Personal narrative, Mary Ann Couch
Maker
Couch, Mary Ann
Object detail
Brief Description
Letter to the Be Our Guest competition by Mary Ann Couch (nee Smith) and a photocopied newspaper article. She writes about her memories of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
a) Photocopied article from a newspaper. The article also shows a small photograph of Mary and an illustration titled Fallen masonry, crushed cars and other debris were obstacles in the young girls journey through the ruined city.
b) A handwritten account of her experience.
Mary was beginning her Form Two year at Central School, Napier the day the earthquake struck. To get to school from Napier South, Mary had to catch two trams. She was outside with her two friends when they heard the rumble prior to the earthquake. The girls were thrown off a wall and onto the ground before being told by a teacher to lie down. When the shaking ceased the teacher told the pupils to go home as quickly as they could. Mary did not realise that she would be unable to catch the tram home because of the earthquake damage. She and others were waiting at the tram stop when a woman came along and told them that a man would give them all a ride to their homes in his car. Mary and three other girls were in the car when the man said he would have to stop for a moment. As they seemed to be waiting too long, Mary decided she would get out and walk home. She had not gone far when another shake occurred and a building collapsed on top of the car with the other three girls still inside.
Mary made her way to the bottom of Shakespeare Road and along Hastings Street. As she made her way along the street, she came to where a man in Bestall's drapery store had been trapped by a concrete beam, and she heard his screams as he burned to death. Firefighters helped her get through the fire by hosing her as she walked through the flames. She made her way to Marine Parade and on to the beach. She saw people dragging their furniture and bedding across to the beach and also noticed that the uplift of the land had caused the sea to retreat. When she finally reached her home in McGrath Street, she found her mother and grandmother in a state of shock. Her father had gone to search for her and he was relieved when he found her. He had helped free trapped people at the Napier Technical College, and also saved the life of a grocer. He found two tents and bedding for the family who spent a terrifying night listening to the falling buildings in the town. The family were then ordered to leave Napier and go to Palmerston North as refugees.
a) Photocopied article from a newspaper. The article also shows a small photograph of Mary and an illustration titled Fallen masonry, crushed cars and other debris were obstacles in the young girls journey through the ruined city.
b) A handwritten account of her experience.
Mary was beginning her Form Two year at Central School, Napier the day the earthquake struck. To get to school from Napier South, Mary had to catch two trams. She was outside with her two friends when they heard the rumble prior to the earthquake. The girls were thrown off a wall and onto the ground before being told by a teacher to lie down. When the shaking ceased the teacher told the pupils to go home as quickly as they could. Mary did not realise that she would be unable to catch the tram home because of the earthquake damage. She and others were waiting at the tram stop when a woman came along and told them that a man would give them all a ride to their homes in his car. Mary and three other girls were in the car when the man said he would have to stop for a moment. As they seemed to be waiting too long, Mary decided she would get out and walk home. She had not gone far when another shake occurred and a building collapsed on top of the car with the other three girls still inside.
Mary made her way to the bottom of Shakespeare Road and along Hastings Street. As she made her way along the street, she came to where a man in Bestall's drapery store had been trapped by a concrete beam, and she heard his screams as he burned to death. Firefighters helped her get through the fire by hosing her as she walked through the flames. She made her way to Marine Parade and on to the beach. She saw people dragging their furniture and bedding across to the beach and also noticed that the uplift of the land had caused the sea to retreat. When she finally reached her home in McGrath Street, she found her mother and grandmother in a state of shock. Her father had gone to search for her and he was relieved when he found her. He had helped free trapped people at the Napier Technical College, and also saved the life of a grocer. He found two tents and bedding for the family who spent a terrifying night listening to the falling buildings in the town. The family were then ordered to leave Napier and go to Palmerston North as refugees.
Maker
Production place
Production period
Production technique
Media/Materials description
A4 photocopied sheets. Handwritten in blue and black ink.
Media/Materials
Measurements
In the Be Our Guest Folder No 2.: Height x Width: 298 x 210mm
Classification terms
Subject person
Subject period
Subject date
03 Feb 1931
Credit line
gifted by Mary Couch
Other number(s)
m2006/27, 71751
Public comments
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