Be Our Guest entry: Letter, Unknown Author
Current rights
All Rights Reserved
Object detail
Brief Description
Entry to the Be Our Guest competition by an unknown author. He talks about his memories of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
The author was on his first day at Napier Boys' High on 3 February 1931. Mr Rupert Worker was his form master. The author biked home via the centre of Napier, detouring around the fire raging in Hastings Street. He and his mother and neighbours went to stay on the beach opposite the Court House. He helped distribute leaflets printed by the Daily Telegraph newspaper which listed all the people who had died. He and his mother were evacuated to Palmerston North and stayed at the Showgrounds for two weeks. They then stayed at a bach in Ohawe Beach in Taranaki before returning to Napier just before Easter.
He writes that on his return, going to the pictures from Shakespeare Road was an eerie experience, as there was no street lighting; and when walking through the town there were still the remains of brick walls where once the town had stood. The author says he found employment with Auld and Gleeson but after two years was made redundant as the town re-established itself.
The author was on his first day at Napier Boys' High on 3 February 1931. Mr Rupert Worker was his form master. The author biked home via the centre of Napier, detouring around the fire raging in Hastings Street. He and his mother and neighbours went to stay on the beach opposite the Court House. He helped distribute leaflets printed by the Daily Telegraph newspaper which listed all the people who had died. He and his mother were evacuated to Palmerston North and stayed at the Showgrounds for two weeks. They then stayed at a bach in Ohawe Beach in Taranaki before returning to Napier just before Easter.
He writes that on his return, going to the pictures from Shakespeare Road was an eerie experience, as there was no street lighting; and when walking through the town there were still the remains of brick walls where once the town had stood. The author says he found employment with Auld and Gleeson but after two years was made redundant as the town re-established itself.
Production period
Production technique
Media/Materials description
A4 photocopied sheets, typed.
Media/Materials
Measurements
In the Be Our Guest Folder No 2.: Height x Width: 297 x 210mm
Classification terms
Subject period
Subject date
03 Feb 1931
Current rights
All Rights Reserved
Credit line
gifted by the Art Deco Trust
Other number(s)
m2006/27/170, 36456
Public comments
Be the first to comment on this object record.