Una Chiesa al Mare: A history of the San Antonio Parish Eastbourne, New Zealand 1906 - 2006 by Jocelyn Kerslake

The coming of the Italians

There are many reasons why people leave their homelands and travel beyond their known territories. In centuries past there were few maps or charts, but men have always wanted to extend their horizons.Italian migration accelerated in the middle of the 19th century when there were disastrous crop failures which, socially and economically, inhibited the country’s development. But there were opportunities in the New World and great numbers of Italians travelled to and settled in, the United States.Those migrants and their fellow countrymen who came to New Zealand shores had one goal – the search for the “bella fortuna” – a better life for themselves and their families.The first Italians who sailed into Wellington harbour were mostly “passing through” and until the 1890s Italian settlement was spasmodic. Gradually those who sailed around Wellington’s bays, were enticed by their beauty and by the realisation that here, perhaps, they could continue to make their lives from the sea.Born in Stromboli in 1866, Bartolo Russo was the first Italian to settle in Eastbourne and largely through his influence the migration from that island to New Zealand began. He brought his family to Eastbourne in 1895 where he built a home for his wife, Italia, and their children. Conditions for Italia, as for all pioneers, were not easy. Although well provided with milk, fruit and vegetables, tap water was not available to her and she had a large family to care for.Other families soon followed, almost literally in the wake of the Russos. The two Della Barca brothers, Luigi and Antonio from Massalubrense sailed into Wellington harbour, saw “the bounty of the sea”, returned to Italy briefly, then having married, eventually settled in Eastbourne.

This book is beautifully enhanced with Lorette Eager 's drawings.

On Golders Hill: a history of Thorndon Parish

This parish history by Dan Kelly has some fascinating revelations and wonderful old photographs. I enjoyed putting it all together, some pages are favourites of mine. In 2009 we can’t imagine a priest’s funeral filling Glenmore Street from top to bottom.

I particularly enjoyed learning about the significance of music within the parish in the days before television. Competitiveness between the Thorndon Parish and that attached to St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott Street was legendary. For example, which parish had the best conductor / choir master / organist, and more importantly whose concert secured the larger audience and raised maximum funds.

Copies of this book may still be available from the parish office of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and of Saint Mary His Mother, Hill Street, Wellington.

Campbell Island 1955-1956, 1958-1960

The story of how the meteorological service was established on Campbell Island, the most remote Subantarctic island and now a World Heritage site, is known to very few. George Poppleton’s book takes you right there. In 1955 George was selected by the Civil Aviation Authority to lead a small group of men to construct a weather station on Campbell Island. Contracted for a year at a time, they learned to live together, work together, and have fun together on a difficult, yet very beautiful island. Some, like George, found life on the island - with all its isolation and harshness - extended them and returned to serve further years in the Subantarctic.

The equipment provided for them often fell well short of their needs, having been selected, like the men, without any environmental testing. George’s narrative conveys the feel and smell of the place as he relates their day-to-day lives. His discovery and descriptions of the island’s flora and fauna are a delight. Photography was a favourite pastime and many of George’s colour images are included in the book. The quality is remarkable for the period. Above all it’s a good read, he has a way with a yarn and there are numerous incidents to make you laugh, or commiserate with their frustration, throughout the book.

ISBN 0-473-07023-5
250 pages, 12 in colour, and 40 with black & white
photographs & drawings. 170x240mm. $39.95 + p&p

Somehow, this determined, manipulative and very ill man managed to convince me I’d promised to publish his book. I know I hadn’t, and I certainly didn’t want to; I wasn’t even sure I had the skills, let alone the money. After too short a time of having it freehold, I re-mortgaged the house and with the help of my friend Wendy Harland as proof reader and co-editor and a patient printer in Greytown, I published a book — George Poppleton’s revealing tale about life on subantarctic Campbell Island in the mid-1950s. It looked good with all George’s images, and I had 500 copies to sell.

I created coloured flyers, printed them on my trustee Epson inkjet, and posted them all over the country to George’s colleagues and other subantarctic aficionados. My friend Morice provided a list of marketing avenues to pursue. These had me transporting George (low flying he called it) from the Hutt into Radio New Zealand House for an interview and appearing on local TV; as-well-as sending off copies to newspapers and magazines for review.

George’s chronic emphysema and heart disease held at bay long enough for him to delight in the book launch I organised at the Wellington City and Sea Museum. But for me, the best time and most fun was the presentation I gave at the National Library.

The original project between me and George was an oral history. Looking to hone my skills I accepted the challenge — it took three years of Saturday mornings (when George was well enough). For the presentation I married his wheezing, gravelly voice with pictures and text and then practised and practised. On the day everything co-operated. The projector and computer aligned, the sound system worked, I was informative, witty and bright, the applause was just great and I sold 20 books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Island,_New_Zealand

When I moved house recently I discovered about 50 books. Most are still pristine with about 10 damaged. All are for sale - please contact: jenifa@paradise.net.nz

From the Station Platform

In 1999, after a series of different positions, I decided what I had been enjoying most was creating documents and so, as I was between jobs, I put together From the Station Platform by Paul Mahoney.
http://webspace.webring.com/people/an/norsewoodnz/bb.html
It's a brief history of a little country town called Ormondville written from a railway perspective. I learnt a great deal putting it together and still like the publication. It's currently out of print - waiting on its designer to update it.