Centenary sparks Raetihi reminiscing

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 458, 20 October 1992, Page 3

Centenary sparks Raetihi reminiscing

Raetihi celebrates its centenary next year and to mark the occasion longtime residents have put pen to paper to produce brief histories of the town 'as they see it'. First up is Eric Warner's. I was born in Raetihi and for thirty years lived on a farm in Pukekaha. My Grandparents (Warner) had been original settlers just after the turn of the century. My other Grandparents (Awburn) were original settlers in the Ruatiti district. My earliest recollections of Raetihi are a haircut by the towns barber Harry Green. A penny ice-cream at Mrs Watsons 'lolly' shop. Viewing the wonderful toys at Rates bookshop. Being fitted with a hat at Urwin and Drury. Ordering a meal of trout or eel at (I think) Mrs Goulds fish shop. Today I have reason to belicve I did not receive what I ordered. I can vaguely remember attending an A & P Show prior to 1940 when the chopping ring was just inside the main entrance.

It was in the mid 1940's that I first really got to know Raetihi. The Raetihi School organised a 'Country Week' for pupils from the surrounding districts country schools. Some of the country parents opposed the scheme (for what reason I don't know) and refused to allow their children to go. I was lucky. Visiting pupils were billetted with Raetihi families. I stayed with the Fredricksons on the Ohakune Road. I walked to and from school with June Fredrickson and can remember joining up with Tex Henry and Percy Tairoa. What a huge school Raetihi was. I got completely lost when everyone lined up to go into classrooms. We didn't spend much time in classrooms but I do remember being taught the song 'The Floral Dance'. It was also my first experience (and last) of school milk ("uck"). In place of milk we had an apple a day at the Orautoha School. During the week we

were shown the industries of Raetihi. How very impressed I was. There was the Butter Factory. We saw the testing of crearn. The two huge churns working. The big pile of butter that came out and then the chance to look inside the churn. I said "Hello" to Mr Buttler. He used to pick up our cream from the farm. At the railway station we were shown how to purchase a ticket for travel and what way-bills were. The highlight was a ride in the steam engine to beyond the confines of the station. Only the girls visited the hospital. They came back to school all talking about nursing babies. In the meantime I can't remember what was the 'boys only' tour. It may have been the fire station. The firemen gave a demonstration by sounding the siren then racing out of the station on the engine and setting up hoses from the street hydrant. I was taken by the hole formed in the

street by the force of water. That part of Duncan Street wasn't sealed. One fireman introduced himself as Mr Rose. Didn't look much like a flower I thought. At Gould's Bakery we saw the process of breadmaking. I'd never seen a bowl so big in which dough was mixed. There was the great heat of the ovens and that wonderful smell of fresh bread. We were lucky in being given a small chunk of fresh bread to eat. Ron Jones milk treatment station gave me my first insight into automation. The way the bottles were filled and then the cardboard caps pressed on. All this was perhaps made more impressive by the continual rattle, noise of moving bottles. However for me the most impressive piece of machinery I saw was at the 'Waimarino Call' printing office. This machine clattered and banged, melted lead and dropped die letters into sequence when an entry was made on the key-

board. New lead type was formed and it all came out back to front. I now know this apparatus was called a lino-type machine. It was operated by a Mr Barrett who in his spare time repaired bicycles and mended punctures. We didn't see the newspaper being printed but a poster was printed for our benefit. What a tragedy for the recorded history of the Waimarino when this building was burnt down in 1948 with the loss of all the eaily newspaper files. If I remember correctly, we also went to a free film screening at the Royal Theatre. I have a vague recollection that some pupils may also have visited the Police Station to view its workings. If so, I wasn't

among them. Many thought the weeks highlight was the 'Grand Dance' held in the Drill Hall. Boys on one side - girls on the other. I can recall many of the boys lining up almost the length of the hall and as a dance was being announced, would make a mad sliding rush to ask the girl of their favour for the dance. I was shy and didn't take part in these

wild rushes. I did however take part in the 'Grand Old Duke of York'. The 'pela glide' also caused some hilarious collisions. Almost fifty years on, I still give thanks to those people (unknown to me) who organised 'Country Week'. I was lucky to be part of it. Yes Raetihi did have a lot of industry to be proud of and show off.