Queen's Coronation Celebration

We have only two photographs marking the Queen's Coronation Celebration in 1953 in Otautau.
If anyone can name the people depicted, please do. Do you have photos of that day?

Floats at Holt Park?

Bill Wesney, in the tuxedo and top hat, and his wife Gertrude from Massachusetts, USA.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

James Family Reunion

Today, the James Family held their reunion in Otautau, stopping first in Aparima where the early pioneers settled.

Aparima Church. Source: The New Zealand Electronic Text Collection—Cyclopedia of New Zealand 

They visited the old Aparima School, now Southern Naturally, and the Methodist Church which is now a derelict building.

Aparima c.1920, the school, the store & post office, and the church on the far right.

With over a hundred descendants in the group, they split into two when they got to Otautau to visit both cemeteries, the museum and to have lunch at the Otautau Hotel.

Vic Keen showing a school photo from 1940 to James' descendants.

We didn't have a lot in our collection on the James Family or Aparima so we borrowed some of the School Jubilee photos that were hanging in the Aparima Hall. In addition, we had Mrs Grace Brass' painting of the Fairview estate, seen in the background of the above photo. The home was originally owned by the James Family. Mrs Brass painted it in 1974. As a bonus, I got to meet Mrs Brass' daughter who was also part of the group.

Many thanks to Graeme Clent for organising the reunion and including us in their itinerary. It was a pleasure having these folks at the museum.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!