Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Old Whanganui brought to life for young readers

By Liz Wylie
Whanganui Chronicle·
28 Oct, 2017 01:32 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Author Matt Elliot has taken a slice of Whanganui history and created a gripping tale for young readers.

Author Matt Elliot has taken a slice of Whanganui history and created a gripping tale for young readers.

Matt Elliot has taken a small slice of Whanganui history and skilfully turned it in to a book for young readers.

When ocean liner RMS Lusitania sank off the Irish coast in May 1915 after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat, it triggered anti-German sentiment around the world.

The deaths of 1198 British, Canadian and American civilians provoked anger in Whanganui and triggered an incident that made newspaper headlines.

A mob attacked the shop of Whanganui pork butcher Conrad Heinold on May 14, 1915, taking exception to his nationality even though he had lived in Whanganui for many years.

A young boy was wrongly accused of starting the riot and Elliot has taken details from the newspaper reports of the day as the basis for his book Night of the Riot.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Elliot's central character is 12-year-old "Snow" Goodison who works for Mr Schmidt the butcher.

This adult reader was highly impressed with Elliot's attention to detail and his ability to re-create the Whanganui of 100 years ago.

But what does the target audience think?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Whanganui Intermediate student, 12-year-old Calum Sinclair, read the book and had this to say:

"Night of the Riot is very interesting and it definitely makes for a different reading experience when you know the area in which it's set well.

"Also discovering it was based on a true story gave me a shock as I never knew that the sinking of the Lusitania had quite such an effect on Whanganui and its people.

"I particularly enjoyed learning some of the history involved and whenever I go down Victoria Ave I try to guess where Mr Schmidt's shop stood.

"In all, I really liked Night of the Riot and I would absolutely recommend it."

The addition of a beautifully drawn map of central Whanganui circa 1915 by Melissa Elliot at the front of the book is a real bonus for the reader.

Elliot is the author of more than a dozen books and was the 2012 NZ Post Children's Book Awards Book of the Year winner with Nice Day for a War: Adventures of a Kiwi soldier in WWI.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

02 Jul 10:42 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

02 Jul 09:14 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

02 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

02 Jul 10:42 PM

The claim alleges breaches of Treaty principles in fast-track approvals process.

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

02 Jul 09:14 PM
How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP