Avondale Historical Journal 77

The Avondale

Historical Journal

May—June 2014 Volume 13 Issue 77

Official Publication of the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society Incorporated

On Facebook, I have a page called Timespanner, where historic images and info are put up, and folks can comment on them, add more information, that sort of thing.

One day, I put up a number of images of territorial army exercises that took place during June 1942 (published in the Auckland Weekly News 17 June 1942) — and the image above was amongst them. Now, while most of the exercises took place in North Auck-land and Northland, as far as Whangarei — it does look like that, on the way back to the camp somewhere in Auckland, they did a bit of “storming the signalbox” stuff at our own Avondale Railway Station.

I popped into the central library, sat down at a printer reader with micro-film from the Weekly News and the Herald, and found the following:

There seems to have been two main exercises around early June 1942 – one out in the northern countryside, another in an unnamed urban/suburban

Next meeting of the

Avondale-Waterview Historical

Society:

At St Ninians, St Georges Road

(opp. Hollywood Cinema)

SATURDAY, 7 June 2014,

2.00 pm

One day in June 1942, Avondale came under attack Lisa J Truttman

pointed hour went to the station. The guard swore when

he saw the soldiers. The men filed into a carriage, drew

the blinds, and extinguished the lights. They made

plans. At the station near the camp they descended from

the train on the blind side. Each section of four men

was allotted an objective."

That's an edited version of a much longer article, but the relevant bits are there.

And then we have “a recently-arranged exercise took

into account several types of possible fifth columnist

activity." (NZ Herald, 16 June) Including …

"A pitched battle was fought for a railway signal box.

Before the enemy had been routed “bodies” lay on the

tracks and on the platform and were drooped realisti-

cally over the stairs up to the box. Some soldiers

climbed on to railway engines and rested their rifles on

top of the boiler. Others lay prone by the wheels and

fired underneath."

So, I’m guessing there were at least two separate exer-cises taking place, one of which may have involved the Avondale Station. The layout in the photo, the curve of the track, the signalbox design — all this, according to a number of railway history folks who commented on the Timespanner page, points to the photograph being Avondale. Our railway station, until the station was shifted and reconfigured, was noted for that curve.

If any readers remember this exercise taking place, never mentioned in the newspapers — I’d love to hear from you. Image by kind courtesy Sir George Grey Special

Collections, Auckland Libraries.

The Avondale Historical Journal

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area. The NZ Herald of 16 June referred to “one of the

parties which recently had to complete a week out in

the field by attacking its own camp …” which sounded like this description from the Weekly News (17 June, p. 6):

" ... A typical commando unit which left a camp in the

Auckland area recently provided its participants with

thrills, excitement and hard work in abundance, In all,

this commando marched approximately 80 miles in six

days – an excellent feat when considering that the unit

consisted mainly of soldiers of the last war. Early one

morning this unit was paraded and informed that it was

to leave that morning for several days. The work would

be hard. The distance to be covered by foot would al-

most set records for marching. Local Home Guardsmen

had been informed of the unit’s schedule and therefore

the men must be on the alert every step of the way. The

commandos agreed. Nothing would disgrace them so

much as to be captured by irregulars. Actually, how-

ever, no Home Guardsmen attacked this unit at all. …

"When it rains in the hill country it is an experience

that city dwellers seldom have. Rough roads are turned

into quagmires. The bush, so cool and luring in the

summer, is turned into a nightmare of wet, dank foli-

age. …

"The commandos were gathered around the fire, “To-

night, men,” the officer commanding the unit rubbed

his chin, “we are to undertake a tough job. As to-

morrow is the last day out in the country we have been

ordered to attack our base camp …

"At last it was decided. An unscheduled goods train

would be the very thing. The men got ready at the ap-

A Transport Bus Services vehicle, photographed at Avondale, from NZ Herald

1 December 1934.

Curly Tony Goodwin

Don Gwilliam wrote an incisive description of Lester Ball in the March/April Journal. To my knowledge, Don and I have never met yet our paths have crossed on various occasions. I never met his sister Doris, but Ken and James “Jimmy” were both in Boys Brigade with me. In fact it goes back another generation with our fathers being in the Pt. Chevalier Sailing Club together when they used to have those rip roaring dances in the 1930s, or before. The Gwilliam homestead at 42 Rosebank Road was eventually bought by the RSA [along with a number of other properties] and demol-ished.

I left Avondale College at the end of 1952 and Curly Ball [yes bald men were called “curly” thus my father was “curly” Goodwin to all his friends] was my teacher in 5 tech. To expand on Don's description of this re-markable man: He had no neck. His head appeared to sit on top of his shoulders, he had a twitch and an enlarged tongue, possibly as a result of his wrestling years. He was proud of the fact that he had established the metalwork shops at Avondale College. There were two, separated by the foundry. The left hand shop was form 3 to 4. Ed Dowling ran this and he was the an-tithesis of Curly being a quietly spoken gentlemanly sort of fellow. The senior shop ,with a greater range of machinery was to the right. “Here are a range of files, the largest of which is a double cut bastard – stop your sniggering.”

Curly was an entrepre- neur, or a con man, or both. It always im-pressed me that with all the MAs, B Coms, Mus. Bach., Curly was listed as “Marine Certs.” In later years I found teachers who couldn't stand the sight of him. Yes he built an unusual house for its time at Pleasant Road. He would take a group of us up from school to help him paint it, “in order to gain practical experience.” The spin-dle housing for the lathe Don mentions, was cast out of alumi-num and on a memora-ble occasion as we were pouring molten


Volume 13 Issue 77

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metal into the mold there was an almighty bang and molten aluminum was plastered all over the ceiling and unfortunately on Hugh Brading, John Welsh, and some of the others. Moisture, possibly dripping from the ceil-ing, had got into the mold and instantly turned into steam as the hot metal contacted it, thus the explosion. Hence I always remember “drag and cope”, the description for the two parts of a mold.

As Don states, Curly was a practical man, and I have to say I completed a number of objects under his teaching. Yes a wood lathe, spindle and drive [not the bed], a small boat bilge pump, and an electroplating plant. John Welsh brought in an engine block which we re-bored, honed, and helped him assemble [a 1934 Ford B 4].

He was in charge of the swimming sports that were held at the Newmarket Olympic Pool. He also took the boys swimming club [of which I was a member]. Mrs Eggleston took the girls. On occasion we had our swim-ming classes in a stream at Glen Eden or Henderson Valley; why, I can't remember. Girls changed in the bushes to the right, boys to the left. We were encour-aged to sit for the Royal Life Saving Society Bronze Medallion, which I still have – somewhere.

Curly must have had some influence in my life as I also did marine engineering, which if he had known, would have astounded him, as of all the no hopers in 5 tech he classed me as one of the top.

Tony Goodwin March 2014

5A Tech 1952 Avondale College photo with Curly Ball — Tony Goodwin


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Published by: the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society Inc. Editor: Lisa J. Truttman Society contact: 19 Methuen Road, Avondale, Auckland 0600 Phone: (09) 828-8494, 027 4040 804 email: [email protected] Society information: Website: http://sites.google.com/site/avondalehistory/ Subscriptions: $10 individual $15 couple/family $30 corporate

Copies of Avondale Historical Journal and AWHS Newsletter produced for us by

Words Incorporated, 557 Blockhouse Bay Road,

Blockhouse Bay.

The Society and AHJ editorial staff thank

Avondale Business

Association for their continued support and sponsorship of this

publication.

Hi Lisa, received the Journal today, thank you. Loved the photograph ‘Ploughing the Rosebank Fields’

The article re L W G Ball chugged the memory and I got out my school ‘blue books’ for the years I was at Avondale College. 1952 L W G Ball is listed as being on staff (A. I.Mech. E, A.M.N.Z.I.E, Marine Cert. (1st

Lisa, I wonder if you could put this photo in the Newsletter, and if anyone can recognise any of these boys? It is Avondale Primary School Rugby Team and I think it would be about 1918 and taken at the Auckland Domain. My Father is top row 2nd left. Wish I had someone who could "photoshop" this.

Tony Goodwin

class Oil) In charge of Engineering. His Class V.Engineering l, Mr F G N Martin was V Engineering ll

Mr Ball (boys) along with Miss Stuart (girls) was in charge of the swimming group. 1953 Mr Ball’s class was V.A Technical Mr W F Morton was in charge of V.B Technical Engineering & building. Mr Ball & Miss Stuart for Swimming.

1954/1955 on staff no indication to class room or to the swimming group.

My school mags are somewhere, will see what I can find if it is of help? Someone else may also have info. to pass to you. Hope this helps and is of interest,

Best wishes, Joyce Foote

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Avondale Historical Journal 77