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The Gisborne Photo News

 

56

Pictures from the Past

These pictures from Mr H. F. Robb, 52 Gordon Street, show (above) his father's joinery works in Grey Street on the present site of Holmes Motors Ltd. The house beyond was the home of the Maher family, and stood about where Holmes Motors bowser station now is. The man in the bowler hat was Robert Robb, Sydney Williams is seated, and the third man is Will or Fred Reynolds.

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This is one of the very earliest pictures of Gisborne, and shows a vessel tied up at the end of Gladstone Road in 1867. At right are the warehouses of G. E. Read, the "Father of Gisborne", approximately where the bandstand is now.

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Another picture from Mr Robb's collection concerns the farewell of Gisborne's postmaster, Mr G. W. Sampson, on the occasion of his leaving for Greymouth on promotion in 1903. It is a copy of the illustrated memento presented to him by the Postal, Telegraph and Exchange staffs of the time.

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No doubt the staff names will be of interest to old timers, and the following are reasonably accurate with the exception that the second row may be somewhat misplaced. Top row from left: Bill Nicol, V. Mathias, Paddy Lynch, Reg Sheen, Miss Madeline Dunlop. Second row: W. J. L. Whinray, Sam Harrison, Bill Pullen, Fred Brown, Jack Smith. Third row: Bert Robb, G. F. Kemp, Mr Sampson, Alf Steele, Miss Alma Patterson. Fourth row: Mr Fowler, Clem Sigley, J. F. Martin, Joe Fyson, Ambrose Coad. At left: Miss Victoria Bridges. At right: Miss Elai Simpson. Fifth row: Miss Ettie Ferris, Frank Fox, Jock Stewart, Miss Kate Ryland, Frank Bridges.
Back row of messengers: Jack Shaw, Jack Patterson, Bob Huston, Frank Robb. Front row, Bert Lucas, Andy Park, Jim Fielder.