End of an era for John and Johan Sandford

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 232, 23 February 1988, Page 16

End of an era for John

and Johan Sandford

John and Johan Sandford need little introduction to Waimarino Bulletin readers.

Johan Sandford, then Newby, was one of the original team of three - editor, advertising/production manager, and typesetter operator - when the Bulletin was launched. Johan was the advertising and production manager as well as the assembly artist for each edition of the paper for its first 12 months. This involved establishing a rapport with the Waimarino business community in order to ensure their support, through advertising revenue, of the local community newspaper which was, and still is, free to its readers. The size of the paper was determined by her success in selling advertising space which meant a weekly round of businesses and service org anis ations throughout the Waimarino and beyond. Each week Johan would travel t o Waiouru, Raetihi, National Park and sometimes to Taihape, Wanganui and Taumarunui from her base i n Ohakune.

She also organised the printing and distribution of the weekly Bulletin. Originally from Dargaville, John had been working for John Sandford at Jason Publishing in Auckland before she moved to live in Ohakune to help establish the Bulletin as a truly representative community newspaper. In April 1985 John and Johan were married in Auckland. Raetihi born John Sandford was born and raised i n Raetihi. Although he left the district in 1957 following the death of his father David Sandford, John has visited the district many times over the years and kept in touch with local friends during that time. The Sandford family 's connection with the Waimarino began when two brothers William (Bert) and Arthur Sandford took up two bush sections at Mangoihe on the Pipiriki-Raetihi Road in 1908.

Formerly builders in Christchurch, Bert and Arthur stated building houses in the area to provide income as they cleared their land for farming. During that time they helped construct the second Pipiriki house after the first one was destroyed by fire.

Bert Sandford and his wife Eleanor (Ellie) had four children, Marjorie, Douglas, Kenneth, and David. In 1919, the family sold the farm at Mangoihe and moved to Raetihi taking over the building company set up by Arthur Sandford a year or two earlier. Norman Brown joined

Bert Sandford's business and the partnership of Sandford and Brown became a major commercial enterprise in the Waimarino. They were builders, and also made their own joinery and furniture in a large building on the site now occupied by the Waimarino Historical

Society in Seddon Street, Raetihi. They were also bridge builders and undertakers. Bert Sandford will be remembered by many older residents of this area as a man with a great sense of justice and love for his fellow men. He was actively involved in the Presbyterian Church, rose to high office in the Masonic Lodge (a lodge in Taumarunui is named in his honour) became a

borough councillor in Raetihi and later Mayor, was local coroner for many years and a J.P. He was also a member of the hospital board and with his wife Ellie did a great deal of work with Maori families in the community. In the early 1950's he was awarded the M.B.E. for his services to fellow men. Bert's oldest son Douglas joined the building firm as a builder i n 1923 and remained until

1942 when he left to become a woodwork instructor. Many local boys were taught woodwork at what is now Ruapehu College by Doug Sandford, who retired from that position in 1966. Bert's youngest son David (Dave), father of John Sandford, joined the building firm in 1929 and became a partner with his father in W.H. Sandford & Son about 1950 and finally took over the

John's father, Dave, was widely known in the district for his sport and outdoor interest being actively involved in cricket, rugby, tennis, badminton, swimming and search and rescue and deerstalking organisations. Dave's wife Lil, and five young sons, John, Bruce, Laurie, Michael and Robin left Raetihi following the death of her husband and moved to Whangaparaoa just north of Auckland where she still lives with her second husband Jack King. Schooling John finished school at Whangaparaoa and Orewa. After leaving school he returned to work at Ron Jones' Raetihi milk factory for a year in 1964. He then joined a publishing company in Wellington as an advertising salesman. In 1968 he began his own business in Auckland producing farming magazines and tourist and holiday guides. John will continue to operate his business in Auckland. He also has a similar business

operating in Queensland, Australia. A close affinity for business several years before he died in Raetihi in 1957.

Over the years the family were involved in a great deal of building in the Waimarino. Some of their projects being the Waimarino Hospital and nursing home, the town bridges at Raetihi and Ohakune, the Waimarino County Council offices, the slanted bridge a t Orautoha and most significant in a tourist sense, the "bridge to nowhere" at Mangapurua.

the Waimarino and a great faith in the potential for the future of the Ruapehu region prompted John to become involved in plans to produce a properly funded and organised community newspaper

for the region. The project to produce the newspaper has involved a great deal of planning to ensure long term survival and what you are reading now is the culmination of that effort.