Be Our Guest entry: Letter, Dorothy Hollay
Maker
Hollay, Dorothy
Production date
Nov 2005
Object detail
Brief Description
Letter to the Be Our Guest competition written by Dorothy Hollay. Dorothy Hollay was the winner of the Be Our Guest competition run by the Art Deco Trust as part of the 75 anniversary commemorations. She recounted her memories of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake and the aftermath, in a folder with copies of photographs, including one of herself.
Dorothy was working in the Napier Hospital laundry and was injured by falling masonry while trying to get out of the building. She was dazed and remembers walking around the grounds watching makeshift operations. Her brother Jim was sent to the hospital by her mother to find Dorothy, and he helped pull patients out of the rubble. He pulled out Hazel Wheatley and her newborn baby. Jim later married Hazel's sister Vera. Dorothy writes that the new nurse's home was built the previous year and contained no reinforcements whatsoever.
That day, Dorothy met Syd Hollay, who had volunteered to work as a dispatch rider because he had a motorbike, and there was limited communication and transport. In 1935 Dorothy and Syd married. She and her brother saw many bodies laid out in the Botanical Gardens. They stayed at the hospital until 5pm. Dorothy used to leave her bike on Carlyle Street and walk up the hill. When she went to pick it up that day, it was gone. Some days later her bicycle was returned.
Dorothy lived in Riverbend Road with her parents, younger brother and older brothers Jim and one other. They slept outside in a tent for several nights. Her father and brothers worked for J P Thompson repairing roofs on his 60 houses in Napier. They stayed in Napier because her mother would not leave while her husband and sons were repairing the houses. One of the neighbouring families left and Dorothy writes that it was always thought that they were on holiday while everyone else was working for the benefit of everyone. There is also a transcript copy of her story.
Dorothy was working in the Napier Hospital laundry and was injured by falling masonry while trying to get out of the building. She was dazed and remembers walking around the grounds watching makeshift operations. Her brother Jim was sent to the hospital by her mother to find Dorothy, and he helped pull patients out of the rubble. He pulled out Hazel Wheatley and her newborn baby. Jim later married Hazel's sister Vera. Dorothy writes that the new nurse's home was built the previous year and contained no reinforcements whatsoever.
That day, Dorothy met Syd Hollay, who had volunteered to work as a dispatch rider because he had a motorbike, and there was limited communication and transport. In 1935 Dorothy and Syd married. She and her brother saw many bodies laid out in the Botanical Gardens. They stayed at the hospital until 5pm. Dorothy used to leave her bike on Carlyle Street and walk up the hill. When she went to pick it up that day, it was gone. Some days later her bicycle was returned.
Dorothy lived in Riverbend Road with her parents, younger brother and older brothers Jim and one other. They slept outside in a tent for several nights. Her father and brothers worked for J P Thompson repairing roofs on his 60 houses in Napier. They stayed in Napier because her mother would not leave while her husband and sons were repairing the houses. One of the neighbouring families left and Dorothy writes that it was always thought that they were on holiday while everyone else was working for the benefit of everyone. There is also a transcript copy of her story.
Maker
Production date
Nov 2005
Production place
Production period
Media/Materials description
A4 photocopied sheets; printed.
Media/Materials
Measurements
Height x Width: 298 x 210mm
Classification terms
Subject person
Subject period
Subject date
03 Feb 1931
Credit line
gifted by Dorothy Hollay
Other number(s)
m2006/27/62, 34588
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