FIFTY YEARS MARRIED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 295, 5 March 1928, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS MARRIED

MR. AND MRS. J. SCHISCHKA DESCENDANT OF LIBERATOR OF BOHEMIA To-day Mr. and Mrs. John Schischka, of Shelly Beach Road, Herne Bay, are celebrating their golden wedding. Fifty years ago they were married in St. Matthew’s Church. Mr. Schischka is a descendant of Ziska, famous as the man who was instrumental in winning Bohemia’s independence from German rule. He came to New Zealand 63 years ago with a party of Bohemians, who settled in the Waikato and later moved to Waiwera when the Maori wars broke out. In the early days of their struggle in New Zealand Mr. Schischka remembers that potatoes were £lB a ton. flour £26 and cows £26 each. For some time after settling at Waiwera Mr. Schischka was engaged in splitting shingles which were used for roofing. The business was not very profitable, and he later moved to Auckland. Mr. Schischka went into business on his own account as a grocer on a site now occupied by Probert Chambers, opposite the Town Hall in Queen Street. In order to get to his people at Waiwera for the weekend he would often hire a, rowing boat to take him to the North Shore, and then walk the rest of the distance. This was quite a common thing in those days.

After carrying on business in many parts of the city, Mr. Schischka erected a warehouse at the corner of Fort Street and Emily Place, now occupied by the National Trading Company, of which he is managing director. Mrs. Schischka was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Burn, of Devonshire, England. There are nine children living—Mr. J. L. Schischka, Mr. F. J. Schischka, Mr. R. B. Schischka, Mr. A. Y. Schischka, Mrs. F. Brown, Mrs. S. Cosgrave, Mrs. G. Davis, Miss E. M. Schischka and Miss H. Schischka.