delightful cameo of a survey geologist in his review of Max Gage's book, 'A Geologist Remembers'.