Thames Flu Nurses 1950 Reunion

In June 1950 a group of Nurses who had been nurses at Thames Hospital during the 1918 influenza epidemic held a reunion at Thames Hospital. They included: Mesdames A McCarroll, C Stewart, O Doidge, McPike, A Sloane, R Andrews, A Brocklebank, F Homersham, R McMillan.  Misses D White and N Sing.

Thames Star 9 June 1950



Thames Nurses who served in WWI

Several nurses who trained or later worked at Thames Hospital, served in World War One.

The Treasury now has a list of these nurses and links to further details, including a plaque that was made to commemorate their war efforts.

Wonderful lot of information also available at Sherayl's site on NZ Military Nursing history which includes many rolls and other information. Also at Sooty's webpages.

One of the nurses, CLARA HAWKINS returned from the war and served as Matron at Thames Hospital 1919-1920, Taking over from Miss Wilson (pictured below). A few other mentions at my Thames pages.

Miss Wilson, who was Matron of Thames Hospital during World War One
(Thames Hospital Pictorial CD)

IWIDEX Database at Auckland Libraries

An excellent resource for the Hauraki and wider area is available to search at the Auckland Libraries Digital Library.  It is called IWIDEX.

Iwidex is an index for information on tribal history, tikanga-a-iwi and whakapapa held in the heritage and research collections of Auckland Libraries. It is an easy way to find information about Māori waka, traditions, waiata, haka, tribal whenua, maunga, marae, carving, weaving, stories and whakapapa.

The meeting house of Hotunui at Shortland Thames
(which is now at The Auckland Museum)

'The Way We Were' Lectures - Thames Heritage Week

An exciting series of lectures are being held at The Treasury during the upcoming heritage Week.
Tickets for each lecture are $5, tickets available at The Treasury (which will be open for ticket sales Monday - Saturday 10am to 5pm).  Start time for each lecture is 1pm.

Monday 7 March 2011
Coastal Middens: An endangered site type by Dr Louise Furey (Consulting Archaeologist)

Tuesday 8 March 2011
Ohinemuri Goldmines by Dr Neville Ritchie (Regional Archaeologist DOC)

Wednesday 9 March 2011
Broken promises in Ngarimu Bay by Lee Bisset (Local researcher & Oral historian)

Thursday 10 March 2011
Iwi history of the Hauraki region by Dr Charles Royal (Composer & Researcher)

Friday 11 March 2011
Nga Puke Ki Hauraki Ka Tarehua by David Robson (Maori Heritage Manager at NZHPT)

Picture of Thames that appeared in the London Illustrated Newspaper 25/9/1869

Two new articles at The Treasury Journal

Two new articles have been added to The Treasury online Journal.

BATTERY SITES ON THE LUCKY HIT CREEK By D Wilton
Giving full information on the mining claim, maps and background information

PIONEERS OF KAPANGA by A Barker
This is on my Great, Great Grandfather Clement Augustus Cornes and his family. Specifically a genealogy tale about my hunt for my Great-Grandfather's birth details. Plus a few details on the Kapanga Mine which he owned for many years.

If you have a story to tell about your Thames family
Contact the Journal Editor

(Contact details at the bottom of the Journal page)

Photograph of the Kapanga area, Coromandel, circa 1860s, with Driving Creek in the foreground.
(Alexander Turnbull Library)

Thames Heroes

Since the goldfield days there have been many 'heroes' that have been acknowledged for courageous acts of bravery and even more for whom their name has been never recorded and sadly long forgotten.

Working in a mine was full of danger and many miners risked their lives to save their fellow worker/s. Many other dangers lurked at the wharves, rivers and coastal waters; where rescues were a somewhat common event.

We have record of some of these events in a wonderful publication called "ZEALANDIAS BRAVE, The Royal Humane Societies in New Zealand 1850 - 1998" by John D Wills. The Society has an index online.

The Treasury, Thames, has a copy of this book and a file of extra information on the awards applicable to the Coromandel Peninsula area. Many New Zealand libraries hold copies of the book.

One award involved the following men for a rescue at the Caledonian Mine Thames 1886:
AWARD: Case No 538 - 550, ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY of AUSTRALASIA
Page 104-105. They all received the BRONZE MEDAL:

THOMAS GROAT REID, FRANCIS THOMAS ROWE, SAMUEL HANCOCK, JAMES AUTRIDGE, HUMPHREY AUTRIDGE, WILLIAM CAMPBELL, JOHN RICHARDS, WILLIAM CORIN, JAMES LAWES, BENJAMIN BARKER, JOHN ALEXANDER MCINNIS, JOSEPH DUNN AND CHARLES REUBEN MANUEL.

These men went to the aid of HUGH HILL and THOMAS CASELY on 28 April 1886 when they were overpowered by gas in the CALEDONIAN MINE, Thames.



Award Case 538 - 550



Thames Heritage Week 2011

Want to know more about the lives of your ancestors who lived in Thames?
Well the perfect start is to find time to come to heritage week.

5th - 12th March 2011 is Thames Heritage Week

A full programme is online - click on the HERITAGE TAB for a full downloadable programme.
Historic walks and activities, special gala days and afternoon teas, plus many, many more events.

Victoria Park, Thames
Several heritage events will be held at this venue.
The Croquet Club is now situated where the old Railway Station was - shown here at the end of the footpath.