Kem Ormond has found rural tales of Christmases past for the festive season.
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day. In this week’s Pastures Past, she’s found historical newspaper articles celebrating Christmas in rural New Zealand.
Record Christmas Eve shopping in Waipawa.
Jubilant wool prices at the Auckland wool sale.
The best Christmas present a mother could receive.
Christmas can mean many different things to many people.
While the depression made Christmas a tough time (as seen in a 1933 article from the Daily Telegraph, Napier), being surrounded by family and friends would have remained the most meaningful present of them all.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the Northern Advocate in 1941, when a Kaikohe mother was happy to receive correspondence from her son from a German prison camp, after being informed he was missing.
Below is a selection of historical stories from the Daily Telegraph (Napier), the Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune, and the Northern Advocate.
Auckland wool prices
Business men pleased
Daily Telegraph (Napier) November 28, 1933
It is not only the members of the farming community who are jubilant over the prices at the Auckland wool sale, for this morning a Daily Telegraph reporter found three of the leading businessmen of Hastings discussing prospects and to say that they were almost rubbing their hands with glee would be no exaggeration.
Everyone realises, of course, that the backbone of Hastings is its farming community, and if everything is all right with the farmer, then everything will be all right with the man in the town.
This increased price coming on the eve of Christmas makes good news, for there is little doubt that it will ease up the money market very considerably and help to improve Christmas trade.
It is certainly the best news received since the depression started and suggests that it will not be long before one is able to say in all truth, “wasn’t the depression awful?”
Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune, December 27, 1938
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
Shops do record business
Waipawa, This Day.
The contention of Waipawa retailers that, as being the centre of a large farming district, Saturday was the most logical day for the observance of the Christmas Eve late shopping night, was convincingly borne out on Saturday last, when record crowds and record business made Christmas Eve 1938 a record one for Waipawa.
Business throughout the day was brisk, but it was not until the evening that the observance of the Saturday as late night fully justified itself — and then with a vengeance.
Quite early in the evening parking space for cars was at a premium, both sides of High street, Kenilworth street, and the greater portion of Ruataniwha street being a solid mass of vehicles, while the largest crowd seen in Waipawa for some considerable time thronged the pavements.
The country residents were there in force, and a large number from Waipukurau and several from Hastings were present, if not to shop, at least to observe the results of Waipawa’s decision and to celebrate Christmas Eve on Christmas Eve.
Shop assistants had an exceptionally busy time.
Retailers report business as far exceeding that experienced for many years past.
The conduct of the crowd was exemplary, and the police report for Waipawa from the commencement of the holidays up till last night was as being devoid of incidents of any sort.
Northern Advocate, December 16, 1941
[Special to “Northern Advocate”]
Kaikohe, This Day.
Mrs E. M. Strongman, of Kerikeri Inlet, has received a letter card from her son, Pte. Harold Strongman, who is a prisoner of war in Germany, considers that even though the card came from a prison camp, it was the best Christmas gift she could have received.
Aged 34 years, Pte. Strongman’s occupation prior to joining up has been mostly farming and citrus orchard work at Kerikeri.
He is a great-grandson of the late Henry Trecey Kemp, of Kerikeri.
Volunteering at the outbreak of war, he failed to pass owing to poor eyesight.
After continuing for some time with his citrus orchard, he managed to pass a medical exam and went overseas with the Second Echelon.
He went through the Greek campaign safely; his last letter was written on the battlefield.
After Crete, his family was officially informed that he was missing.
- Source: Papers Past