Ngatimoti and its History

(April 27th 2013)
Report by Coralie Smith, photos by Wendy McGregor

The autumn colours were well worth getting out and seeing on Saturday as we drove through the Waiwhero to Ngatimoti. Historical guru of the Motueka Valley, Ed Stevens had invited fellow members of the Motueka Historical Association to come to Ngatimoti and learn more about some of the history there.

The people of Ngatimoti will be celebrating 100 years since the Peninsula Bridge was built later this year but we were there to see some other historical places.

First stop the church on the hill, St James Church, opened in 1884. It has already had several celebrations to mark the years it has stood mostly unchanged on the hill. In recent years it has had a lot of work done on it to keep it well maintained. Services are held every third Sunday with a variety of people leading which locals say adds to the history of the area. On average 30 people attend and about 12 children liven up the Sunday School building behind which also doubles as a kitchen.

Dave Canton presented us each with the latest history on the church and led us through the many items of interest. The vestry was lovingly rebuilt by Allen Brereton in 2005. The Ladies Guild and the Mothers Union have been very active in providing some comforts like cushions and kneelers. Many families have added things like the candlesticks and snuffers, the font bowl, the oak reredos and many other furnishings which add to the character of the church.

At the War Memorial on the same property we remember the men from Ngatimoti who left this lovely valley to fight in WW1 and never returned. Inside the church there are other lists of fighters who went to war. Too many from such a small place.

Local resident Anne McFadgen, who lives just up the road, told us about Private Ham whose story she has placed on The Prow, the Nelson/Tasman District libraries website. He was the first New Zealand casualty in WW1.

We drove further on past the old Public Hall on the Black Bridge corner, past the Ngatimoti School to the fire station with Community Hall.

Ned Knowles couldn't be there in person but we saw his historical slide show called "Peoples Valley, Over Time " now recorded on DVD.

Ed Stevens, Ngatimoti historian, and John Crick, Ngatimoti story teller

Brian Weatherhead told the members about his postal history project which he and four others in the Nelson region are working on. It is to find and record the history of all the post offices whether a room in a private house, a hut in the middle of the bush or a proper building with telephone exchange attached. Brian asked for help with finding photographs for some of the post offices including the one that stood on the east bank Pangatotara and was run by John Chapman.

John and Margot Crick arrived to entertain us while we ate our picnic lunch. John is well known for his story telling and he didn't disappoint us with his stories about local people and events. This included the gelignite story, Te Awatea Hou the story of the ghost waka in Tasman Bay, the waka used by the Breretons to rescue people in floods.

Then came a serendipitous moment - or two actually. John talked about Jim Perrott, an Englishman who lived at Awaroa but whom John thinks worked at Ngatimoti. Coralie was able to tell him about a letter that she was given by Lynette Wilson that was written to Jim Perrott. It may add to his next story.

Even more amazing though was when he talked about the puriri tree, the mulberry tree and the camellia that is on the section his son lives on at Pangatotara. He had often wondered who lived there that could tend trees so out of their natural regions. Brian Weatherhead was able to tell him it was John Chapman, who previously lived on the westbank of the Motueka River, but after floods had altered his landscape had shifted to the east bank.

He was a horticulturalist so would have had no trouble raising unusual trees. He and his wife had run the post office and he had found a granddaughter who could confirm the place and the trees. It was John's turn to be amazed.

We concluded with a drive over the 100 year old Peninsula Bridge to end another great day out.

Judith Duxbury with St James church butterfly quilt behind

Dave Canton relating the history of St James beneath the beautiful stained windows

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