A powerful storm sweeping across Wellington and the Hutt Valley on 1 May brought intense winds, heavy rain, high swells, and disruptions—prompting Hutt City Council chief executive Jo Millar to acknowledge both successes and shortcomings in the emergency response.
MetService issued a rare Red Strong Wind Warning for Wellington City, the Hutt Valley, and Porirua—gusts reached up to 160 km/h on Mount Kaukau, forcing the cancellation of flights and ferries, closing coastal roads, and knocking out electricity for around 8,000 properties. Swells approached 6m, impacting beaches and infrastructure.
“I think we got a lot of things right, but I also think we got some things wrong,” Mrs Millar told a recent Eastbourne Community Board meeting. As a long-time coastal resident, she worried when water began sweeping above roadside kerbs.
Among the mistakes made were a delayed decision on closing Marine Drive at Lowry Bay, and not keeping it closed until later the following day - “We probably could have done it a day earlier.”. Instead, commuters had to wait until the morning to hear if the road was passable. This highlighted gaps in communication, including with Metlink who she said could have issued transport updates earlier than they did.
“I would rather you gave me the max info
Mānawatia a Matariki
as early as possible… it’s better to know it might [happen] and get prepared—even if it doesn’t.”
The council plans to refine warning systems by collaborating with the harbour master, improving text alerts, and more proactive social media messaging.
Looking ahead, the council will review regional coordination through WREMO, gather public feedback, and roll out improved
protocols for road closures, emergency communication, and volunteer mobilisation. During the storm, volunteers completed more than 36 tasks - from safety assessments to assisting evacuations - highlighting the crucial role of community support, Mrs Millar said.
“We are very, very lucky to have our volunteers. And I thank you all for your grace and patience,” Mrs Millar told the meeting.
As part of their Matariki celebrations last week Muritai School children dug up kumara from the school garden. Principal Stu Davenport says they scrubbed up nicely.
Volunteer scheme falls flat
Plans to extend the Eastbourne Summer Pool’s operating season through a communitydriven volunteer initiative were shelved last summer due to staff shortages and organisational challenges, according to the Hutt City Council's Aquatics Team.
Ian Brown, Head of Aquatics, acknowledged the strong community interest at a recent Eastbourne Community Board meeting. “We received really positive feedback from residents who were keen to see the pool stay open longer. Unfortunately, we had limited options within our existing budget, and seasonal staffing issues made it hard to deliver.”
The volunteer programme was designed to address staffing shortages in the final 3–4 weeks of the season—traditionally a difficult time to roster lifeguards due to students returning to school and university. The plan involved pairing each volunteer with a trained lifeguard and providing comprehensive training, including a three-day lifeguard course and first aid certification.
However, the programme never got off the ground. Mr Brown explained that while there was early interest, they were unable to deliver the planned training due to a “backs to the wall” summer. Staff had to be reallocated from smaller pools to support the reopening of the Naenae Pool (Te Ngaengae Pool and Fitness), which launched in December 2024.
The summer also saw a steep decline in attendance, with just 9,300 visits to the Eastbourne Pool—down from 17,000 two years prior and 19,000 the year before that. A colderthan-usual summer contributed to the drop.
Local resident Sarah Pettus, who had offered to volunteer, voiced her frustration at the meeting. “I was excited about the chance to help keep the pool open longer. But the whole
process ended up being a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Communications fell apart from the start. I had to chase people about training, and in the end, I felt ghosted.”
Brown responded with an apology: “We weren’t trying to ghost anyone. There were some genuine email issues and a lot happening behind the scenes. Naenae was a huge priority, but I know that’s not an excuse. We definitely want to do better this year.”
The council now plans to revive the initiative for the upcoming season, with training sessions to be scheduled. “We really only need 4–5 really keen people. Enthusiasm goes a long way,” Mr Brown said.
For those interested in volunteering this summer, the Aquatics Team encourages early contact to ensure a smooth and more responsive rollout this time around.
Don J. McIlroy
An Eastbourne lawyer First Floor, 40 Rimu St Tel: 562 6393
Email: arcadia@xtra.co.nz
A N N E M A C K R I S - B E R D E B E S
WHAT’S HAPPENING HAIR
JUNE
As the seasons change and the Wellington wind has picked up, there’s no better time to treat yourself to one of my famous volumizing blow waves! If you ’ ve been feeling a little flat or just want to pamper yourself, I’m here to help you achieve that gorgeous, bouncy hair you ’ ve always dreamed of
W e a l l k n o w h o w u n p r e d i c t a b l e t h e w e a t h e r c a n
b e O n e m o m e n t i t ’ s s u n n y , a n d t h e n e x t , y o u ’ r e
b a t t l i n g g u s t y w i n d s t h a t c a n l e a v e y o u r h a i r
l o o k i n g l e s s t h a n f a b u l o u s T h a t ’ s w h e r e m y
v o l u m i z i n g b l o w w a v e c o m e s i n ! I t ’ s d e s i g n e d n o t
o n l y t o g i v e y o u r h a i r i n c r e d i b l e b o d y a n d b o u n c e
b u t a l s o t o w i t h s t a n d t h o s e b l u s t e r y d a y s
W h e n y o u c o m e i n f o r a b l o w w a v e w i t h m e , i t ’ s
m o r e t h a n j u s t a s t y l i n g s e s s i o n ; i t ’ s a n
e x p e r i e n c e ! I l o v e w h a t I d o , a n d m y p a s s i o n f o r
h a i r s t y l i n g s h i n e s t h r o u g h i n e v e r y a p p o i n t m e n t
F r o m t h e m o m e n t y o u s i t i n m y c h a i r , I f o c u s o n
m a k i n g y o u f e e l r e l a x e d a n d p a m p e r e d
I ’ l l s t a r t b y d i s c u s s i n g y o u r h a i r g o a l s a n d w h a t l o o k y o u ’ r e a f t e r . W h e t h e r y o u w a n t s o f t w a v e s
f o r a c a s u a l d a y o u t o r a m o r e p o l i s h e d s t y l e f o r
a s p e c i a l o c c a s i o n , I t a i l o r e a c h b l o w w a v e t o s u i t y o u r n e e d s
S o w h y n o t t r e a t y
The next public Eastbourne Community Board meeting is at 7.15pm on Tuesday, 10 June, at East Harbour Women’s Club, 145 Muritai Rd.
Everyone is welcome.
ECB members will be available from 6.45pm to discuss issues and answer questions.
Consider standing for the ECB
In 2024, the ECB, supported by residents, worked hard to appeal Council’s decision to disestablish community boards. We were successful, and Eastbourne and the Bays continue to be represented by the ECB.
It’s more important than ever to support the future of the community board and our local voice for our unique community.
Consider putting yourself forward to stand for the community board in October’s local body elections.
For more information, visit huttcity.govt.nz. There is an information evening for prospective candidates on Monday, 30 June. Nominations open on 4 July.
The Community Climate Action fund is open Round three of the Community Climate Action fund is open until 13 July for community-led initiatives that reduce carbon emissions and community engagement projects that incorporate sustainability practices, such as waste minimisation. $2171 is available for Eastbourne. More at huttcity.govt.nz.
Calling for summer pool volunteers
Council and the ECB will soon call for volunteers to be trained to support lifeguards at the Eastbourne Summer Pool. Local volunteers will help ensure the pool can stay open longer. Youth Forum
The ECB is supporting an information session for young people in Eastbourne and the Eastern Bays who are interested in forming a community Youth Forum. See the advert in this edition.
Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) has finalised the purchase of the 1,366 hectare Gollans Valley Station, for $9 million. This strategic acquisition connects the Northern Forest and Parangarahu Lakes sections of East Harbour Regional Park, creating a continuous protected area from the Wainuiomata saddle to Pencarrow Head.
Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Quentin Duthie said the decision to acquire Gollans Valley Station was driven by its unique position between two existing park sections and its significant ecological value. “It wasn’t a hard decision to make,” he said. The property encompasses over 1,000 hectares of native bush, environmentally significant wetlands, and offers stunning coastal views. GWRC Chair Daran Ponter emphasised the importance of the purchase which ensures the entire eastern backdrop behind Wellington Harbour is now in public ownership or protected through covenants.
presents environmental risks. GWRC staff and consultants will assess and identify hazards associated with the landfill to ensure appropriate management and remediation efforts are undertaken
The acquisition was made possible in part by a generous $1 million donation from the estate of John Marsden Nankervis, a renowned Wellington mountaineer and conservationist. Quentin Duthie, deputy chair of the Environment Committee, expressed gratitude for the contribution, noting that such generosity fosters further philanthropy towards the council’s environmental goals.
GWRC will take ownership of the property in July. Approximately 400 hectares are currently used for sheep and beef farming. The council plans to conduct public consultations and develop a management plan through its Toitū Te Whenua Parks Network Plan. Public access to the land will remain restricted until the planning process is complete. However, there may be early opportunities for controlled access, such as walks from Butterfly Creek to the edge of the bush and possibly a lookout platform overlooking the pastures.
The property includes a closed landfill managed by Hutt City Council, which
The acquisition of Gollans Valley Station represents a significant investment in the region's ecological and recreational future. By connecting key sections of East Harbour Regional Park, GWRC aims to enhance biodiversity, provide new recreational opportunities, and ensure the protection of vital natural landscapes for generations to come.
Ben Bruno, treasurer of MIRO (Mainland Island Restoration Operation), thanked everyone who wrote to the council and noted that community support “made a huge difference in the decision-making”, highlighting backing from both the local Eastbourne area and broader Wellington.
He also praised the Harbour to Headlands (H2H) group—an informal collective, which had approached GWRC to extend trapping efforts in the area. Mr Breno said the group’s website now serves as “a place for people to communicate and build momentum”. Residents are invited to register interest and volunteer for future opportunities in conservation and recreation.
During the public response process, community surveys showed support for more tramping tracks, mountain biking and pump tracks, and a more accessible route to Butterfly Creek to improve accessibility for those less able and families with prams.
Pre-loved classy clothing sale – St Alban’s Church earthquake strengthening fundraiser – Saturday 9 August 10-5pm East Harbour Women’s Club
Planning to reorganise your wardrobe? Would you kindly consider saving the best items for the above fundraiser? We need clean, chic and classy women’s clothing, jewellery, shoes, hats and handbags as well as men’s quality suits and jackets to sell.
Clothing drop-off 11-11.30 Sundays at St Alban’s Church hall or contact Phyllis Mossman on 021 263 1319
Donation secures "once in a generation" opportunity
Philanthropist John Marsden Nankervis was in his element in the mountains, and remained active in the mountaineering scene, and conservation.
by Louise Parry
A generous $1 million contribution from the estate of Wellington mountaineer and conservationist John Marsden Nankervis (1946–2022) helped unlock Greater Wellington Regional Council’s (GWRC) purchase of Gollans Valley Farm.
Dave Bamford, co-executor of Mr Nankervis’S estate and long-time friend, spoke about his “mate Nank” at a recent Eastbourne Community Board meeting.
“I know Nank would be saying, ‘Bamford, shut up-I don’t want any spotlight on me.’
Mr Bamford recalled Mr Nankervis’ early years in Wellington—attending Wellesley College—and his later career as a barrister in Buddle Findlay. However, his heart lay in exploration and conservation.
“He probably got the wrong career,”
Mr Bamford said. “He wanted to be an exploration geologist.”
A renowned mountaineer since the 1960s, he climbed all of New Zealand’s 3,000m peaks and undertook countless
expeditions in mountains throughout the world. Mr Bamford said his friend wasn’t interested in “conquering the big ones” but was a true adventurer.
“He wanted to explore the 'blanks on the map'. He was an explorer rather than hardcore extreme climber.”
After a serious accident on Mt Awful in Mount Aspiring National Park in 2013 left him paralysed, Mr Nankervis remained deeply engaged in environmental advocacywriting submissions on national park management and staying active in New Zealand’s mountaineering community behind the scenes until his passing in 2022 after a stroke.
Mr Bamford said the Gollans Valley donation aligned deeply with Mr Nankervis’ lifelong principles.
“When it came to Gollans Valley it was easy… he would be pleased to be involved.”
The executors ensured the philanthropist’s
wishes lived on—his estate now supports mountain and nature projects, including the Gollans Valley acquisition .
The $1 million contribution—alongside council funds—allowed GWRC to secure a rare opportunity to expand East Harbour Regional Park. Daran Ponter, GWRC Chair, called it "perhaps once in a generation".
Eastbourne Herald July 2025 Deadlines
Ad Booking: Wed, July 16
Ad Copy: Thurs, July 17
Deliveries: July 24/25
For information about advertising and upcoming deadlines, email editor@eastbourneherald.co.nz or visit
www.eastbourneherald.co.nz
Gollans Valley history: Squabbles, stills & shells
by Meredith Carew
In pre-European times, Māori villages and fishing camps were situated at various points along the Eastern Bays and Pencarrow coast, around the Parangārahu lakes and near Baring Head. It’s possible that nobody lived in Gollans Valley itself, only visiting seasonally or passing through.
The valley is named after Donald Gollan, a New Zealand Company surveyor who may have owned land there in the 1840s. The company had distributed 100-acre rural blocks by ballot in London, but when colonists arrived in Wellington they found they’d been allocated mostly bush-clad hillsides. Some sold up, while others began the back-breaking work of clearing the land for sheep and cattle.
Rectangular east-west properties proved awkward in the narrow north-south valley, with landowners arguing for decades over boundaries and road access. Uneconomic holdings were gradually consolidated into larger farms, and from the 1860s the Cameron family dominated Gollans Valley, often feuding with their neighbours. Notably, a dawn raid in 1867 found an illicit whisky still on John Cameron’s property. In 1894, another tip-off led police to an even bigger distillery on the farm. It caused a press sensation, with jokes about ‘Jungle whisky’. Like their father before them, the Cameron brothers were charged with
bootlegging.
George Burdan purchased the Camerons’ land in 1915 and later acquired neighbouring properties; eventually his sons were managing about 1,600 hectares between the Wainuiomata River and the Pencarrow coast. Their Gollans Valley Dairy operation delivered fresh milk to Eastbourne homes. The family also allowed public access across their land, and let organisations like the Scouts build huts in the bush. In 1936 they agreed to a land swap which enabled the Eastbourne Borough Council to include the Butterfly Creek picnic and camping area in its Scenic Reserve.
During World War II, Gollans Valley was used for military training exercises. It suffered less-welcome invasions too, when practice shells fired from Seatoun landed on the Burdans’ land – including one that hit their farmhouse.
After almost fifty years in the valley, the Burdans sold the farm to Fred Turvey, who
closed off public access and demolished the bush-huts. In his later years much of the pasture reverted to scrub. After his death in 2000 the station remained privately owned until this year, when it came on the open market for the first time since 1963.
Ali Carew of the Historical Society will give an illustrated talk on the history of Gollans Valley at 2pm on Sunday 13 July at the East Harbour Women’s Club. All welcome. HSE members free; non-members a gold-coin donation please.
The Burdan family at Butterfly Creek in Gollans Valley, 1930s
Screwball classic promises to entertain
Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe’s winter production, opening in July, is another slapstick comedy from American playwright Larry Shue. The Nerd is a farcical, fast-paced production.
It follows hard on the heels of last year’s successful production of The Foreigner, also written by Shue and directed by Suzy Cain.
Set in Indiana, Middle America, the story revolves around the titular character, a factory worker named Rick Steadman. Steadman saved Willum Cubbert’s life during the war in Vietnam, but an unconscious Cubbert woke up in hospital without ever meeting his saviour.
Cubbert now lives a normal, mundane life, is happy in his job as an architect and has a close circle of friends. Everything changes, however, when Steadman arrives on Cubbert’s doorstep and is invited to stay for dinner.
Excitement at finally meeting his rescuer soon turns to frustration when Cubbert realises his guest not only refuses to leave; he has moved in. Cubbert’s hero turns out to be utterly oafish, tactless, buffoonish, and well, nerdy. Clearly
what is needed is a brilliant, probably crazy, plan to get rid of this unwanted guest.
Hailed by Variety as a slapstick in which “the audience almost never stops laughing,” with “handkerchiefs wiping away tears of merriment,” Larry Shue’s screwball stage classic promises to keep audiences guffawing until the very end!
Performance dates are 10-12 & 17-19 July at Muritai School Hall, Eastbourne, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are available via Humanitix or on the door on performance nights.
News from our local early childhood centres
NEWS FROM EAST HARBOUR KINDERGARTEN
In the lead up to
-
New Year, ngā tamariki have been learning about this special cluster of whetu- stars.
and her
are all connected to the natural world and their atua - guardians that protect them.
these connections through
Matariki
Māori
Matariki
tamariki
Kaiako and our community have been supporting tamariki to make
waiata- song pūrākau- stories, making kai and art together. Mānawatia a Matariki!
The Nerd cast. Back row, from left: Anna Sutherland as Tansy McGinnis, Philip Rossiter as Willum Cubbert, Laurie Ward as Rick Steadman and Martyn Barry as Axel Hammond. Front row, from left: John Marwick as Warnock Waldgrave, Freddy Thompson as the petulant menace Thor Waldgrave and Nicola Todd as Clelia Waldgrave. Photo: Hayden Rogers
Watch This Space
by Ann Packer
It took a leap of faith, says Lisa South of The Cove Store, to move from tiny premises in Days Bay into the former Ponder Gallery building on Muritai Rd, looking along Rimu St to the wharf. “We had to jump in hard!”
After three years in the former Van Helden Gallery building – just one as a women’s boutique – The Cove Store has just had its busiest day ever, and that in the middle of a very cold winter. Lisa says while Days Bay was a thoroughfare, the village is more of a destination, and she has been welcomed by other local retailers.
Now flooded with natural light and spots to highlight the hanging clothes, “it’s a really lovely place to work,” says Emily Holmes, who came from the Days Bay shop.
As locals will have noticed over the past weeks, the downstairs space was stripped back to bare boards and repainted in smart blackand-white, with new lighting to show off racks
BRIEFS
Producer Verity Mackintosh will introduce her Matariki feature film Kōkā at a Muritai School fundraiser screening at Lighthouse Petone on Tuesday 15 July at 6 pm. Tickets are $20 ($30 with a glass of Prosecco and a raffle ticket), and available from amy.fanning1983@ gmail.com
Pictures by Muritai illustrator Lily Uivel, now the mother of a young baby herself, helped a “quintessentially Kiwi romp”, written by Juliette MacIver and published by Scholastic New Zealand, gain selection for the Bookhub Picture Book Award shortlist in this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The judges said Beddy-bye Time in the Kōwhai Tree captures “the fun and chaos of getting a wee one to bed. “The whimsical tale, told using clever rhyme, counting in threes, and with a sprinkling of kupu Māori, is complemented by detailed, witty illustrations in a beautifully calm colourway. A funny, engaging and magical bedtime read.” The winners will be announced at a function at Pipitea Marae on Wednesday 13 August.
Chris Bishop
MP for Hutt South
Please contact my Lower Hutt office, my staff and I are here to help.
of clothing plus shelves of ceramics, jewellery and accessories, including Deadly Ponies. Fragrance ranges include Hivern candles and diffusers from Eastbourne’s Tamara and Christopher Tubbs.
Central boxes providing flat display for folded knitwear also conceal generous storage space for extra stock. Where possible, fittings and fixtures are New Zealand made.
There’s floorspace too for Lisa’s eye-catching Dick Frizzell 50cc Suzuki, one of two artistdecorated scooters bought to support Mike King’s I Am Hope fundraiser some years ago.
The distribution business Meraki, which occupied part of the Days Bay premises, had already been relocated to Miramar. The upstairs area of the building is now a rental apartment.
Lisa plans a community event to celebrate the opening in early September, once Spring stock comes in. Watch this space.
Authorised by Chris Bishop, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
Faith in the Community
Like the wind in a thousand paddocks...
As I shelter from the winter rain and wind this month, I’m reminded of the work of New Zealand poet, James K Baxter. In his ‘Song to the Holy Spirit’, he writes
You blow like the wind in a thousand paddocks, Inside and outside the fences, You blow where you wish to blow.
Our three Eastbourne Churches have just celebrated Pentecost, the festival when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit. We remind ourselves that – whatever the season of our lives, whatever the situation - God is with us, right here, right now; with us in the midst of life, whatever that brings.
This winter, news from around the world, and from around Aotearoa New Zealand, can be dark and challenging, but Baxter reminds us who God is...
You are the kind fire who does not cease to burn,
Consuming us with flames of love and peace, Driving us out like sparks to set the world on fire.
If you’d like to know more about this message of warmth and hope, contact any of your local Churches – you’ll find our details below...
St Alban’s + St Ronan’s: 1st Sundays 9:30am monthly Shared Communion Services (alternating venues, leaders and preachers). 6 July at San Antonio church 3 August at St Ronan’s church. St Ronan’s: 1st Sundays shared with St Alban’s (see above). 2nd and 4th Sundays 9:30am informal, 3rd Sundays 9:30am traditional, 5th Sundays 12:00pm fellowship meal. E:office@ stronans.org.nz W:www.stronans.org.nz
St Alban’s: 1st Sundays shared with St Ronan’s (see above). Other Sunday services at San Antonio church at 9:30am. 1st Thursdays, communion at 10:30am at St Ronan’s church. Details www.facebook.com/StAlbansNZ E:office@stalbanschurch.nz W:www. stalbanschurch.nz
San Antonio: Vigil Mass, Sat 5.30pm. Sacred Heart, Petone: Mass, Sun 9.30am and 5.30pm. E:holyspiritparish41@gmail.com W:www.holyspirit.nz
From dairy to diesel
Ranjit Singh was not planning to become a petrol station owner. The dairy proprietor from Te Aroha was actually looking on Trade Me for buildings when he came across Eastbourne’s Sunshine Service Station, owned by Gordon Husmann for 32 years.
Rana, as he is known, could see potential in the midcentury building – but selling petrol was a world away from running a dairy and takeaway. However, he has found the Eastbourne community “really helpful – I love it” and plans to live upstairs with his wife Tajender Kaur, known as Taj, who is to join him at the end of June. Although more used to employing people, they will run the business as a couple.
Renting while waiting for the apartment to be remodelled – he already has a quote from a neighbour’s tradie for upgrading the interior and exterior – Rana plans to do all the painting himself. But while some have suggested to him he might demolish the building, he sees its heritage as important to the community – plus it would cost a lot more to start from scratch.
keeping him warm in this wintry weather.
As a practising Sikh, Rana is pleased there is a temple not too far away, in the Hutt – and on a more practical level, he says his turban is
Looking to the future, he intends to add e-vehicle chargers, from several suppliers, to the petrol and diesel currently available.
An op shop with a difference
It’s long been a dream of Eastbourne florist Richelle Mullins to open an op shop – and the Days Bay resident, who came to Eastbourne in 2021, has brought that dream to life at the appropriately-named Revive, in High St, Avalon.
The airy space – which brings together a well-curated selection of pre-loved women’s clothing (including shoes, hats and bags) with books, art and a counter for Richelle’s business Flourish – looks more like a design store. That’s
due in large part to the dream team of half a dozen volunteers who she says just kept on coming, stepping up to paint and spruce up the premises rented from a local church to look more like a classy boutique than your average op shop. It opened the week of the Matariki holiday.
There’s a seating area where people can read a magazine while their children play, “and drink a coffee made on my own very small coffee machine,” says Richelle.
At the back, in a private room, is Pregnancy Choice, which offers free, confidential information and support for women who unexpectedly find themselves pregnant – the first such centre in the Wellington region for the national non-profit organization.
Revive’s hours are currently Tuesday to Friday 10 – 4 although it’s hoped to open Saturdays when helpers are available.
And fear not, Eastbourne flower lovers –Richelle will still be serving Flourish customers from her home at the top of Ferry Road, Tuesdays to Fridays 9.30 – 5 pm.
Revive Op Shop & Flourish Floral Design, 455 High St, Lower Hutt, 562 0111.
New Sunshine Service Station owner, Ranjit Singh.
Point Howard and Eastbourne identity Nan Barker died in February, after a short illness, not long after turning 100. She had lived in the second-to-last house at the top of Howard Rd since she and her late husband Eddie moved up the hill from Sorrento Bay in 1950.
A passionate gardener and reader, who usually had two books on the go at any one time, Nan was born in Dannevirke to Isabella and John Marshall, a photographer. Her mother died of cancer when she was 12, and her father of a heart attack two years later. With her nineyears-older sister Janette already gone nursing, Nan was brought up by an aunt.
A masonic fund grant allowed her to complete her secondary schooling, and another of her three Scottish aunts, Wellington-resident artist Jenny Campbell – who had lived in Paris and London after World War I and married English artist Roland Hipkins – took Nan under her wing and encouraged her to live independently in a hostel in Wellington, where she also became closer to her sister Janette.
Looking for her first job, she missed out on a position at the Railways but encouraged by Aunt Jenny wrote and challenged the decision; the interviewers changed their minds, with the result that Nan was appointed secretary to one of the managers.
She joined the Young People’s Club in Cuba St, where she met Eddie Barker, a fitter and turner with the Railways. They married and lived in Sorrento Bay before buying a section at 88 Howard Rd. With no experience of building, Eddie took to the library to teach himself to build the house that exists to this day – the equivalent of looking it up on YouTube, suggests son Peter.
He was the first of their children, born in 1948, followed by Judy, 1952 and Geoffrey, 1960.
In 1950, Nan helped set up the Pt Howard Playcentre, which exists to this day.
Busy raising children, Nan didn’t start her creative career until her thirties, when she took up painting, encouraged by her
friend Claire Jennings, an artist who also worked at the Railways. She first took up clay at Petone Technical Memorial College’s daytime community institute classes in 1965, when Eddie, a former head prefect at the school, became the workshop teacher. He was eventually made head of the school’s continuing education department – and he constructed Nan’s first wheel and kiln.
In 1969 Nan and fellow Pt Howard resident John Keating set up the Pt Howard Arts Society, which in its heyday had 100 members, with a waiting list to get in. Initially meeting in a shed in the Barkers’ back garden, they moved to the basement of the little Anglican church at Point Howard, with a borrowed wheel, and raised $1000 for their first kiln, which was swung into place beneath the church’s altar by crane.
Mothers who were “at a loose end”, as Nan put it, came to learn along with their children, who could also take classes. The group came to include embroiderers, painters and spinners and weavers and when the church reluctantly had to sell the premises, proceeds were divided between the society, community and church.
Potting may have been Nan Barker’s passion, but as she said herself, “If you can’t sell it, there’s not much point. There’s only so much pottery your family can take.” So she sold to shops, from stalls on market days (including Martinborough Fairs) and later at annual pre-Christmas open days, a tradition begun at friend Keena Gibbs’s Lowry Bay home then Fiona Christeller’s in York Bay. Her last was in December 2024.
In middle age, Nan took up yoga and then ran yoga classes – in later stages, in her home. Primarily for older people, she continued until she was 93, stopping only because her pupils “had either died off or could not make it up the path to the house”.
Peter says his mother was always honest, often blunt, fiercely independent, and still driving at 100. And after four decades of crafting and firing clay, she was tough. “In her seventies she was still carting up bags of clay – I wouldn’t carry that much."
Although she belonged to a group that believed in assisted dying, Peter says Nan was also someone who lived life forward. “She didn’t look back, and younger people enjoyed being in her company.” Like the couple who backpacked to Laos and Cambodia with her when she was 85.
About two decades ago, tired of having a birthday so close to Christmas and New Year, Nan Barker decided to unofficially change hers to 31 May – so on her terms, she would not yet be 100. Just saying…
Garden Stuff with Sandy Lang
June/July: Early /mid-winter. Days already lengthening.
Animals eat plants: Plants are at the bottom of all food chains but there are times when the predator:prey relationship is reversed. In John Wyndham’s book, The Day of the Triffids (1951), triffids lethally sting people, then loiter near the body absorbing nutrients as it decomposes. A macabre fiction but not far-fetched. There are ~800 plant species that •attract, •trap, •kill and •digest small animals and then •absorb the results. Most prey are insects but sometimes, small mammals and birds. Carnivorous plants employ several sorts of traps, plus baits and poisons. Google carnivorous plants Pitfall traps: ‘Pitcher plants’. A modified leaf forms an attractively coloured ‘jug’, baited with nectar and holding a pool of water with digestive enzymes. The jug’s insides are covered with loose scales (think loose tiles on a steep roof). Oops... the prey falls into the pool, drowns and is digested. The plant absorbs the nutrients released.
Flypaper traps: ‘Sundews’ (some are NZ natives). Leaves are sticky with mucilage, some have attractive coloured tentacles that move to quickly entangle the adhering prey. The exhausted animal dies, then rots or is digested. The plant absorbs the nutrients released.
Snap traps: ‘Venus flytraps’. The leaves have two hinged leaflets at the tip, each with stiff hairs (teeth) on the outer edges. The leaflet surfaces have trigger hairs. When touched by prey the two leaflets snap together (<1 s), the interlocking ‘teeth’ prevent escape. The prey is digested (~2 wks). Each leaf trap can reset and be triggered 3 or 4 times.
Bladders & lobsterpots: ‘Bladderworts’ (some NZ natives). These underwater traps catch minute freshwater crustaceans and protozoans. A tiny bladder sits at negative pressure. If a trigger hair is touched by passing prey, a trapdoor snaps open, water and prey are sucked in and the trapdoor snaps shut (<1/50 s). The prey dies, decomposes and is absorbed. A ‘lobsterpot’ trap works like a fish trap or a wasp trap –very much easier to get into, than out of. Same result. Cost:benefit: Carnivory is no great benefit to plants with good access to soil nutrients, so carnivorous plants are mostly found in low nutrient-status places (bogs and rainforests) where carnivory makes all the difference. Bogs are nutrient-poor because they’re fed only by rainwater and rainforests because soil nutrients have been leached out by eons of heavy rainfall.
slang@xtra.co.nz www.mulchpile.org
Prayer Meets Beer
Days Bay architect Liz Wallace won the Housing – Alterations & Additions category of the Wellington Architecture awards in late May, with what the judges called “a transformation of a tired 90s pole house”.
The architect says what was most interesting about the project was that “the brief is certainly not the typical vanilla real estate brief – it’s more where Prayer meets Beer”.
The 1990s single-storey pole house was altered “to better suit the lifestyle of a professional couple while improving its resilience against the extreme weather of its South Coast hilltop location”, overlooking Lyall Bay. With limited flat land and close neighbouring properties, the design had to stay within the existing footprint of the house the clients had lived in for 20 years.
From a home brewery in the basement to a prayer room (butsuma) capable of hosting small Buddhist group gatherings, on a new upper level, the reuse of cedar and careful material selection reflect a commitment to sustainability.
The citation reads: The result is a deeply personal, site-sensitive home that feels
protective yet open—an architecture that uplifts, shelters, and inspires. One juror described the warmth of the main area like a virtual hug.
Church celebrates Matariki at the beach
To mark the start of Matariki, the Māori New Year – when manaakitanga (hospitality) is one of the themes – Eastbourne’s Anglican congregation held an event for kids and allcomers at the southern end of HW Shortt Recreation Ground on the Sunday before the public holiday.
Two pizza ovens, under the supervision of Stuart Mossman and Charles Odlin, kept up a steady stream of hot goodies for passersby, with fresh pizzas still coming out when the kiteflying kids arrived. Their lightweight kites, made by them at ESSC from kits provided by the church, caught the wind on the park – but it was too light for the professional kiteflyers’ big ones, waiting down on the beach for wind that never came.
Mondays
• Retired Persons’ Assn meet 4th Mon, 10am St Ronan's Church hall for morning tea followed by a speaker - $2 entry. Transport can be arranged for these meetings on request, ph 562 7365 or 562 8387.
• “Baby Bounce & Rhyme” at the library 10.00am.
• Toy Library - 7.30-8.30pm. EastbourneToyLibrary on Facebook. Kathy 0273551950.
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• Pt Howard Playcentre. Mon 9.15 -11.45am. pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• The Historical Society’s Eastbourne History Room above the library is open 2-4 pm every Monday.
• Eastbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade training every Monday 7-9pm. Ph 562 7001 for more info.
• Keas - 5:15pm - 6:15pm. Ed 021 738 699.
Tuesdays
• Mindful Mummas group for Mums and preschool children. Childminder onsite. 10-11.30. Text Emily 027 552 6119 to join or go to bemoreyou.co.nz for more info.
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• Muritai Tennis Club 9.30–noon. Merryn 562 0236.
• Eastbourne Homebirth Group 1st Tuesday of the month. Phone Kate 562-7096.
• East Harbour Women’s Club Morning Tea & Chat Group 10am. Contact Glendyr 0210303480.
• Indoor Bowls Club 1.30pm, at the croquet club, Oroua Street. Rosemary 562 7365
• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Barrie barrielittlefair@gmail.com 0204 1234511. Women welcome.
• 9.30am Nia Dance Fitness Class (low impact - teens to 70+) Music Movement Magic - Muritai Yacht Club - call Amanda 021 316692 www.niainwellington.com
• Toy Library - 9.30am-10.30am.
WHAT'S ON
Wednesdays
• Cubs: 5.30pm - 7.00pm, Ed 021 738 699.
• Venturers - 7:15pm - 9pm - Ed 021 738 699.
• Library preschool story time 10.00 am.
• Pt Howard Playcentre Wed 9.15 -11.45am. pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• Scottish Country Dance. Merryn 562 0236.
• Bridge Club 7-10pm. Shona 562 7073.
•DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 12 noon. Drop in anytime to visit a session or email daysbay@playcentre.org.nz to arrange a visit.
• “Steady as You Go” Age Concern sponsored Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme. Held 12 noon each Wednesday at Eastbourne Community Hall. Classes are held for 1 hour and costs only $2. Improve your strength and balance to reduce falls and injuries. Falls are preventable. Please join us!
• EHock - Fun Stick and Ball game Girls and Boys 7- 13.Eastbourne Community Hall. Wednesdays 6.00 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Derek Wilshere 0274303596.
• Tai Chi 9.40am Muritai Yacht Club Lyn 021 1428915
Thursdays
• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Barrie barrielittlefair@gmail.com 0204 1234511. Women welcome.
• St Ronan’s Mainly Music, 9.15am11.15am, during school terms. Contact Cathy 027 213 9342.
• SPACE at Days Bay Playcentre. Michelle 971 8598.
•Lions meet 2nd Thursday of the month at the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, Tuatoru St 6.30 pm. New members and visitors are welcome. Graham 562 8819.
• Scouts 6pm-8pm - Ed 021 738 699
• Eastbourne Bowling Club casual summer bowls 5.30pm for an hour or so. Make up a mixed team of three. Contact Keith Turner ph 04 934 4142.
• Sing Eastbourne: 8pm, San Antonio.
Fridays
• Pop in and Play playgroup at St Ronan's Church Hall, 9am-11.30am during school terms. All preschoolers (0-4 years) welcome. Cath 027 213 9342.
• Pt Howard Playcentre Fri 9.15 -11.45am pcpointhoward@gmail.com
• AA Plunket Rooms 7.30pm. Mark 566 6444/ Pauline 562 7833
•Senior Residents: Lighthouse Movies - last Friday of every month. Pick up from 10am. Contact Celeste on 021 206 5713 for more information. Okiwi Services (Eastbourne Community Trust).
Saturdays
• Justice of the Peace at the Eastbourne Community Library, first Saturday of each month 12pm-1pm.
• Croquet from 10am Muritai Croquet Club. Lyn 562 8722 or Val 562 8181.
• Lions' Bin - cost effective rubbish and e-waste disposal. Last Saturday of the month (except December) by Bus Barns. Gavin 027 488 5602.
Sundays
• AA Plunket Rooms 10am. Karen 021 440 705.
• Days Bay Touch Rugby, by arrangement on Whatsapp group, text Xavier 027 249 3645 to join.
SPORTS EXHIBITION
Muritai School Hall
Saturday, July 26th
Hall open 7pm-11pm + Special Guests - Parun/Vandike
Badminton
Singles:
Richard Dalziel v Blair Rutherford
Doubles:
Dalziel/Rutherford v Eastbourne Young Guns (Under 18)
Table Tennis
Singles:
Depak Patel v Lindsay Ward
Richard Dalziel v Steve Chapman
Doubles:
Patel/Ward v the Talbot Brothers
Social Games Table Tennis
Food/Drink/Music $2 donation
Family Friendly
TABLE TENNIS CLUB
St Ronan’s Hall - Sat Nite Call 027 241 3683
Eastbourne Mums on the Run
When one of my “Eastbourne Mum” friends, Amy Innes, suggested back in November that we sign-up for the Hawkes Bay Half-Marathon in May, I was in like a shot. It’s a beautiful run and one I’ve always meant to do, and we had months to train for it. Little did I know what a great idea it would seem to so many others, too. Within minutes – literally – we had a dozen of us “Eastbourne Running Mums” signed-up and registered. Being Mums, too, we predictably had all the logistics sorted in minutes. The transport, accommodation, winery afterwards, restaurant for dinner, and café for brunch the day after were all hastily booked.
The lovely Fran from Goldie even designed us some very cool “Mums on the Run” t-shirts, and we were all set! (That is, until 8 of the 12 of us came down with injuries in the lead-up that meant we had to begrudgingly downgrade to
the 10km instead. Meanwhile we’ve all decided John the local physio should be our official sponsor for next time, with all the business we’ve taken his way.)
On the day, all of the EB Mums did way better than expected – all beating our previous bests and doing a better time in better shape than we’d hoped for. It was a gorgeous day in the sunny Hawkes Bay and we all had a blast. Stand-out among those exceeding expectations was local athlete Natalie Blair, who, apart from raising three awesome boys, also manages to work, spin a thousand plates, and be a mainstay of the Eastbourne community. When Natalie told us she’d last run a half-marathon in 1 hour and 45 minutes, and would therefore be using that as her goal for this one, we were amazed and supportive - albeit a tiny bit sceptical – after all, that run had been 21 years ago, in Dubai, and well pre-kids. But oh how we under-estimated her determination! Not only did Nat beat her previous best by 4
minutes, she came in 6th in her age group, and still had energy to burn at the end! (In fact, it took her less than 24 hours to sign up to her next goal: the full Wellington marathon at the end of June!) Congratulations, Nat – we are all so proud of you.
Thanks to all our Eastbourne Dads who kept the home fires burning while we had a fantastic weekend away in the sunny Hawkes Bay! We’ll be booking you in again for November, when we’re all running (without anything stopping us this time!) the Around the Vines Half Marathon in Martinborough!
- by Gerri Ward.
TRADES AND SERVICES
• Residential
• Commercial
• Servicing & Maintenance
No job too small
Tom Mason 027 607 0594 tom@masonelectrical.co.nz www.masonelectrical.co.nz
Gasfitting and Servicing
Plumbing and maintenance
Radiator and underfloor heating Renovations and new builds
Andrew Watson
office@alphaplumbingandgas.co.nz
www.alphaplumbingandgas.co.nz
0278607054
Leading The Pack
Live the Eastbourne dream
This charming yet practical home is perfect for enjoying the best that Eastbourne has to offer, including an easy one minute stroll to the beach. Sitting on a fenced and manageable 460sqm section, the current owners have loved the easy flow of the house. This gorgeous property ticks so many boxes and is a must see!
bayleys.co.nz/3328418
3 2 2 1
Asking Price $1,049,000 View by appointment
Duncan Povey 027 597 1080
duncan.povey@bayleys.co.nz
Jasper Povey 027 552 7737
jasper.povey@bayleys.co.nz
CAPITAL
Castle in the treetops
Words and pictures just cannot do justice to this home, without doubt one of the very best of the best. What started as a dream to have a castle up in the treetops has been constructed by one of the very best European joiner and craftsman, to absolute perfection. Genuinely for sale, call today to arrange your private viewing.
