»  The Virtual Attic — Photographs — Dad in New Zealand

 

This page contains links to photographs from my father's time in New Zealand, 1928(?) to 1931. I believe they were all taken in or near Christchurch. He worked as an orderly at a mental hospital; that is the uniform he is wearing in some of the pictures.

Dad with his mates Dad is at bottom right here, smoking a cigarette.
Dad with his mates Dad is the rightmost figure here, at the back. I remember him telling me he had just got out of bed when this picture was taken.
Dad with his mates Dad is seated at the back, second from left, with a cigarette again.
Dad with his mates I'm pretty sure that's Dad in the middle.
Dad with his mates Dad in the middle again, with a cigarette again.
Dad with his mates That's Dad at the right. If there's a sober man in this picture, I'd be much surprised.
Dad at tennis Dad was a keen tennis player in his New Zealand days. He told me he and a friend were the first to play on a newly-built court in Christchurch, and a plaque was put up with their names on it.
Dad at tennis More tennis.
Dad in grass Dad in the grass with a lady. Doesn't look like Jessie (see below).
Jessie This is Evelyn Jean Pepper, née Goddard, mother of my half-brother Noel.
Jessie Jean again. The location is a public square in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Jessie Reverse of the previous photograph. "Jessie" is written in Dad's handwriting. The other written characters say "SQUARE" and "CST CH," as best I can make out.
Ladies Is one of these beauties Jessie? The brunette might be, but it doesn't look much like her (see above).
Ladies Same two gals as in previous picture.
Park Two women in a Christchurch park. Same two as above? One of them Jessie? No idea.
Persons unknown This and the fourteen following pictures are of people unknown to me. Plainly they were friends of Dad's when he lived in New Zealand. Any positive identifications would be much appreciated.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above. What a nice picture this is (and the next, too): a bunch of carefree young people horsing around on a sunny hillside, a long way from the Old World and its problems, and still a few years to go before the mid-century horrors started up. Arcadia.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above. This and the next two seem to be the same guy.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above. This fellow's in the next picture, too.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Persons unknown See above.
Passport Dad acquired a New Zealand passport on October 23rd, 1930. This strangely noir picture is his passport photograph.
RMS Tainui This is the ship that took Dad from New Zealand back to England, to his everlasting regret.