A history of 325 Somme Parade, Upper Aramoho, Wanganui

The house at 325 (now 355) Somme Parade. Photo / Paul Brooks

325 Somme Parade was the address for the farm and home of Roland and Winifred Young and three children. The history written about the above address is taken from knowledge of Roland and Winifred Young's near 40 years' residence at that address.

In 1927 they were married and for the first seven years they lived on the other side of Somme Parade from their mainly town supply dairy farm, which was the Wanganui riverbank and tram-line side of the road. It was adjacent to the, as known then, "Aramoho Pā" consisting of the Māori Cemetery, and various whare and small houses where Māori families lived.

In 1934, and with two small sons, Roland and Winifred moved into "325" as the home became known. Today the address number is different (355) and most of the flat-land farm is now under suburban housing and the Churton Primary School.

The house started simply as a hall in the mid-1880s, perhaps at the time of the large gathering of Māori leaders (see the Wanganui Herald, December 7, 1885). Hand-hewn timber, either matai or kauri was used for the building. Kuia Rua Te Mana, who lived next to the Maori Cemetery on the river-bank side of Somme Parade, told Winifred that many haka, waiata and poi dances were performed in there, she being one of the participants.
In the early 1940s the hall-become-home was enlarged, adding a bedroom and open-ended large porch-come-bedroom which was later enclosed (wartime shortages were limiting).

In the early 1950s there were renovations to do but the hand-hewn, wavy hardwood flooring simply wore out - the sanding machines and nails were useless! The wood was like iron.

Today the approximately 140-year-old house survives as a residence with additions and alterations made over time. During the 1930s small separate outside "rooms" built at the back of the house were where resident farm-workers and later land-girls slept, although all amenities were in the house; these folk were regarded as part of the family. It was a modest house with three bedrooms, kitchen, single bathroom-toilet and wash-house with copper, later progressing to washing-machines.

Today, adjacent to the house is a small reserve of now sad-looking remnants of Roland's once noted garden. The large rimu tree at the back is recalled by this writer at planting-time early 1940s when a young girl. Also recalled on looking from the reserve at her bedroom window how she and younger brother used to climb in and out of it and compete as to who could jump further from the sill — children at play!

Reflecting on a re-glimpsed "325," the memory was of a happy family home where activities abounded.