About this time my Grandfather, Francis George Kearvell, who had been in failing health, developed terminal cancer. Dad was called back to the farm at Tuhikaramea and Olwyn and I moved to Koromatua school. Three generations, including three young children and a very ill grandfather, living in the same house just didn't work and before long we moved into Hamilton so that Dad was still handy to attend to things on the farm. After Grandfather's death on 27 March 1936 the farm was sold. We then lived first in McFarlane Street, Hamilton East and Olwyn and I attended Hamilton East School. Then we moved to two different houses in Tuhikaramea Road, near Dinsdale which meant a move to Frankton School for Olwyn and I.

 

For some of this time Leslie was employed by the International Harvester Company but it was not exactly his cup of tea. The farming industry was in the low doldrums and no one wanted farm managers, except at a rate that was just not enough for a couple with a young family. However, we did move back to the country again. This time to Tamahere where Olwyn and I went to the local one teacher (Mrs Johnstone) school.

 

After spending several months on the farm at Tamahere, owned by Mr Frank Hardy, the opportunity arose to take on a sheep farm at Okareka, near Rotorua. as Manager for an absentee owner in England until his son. Nathaniel Sommerset-Playne, was able to take over. It was a large sheep property. Soon after we arrived the entrance driveway was planted with an avenue of English Plane trees.

 

This was a complete change of lifestyle. There was no electricity so our lights were either candles or kerosene lamps and the radio was run off of a car battery. There was no local school so Olwyn and I were enrolled with the Correspondence School. Although we had a car, dad and I would often ride the nine miles to Rotorua by horseback to collect the mail and get provisions. We had two saddlebags on each horse which would be packed full for the return journey. The school lessons would come with the mail in big blue canvas bags every two weeks. We didn't keep to the timetable but skipped through the work in the first few days and then had plenty of time for helping on the farm, riding horses, swimming in the lake and generally having fun. One interesting day was a group visiting from Rotorua to view old maori burial building at the back of the farm. I was given the job of guiding them as all the staff were fully occupied on the farm. The building we found was all sealed-up but, through the windows on all sides, we could see the little caskets inside which I understand contained the remains of some High Chiefs.

 

My brother, John Leslie, was born at Okareka on 16th July 1937.  While Mum was in the nursing home we had firstly Ira Stembridge from Ngongotaha and later Molly Dysart from Mamaku to keep house for us.

 

 

It was a very isolated place. The only neighbours we had were a couple, Mr and Mrs Hemmingway, who were the caretakers of a property on a peninsular which was owned by the Wilson Family of Auckland, who had a holiday home there. There was a very grand main house, a guest cottage and, of course, the caretaker's cottage. The entrance to this property was through a long avenue of cherry trees. We had a house cow and used to supply milk for the Wilson's property as well as for our own use. Milk was set in large shallow bowls overnight and next morning a special scoop, which resembled a saucer with a long handle, was used to carefully skim the cream off the top of each bowl. This was used for making butter in a wooden churn.

 

Near the end of 1938 we left there and moved to Ngongotaha, where we were to live for several years.

 

 

5. THE WAR YEARS

 

Through our association with the Stembridge family we were able to rent a little old house near the cemetery at Ngongotaha, owned by the Windley family, until we purchased a home next to the Domain from people called Matthews. We didn't have a car any more, so maybe it was sold to finance the house. Dad had a bike for going to work which Olwyn and I learned to ride - under the bar as we couldn't reach the pedals from the seat. We had a large section which had some fruit trees and a good vegetable garden, which Dad had wherever we lived.

 

In the summer we used to walk down to the lake to swim. Many happy hours were spent playing games like rounders in the Domain. Olwyn (in Standard 2) and I (in Standard 4) were enrolled at the Ngongotaha Primary School. At the beginning of 1938 the school was decapitated and the Form 1 & 2 pupils were to attend the Intermediate department at Rotorua High School. For the first year it was optional whether pupils transferred. As the new headmaster that year at Ngongotaha was a Mr Archie Kelso, who had taught at Edendale school where my mother had attended many years before, my parents felt he would be good enough a teacher for me.

continued

Mary, Olwyn and Frank at Kaikohe 1933