Letter, Tom Minto
Maker
Minto, Tom
Production date
22 Jun 2001
Object detail
Brief Description
A letter (a), newspaper clipping (b) and two page printed narrative (c), from Tom Minto. Tom has responded to a newspaper advertisement from the Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust titled: Calling all 1931 quake survivors. The letter is date stamped 25 June 2001 by the Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust.
(a) In Tom Minto's letter, dated 22 June 2001, he writes of hearing reports of the reunions for the survivors of the Napier earthquake, and congratulates the Hawke's Bay Museum on their efforts to establish a register of survivors. He asks that his name be added to the list and writes that although he was only eight and a half at the time, he has vivid memories of the day and has enclosed some comments on how the quake affected him.
(b) The newspaper clipping has Tom Minto's details supplied as requested by the advertisement: name, age and whereabouts at the time of the 1931 earthquake and current age and address.
(c) In Tom's personal narrative he gives details of where he was born and lists his siblings: Neville, Pat and Bernadette. He writes that he was commencing his second year at Marist Brothers School, on the corner of Shakespeare and France Roads. He remembers an intense rumbling noise prior to the earthquake and the boys stampeding out of the building as the brick building collapsed. The head teacher, Brother Nazarius tried to calm the situation and led the boys, and the surrounding neighbours who had appeared, in prayer.
Tom remembers all the destruction and the debris. He lived in Fitzroy Road and writes that in the summer months, the boys slept outside in the closed-in verandah. He recalls seeing that the next door neighbour's chimney had fallen through the verandah roof and smashed the beds through the floor and into the ground. He realises now what may have happened to them, if the quake had occurred at night, rather than during the day.
He writes that the corner of Fitzroy and Roslyn Roads provided an ideal open space for people to gather and that with the full moon and the glare from the city fires, night almost became day. Two days after the earthquake, his family were taken to the evacuation centre at Nelson Park. He remembers that as he came down the hill, he felt despair at witnessing the total devastation of the city. Leaving Nelson Park, they were taken by car to Palmerston North Showgrounds. They stayed there until the next evening when they were taken by train to Taumarunui and then on to Ohura to stay with an uncle and aunt. He and his brother Pat attended a local primary school for five to six weeks before returning to Napier. As their original home was no longer habitable, they eventually settled in Clyde Road near the Girls' High School.
(a) In Tom Minto's letter, dated 22 June 2001, he writes of hearing reports of the reunions for the survivors of the Napier earthquake, and congratulates the Hawke's Bay Museum on their efforts to establish a register of survivors. He asks that his name be added to the list and writes that although he was only eight and a half at the time, he has vivid memories of the day and has enclosed some comments on how the quake affected him.
(b) The newspaper clipping has Tom Minto's details supplied as requested by the advertisement: name, age and whereabouts at the time of the 1931 earthquake and current age and address.
(c) In Tom's personal narrative he gives details of where he was born and lists his siblings: Neville, Pat and Bernadette. He writes that he was commencing his second year at Marist Brothers School, on the corner of Shakespeare and France Roads. He remembers an intense rumbling noise prior to the earthquake and the boys stampeding out of the building as the brick building collapsed. The head teacher, Brother Nazarius tried to calm the situation and led the boys, and the surrounding neighbours who had appeared, in prayer.
Tom remembers all the destruction and the debris. He lived in Fitzroy Road and writes that in the summer months, the boys slept outside in the closed-in verandah. He recalls seeing that the next door neighbour's chimney had fallen through the verandah roof and smashed the beds through the floor and into the ground. He realises now what may have happened to them, if the quake had occurred at night, rather than during the day.
He writes that the corner of Fitzroy and Roslyn Roads provided an ideal open space for people to gather and that with the full moon and the glare from the city fires, night almost became day. Two days after the earthquake, his family were taken to the evacuation centre at Nelson Park. He remembers that as he came down the hill, he felt despair at witnessing the total devastation of the city. Leaving Nelson Park, they were taken by car to Palmerston North Showgrounds. They stayed there until the next evening when they were taken by train to Taumarunui and then on to Ohura to stay with an uncle and aunt. He and his brother Pat attended a local primary school for five to six weeks before returning to Napier. As their original home was no longer habitable, they eventually settled in Clyde Road near the Girls' High School.
Maker
Production date
22 Jun 2001
Production place
Production period
Production technique
Media/Materials description
Handwritten in blue ink on lined paper; handwritten on printed paper; printed on blank paper.
Media/Materials
Measurements
Letter.: Height x Width: 222 x 158mm
Newspaper clipping.: Height x Width: 105 x 125mm
Typed manuscript.: Height x Width: 295 x 210mm
Newspaper clipping.: Height x Width: 105 x 125mm
Typed manuscript.: Height x Width: 295 x 210mm
Signature/Inscription
H.B.C. TRUST / 25 Jan 2001, Stamp
Classification terms
Subject date
03 Feb 1931
Post 03 Feb 1931
Post 03 Feb 1931
Other number(s)
73511
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