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John Dicken, Grey County Roadman, Cobden,1914.
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DescriptionJohn Dicken, Grey county roadman, Cobden. Aged 76, pictured 1914.
From the book
Historical Survey of the Grey County 1877 to 1960
By Mr and Mrs Victor Hawker on behalf of the Grey County CouncilDate of Photo1914Map[1]
From the book
Historical Survey of the Grey County 1877 to 1960
By Mr and Mrs Victor Hawker on behalf of the Grey County CouncilDate of Photo1914Map[1]
Shown in this image
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Category TagRoads
From Facebook
Date Created17th July 2019CommentsCheryl Hedley
That’s a big load on wheelbarrow for 76year old, strong as an ox
Vern Pattinson
Dirt roads back in those days I reacon
Ross Davis
Back when men were men
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Ross Davis and knew what hard work was
Leigh Hart
This guy would be about 183 now if still alive
Geoff More
My father who is 89yrs was just telling me the other day about his grandfather..Mr Lovett with a bicycle pick and shovel maintained the road between Nelson and Murchison ,10 shillings a week...he was a boer war veteren who wanted a quiet life
No photo description available.
Rick Burrows
Health and safety rules require 2 men to lift a product over 20kg we have gone a long way since those days have we gone in the right direction.
Productivity wise definitely not.
David Thomas Healy
My Great Uncle a WW1 veteran was a roadman on the road between Kingston and Queenstown.
Andy McPhedran
Probably kept the road in better condition than now. Mind you, that wouldn’t be hard would it.
Colin Harman
Imagine the kids of today pushing that for a living
Arthur Bass
Aussie McTaggart from Waiuta got a roadmans job in the top gorge. Missed Waiuta too much. Chucked in the job and shifted back. Only time he ever left Waiuta until he was too crook to look after himself.
Bob Laing
When men were men
Russell Murphy
They breed them well in Cobden
Robert Mathewson
he even put hungry boards on it ,legend.
Trish Rennie
Try getting a young fella to do that nowadays
Phil Bargh
It’s got a flatty too.
Colin Knaggs
When men were real men!
Andy Grigg
Check out the ''hungry sides!''... He's keen!
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Andy Grigg ive never heard that term.. Hungry sides.. before.. Interesting
James Newby
Heather Newby hungry sides,that’s what Dad had on the sides of his trailer.
Dave Steers
My grandparents in Cobden had 1 of these wheelbarrows when I was young.
Douglas Dunn
An amazing load! A real toiler.
Greg Mait
Makes todays wheel barrows and load look tiny Musta been a tuff bugger
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Greg Mait he would be working every day of life i would imagine. No lying around on the couch watching tv all day
Stephen Lucas
I can remember the tin corrugated sheds with corrugated iron chimneys that there men lived in sksttered around the cost.
Must of been a lonely life
James Newby
No high vis,hard hat,or road cones to be seen,
Murray Beckman
Have to say that is super impressive. The fact that it was normal makes it more so.
Robert Mathewson
he even put hungry boards on it ,legend.
Trish Rennie
Try getting a young fella to do that nowadays
Phil Bargh
It’s got a flatty too.
Colin Knaggs
When men were real men!
Andy Grigg
Check out the ''hungry sides!''... He's keen!
Dave Steers
My grandparents in Cobden had 1 of these wheelbarrows when I was young.
Douglas Dunn
An amazing load! A real toiler.
Greg Mait
Makes todays wheel barrows and load look tiny Musta been a tuff bugger
Heather Newby
Greg Mait he would be working every day of life i would imagine. No lying around on the couch watching tv all day
Stephen Lucas
I can remember the tin corrugated sheds with corrugated iron chimneys that there men lived in sksttered around the cost.
Must of been a lonely life
Bruce Whitfield
Holy smoke! A great example of the type of man who worked hard to make New Zealand what it is today. Quite different from those who discredit our early pioneers.
James Newby
Bruce Whitfield where as these days.
May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'Human Resources Manager Marketing Manager Logistic Manager Security Manager IT Manager Communication Manager Project Manager Internal Supervisor PR Manager Product Development Manager André THE FINANCIAL CRISIS IS FORCING COMPANIES TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS; THERE IS A RISK THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO LAY OFF ANDRE...'
Bruce Whitfield
James Newby However its not just those who have great stand around jobs ...its the growing faction within NZ who are using the phrase "partnership" to justify asking for payouts of both cash and assets, of which they simply have not contributed to.
·
Lyn Coleman
When we had a farm at moonlight, about 1963, I can remember a roadman filling in our potholes in our long driveway, mum fed him too.
Pete Lusk
Roadmen, so many of them scattered along the roads, I wonder how many km they covered each side of their hut?
Pete Lusk
There was a roadman on Karamea Bluff, Tommy Mokau, took his holidays at Mokihinui. Before my time.
Bronwen Skates
colin''s great uncle Joseph O'Donnell was a road man on the Kumara Mitchells road. He had a hut at Westbrook which was about 5km from Kumara. He never married and lived there even after he retired. until he became ill and died in Grey Hospital. A wonderful old bloke but a man of few words
Greg Mait
Note how far forward the wheel is . Making for a heavier load
Peter Armstrong
Greg Mait I was thinking the same thing, I've Wheeled a few barrows in my life I bet that's a very heavy load
May Chalmers
The wooden wheelbarrow would be heavy before he put anything in it
Tom Bowe
Thems the time when MEN were men.
Yvonne Anisy
The wheelbarrow probably weighed a ton
Tony Kelly
That's a big Barrow. 350kg easy. Wheel is a long way forward too, he'll be taking half.
Brian Clark
Almost looks like his arms have gotten longer from carrying the heavy loads
Merv Nicolle
A lot of people today could take lessons of him about what hard work really is,and at that age put a lot of young ones to shame.
Pat Cooper
Merv Nicolle how not to over load more likely lol
Pat Cooper
Work smarter not harder.
Nottony Bro
Merv Nicolle I am 50 and I doubt I could work as hard as him
Susan Carrington Baistow Siddall
Love it Roadmen were amazing bring them back
Nick Dunn
He is a keen man. Hungary boards on a wheelbarrow.
Tony Froome
Imagine trying to get a 20 year old today to attempt that
Alan Beck
Tony Froome You're thinking of the City.
Jock Allen
Tony Froome The Barrow empty would be enough
Raewyne Whitcombe Walker
Tony Froome certainly a different breed now..
Tony Froome
Raewyne Whitcombe Walker think the X box controller heavy enough lol. Mean credit to the ol fella actually lifting that though aye
Chris Ogunmayin
That's a big barrel full. Must have been so heavy
Lindsay Parks
They had workers like that man all up the west coast.there work tools a shovel,pick, an a wheel barrow an worked hard for very little pay.
Trish Rennie
Sadly working conditions are sliding backwards and soon we will be seeing the likes of this again!!!
Denis King
John D looks like he would never give up, never ask for a hand, and play hard at the end of the day…legend.
Cheryl Hedley
Is the strap around his Shoulders helping to brace the load
Dennis Gibbs
Cheryl Hedley Good spotting. I think it would help with the lifting.
Greg Mait
That would have been when both the Grey and Westland County Councils were in the Black . Not like now when we have all the high tech gear and a massive team of engineers and beauracrats and we're in the Red
Colin Skates
Hungry boards on the wheelbarrow. My great uncle was the roadman at Westbrook on the Greenstone road. Not sure of when he retired but remember visiting him in his hut mid 60's
John Armstrong
I was at Makita headquarters today and there wheelbarrows have 3 wheels and an electric motor battery driven
John Kerr
Thats a load and a half!
Colin Robbins
The reality is, the barrow was heavier than the load you could ever put in it. Once you got to used to pushing an empty barrow around for a while you ended up with Popeye muscles, then carrying a load was no problem.
Annie Smith
It’s so nice to have these photographs to remind us of the hardship and difficulties of people like John Dicken. As a society, we have progressed much, but also failed much.
Craig Willman
Josh Bognar this fellow's a bloody legend, good diet of meat and vedg
Gary Oliver
he needs to straiten his back, then he'd be able to get a little bit more on
Peter Moore
Imagine the wieght in that.?Amazing fella.
Andy Mayhew
Dad made a wooden wheel barrow, I could hardly move it empty as a kid.
Les Holmes Germanicus
I've just come back for my 30 minutes cribtime from shovelling and spreading gravel at the green space beside the Runanga Miners's Hall this morning.
Karol Schist
Over loaded barrow & no hi viz gear .. shocking
Wade Turner
He was older than greymouth at that time
David Thomas Healy
The great depression taught young men the art of how to use the Wheel barrow such as those. Many of the roads in New Zealand were built by strong men like him pushing those all day.
Brent Davies
what a tough bugger!
Chris Harvey
1 November 1898 the first pension started
The act gave a small means-tested pension to elderly men and women with few assets who were 'of good moral character' and had for the previous five years been leading a 'sober and reputable life'Tony Simpson
People would not have a clue how to work that bloody hard today - unfortunately me too!!! We do not have bloody clue hope lucky we are these days - especially if we are under about 25 or 30. To hopefully bypass the young naysayers, I have seen a few - I am 71, was a secondary teacher until 2002, then with may amazing wife, set up our own IT business and our home educational support business in 1982,
Kylie Clark
Tony perhaps your comment should be altered to be thankful we no longer have to work as hard as these men did, perhaps we should be thankful we are able to spend our older years enjoying our life and the family we may build.
Perhaps “working that hard” isn’t an honour, I sure am glad I don’t have to work that hard to put a roof over my families head.
Because I don’t have to, not because I can’t.
Signed - “young naysayer” who is able to enjoy their children and their life rather than work with bleeding fingers.
Tony Simpson
Kylie Clark This comment was made after running my own business for almost 25 years. Latest incident employing young staff - sent to a course in queenstown recently - rather than paying him to run a dodgy car, sent him away in the wife's car. Never saw him after the course - a day or two sick leave (of which he had none left), the resigned by phone - I have not seen him since before he went to QT...His would be the "worst" of this type of performance (he has no children to bring up, not even a pet fish!!) we have met in our time in time, but there have been others almost as bad.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Tony Simpson There would be NO Unemployment, sickness, WINZ help with housing;rent, solo parents etc., then. Church charities as did families.helped. The Depressions years were tough, Sugar sack years.
Jacqueline Hoo
Tony Simpson you'd be surprised at what the young can do. A lot of old people found this out after the Christchurch earthquakes
Tony Simpson
Jacqueline Hoo Not at all - some fantastic young people - we have employed stunning young folk - especially in the business office - but we have employed others who are shockers...
1d
Reply
Pete Lusk
Tony Simpson yes, I saw that with the Student Army…they worked right through a dust storm, amazing effort
1d
Reply
Jamie Freyja
Tony Simpson well that certainly won't help yr work hard ethic .?
20m
Reply
Jock Allen
Hungry sides on the Barrow as well
1d
Reply
PaulAnthony Teens
Jock Allen couldn’t have lifted that on best days let alone push it
1d
Reply
Pete Lusk
What a great photo…and he’s using hungry boards to fill up his barrow…that would be extra heavy.
1d
Reply
Jason WA
I was one of the last roadmen in Nz.
1d
Reply
Peter Chronican
Great photo, we have a lot to thank our forefathers for. Imagine what it would take to move that today, Digger, loader, tip truck, 4 staff , Cones, signs, etc, etc
Joy White
Heavy load,they were bred tough,hard workers.
Phil Wright
Born in 1838! You would be struggling to get some big young fella nowadays to do that all day,the bloody barrow is bigger than him !
Sandra Mike Moore
Back breaking work indeed.
1d
Reply
Timothy James Carrington
That's massive in every way,well captured
John Pearce
Hard work did not hurt anyone
That’s a big load on wheelbarrow for 76year old, strong as an ox
Vern Pattinson
Dirt roads back in those days I reacon
Ross Davis
Back when men were men
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Ross Davis and knew what hard work was
Leigh Hart
This guy would be about 183 now if still alive
Geoff More
My father who is 89yrs was just telling me the other day about his grandfather..Mr Lovett with a bicycle pick and shovel maintained the road between Nelson and Murchison ,10 shillings a week...he was a boer war veteren who wanted a quiet life
No photo description available.
Rick Burrows
Health and safety rules require 2 men to lift a product over 20kg we have gone a long way since those days have we gone in the right direction.
Productivity wise definitely not.
David Thomas Healy
My Great Uncle a WW1 veteran was a roadman on the road between Kingston and Queenstown.
Andy McPhedran
Probably kept the road in better condition than now. Mind you, that wouldn’t be hard would it.
Colin Harman
Imagine the kids of today pushing that for a living
Arthur Bass
Aussie McTaggart from Waiuta got a roadmans job in the top gorge. Missed Waiuta too much. Chucked in the job and shifted back. Only time he ever left Waiuta until he was too crook to look after himself.
Bob Laing
When men were men
Russell Murphy
They breed them well in Cobden
Robert Mathewson
he even put hungry boards on it ,legend.
Trish Rennie
Try getting a young fella to do that nowadays
Phil Bargh
It’s got a flatty too.
Colin Knaggs
When men were real men!
Andy Grigg
Check out the ''hungry sides!''... He's keen!
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Andy Grigg ive never heard that term.. Hungry sides.. before.. Interesting
James Newby
Heather Newby hungry sides,that’s what Dad had on the sides of his trailer.
Dave Steers
My grandparents in Cobden had 1 of these wheelbarrows when I was young.
Douglas Dunn
An amazing load! A real toiler.
Greg Mait
Makes todays wheel barrows and load look tiny Musta been a tuff bugger
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Greg Mait he would be working every day of life i would imagine. No lying around on the couch watching tv all day
Stephen Lucas
I can remember the tin corrugated sheds with corrugated iron chimneys that there men lived in sksttered around the cost.
Must of been a lonely life
James Newby
No high vis,hard hat,or road cones to be seen,
Murray Beckman
Have to say that is super impressive. The fact that it was normal makes it more so.
Robert Mathewson
he even put hungry boards on it ,legend.
Trish Rennie
Try getting a young fella to do that nowadays
Phil Bargh
It’s got a flatty too.
Colin Knaggs
When men were real men!
Andy Grigg
Check out the ''hungry sides!''... He's keen!
Dave Steers
My grandparents in Cobden had 1 of these wheelbarrows when I was young.
Douglas Dunn
An amazing load! A real toiler.
Greg Mait
Makes todays wheel barrows and load look tiny Musta been a tuff bugger
Heather Newby
Greg Mait he would be working every day of life i would imagine. No lying around on the couch watching tv all day
Stephen Lucas
I can remember the tin corrugated sheds with corrugated iron chimneys that there men lived in sksttered around the cost.
Must of been a lonely life
Bruce Whitfield
Holy smoke! A great example of the type of man who worked hard to make New Zealand what it is today. Quite different from those who discredit our early pioneers.
James Newby
Bruce Whitfield where as these days.
May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'Human Resources Manager Marketing Manager Logistic Manager Security Manager IT Manager Communication Manager Project Manager Internal Supervisor PR Manager Product Development Manager André THE FINANCIAL CRISIS IS FORCING COMPANIES TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS; THERE IS A RISK THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO LAY OFF ANDRE...'
Bruce Whitfield
James Newby However its not just those who have great stand around jobs ...its the growing faction within NZ who are using the phrase "partnership" to justify asking for payouts of both cash and assets, of which they simply have not contributed to.
·
Lyn Coleman
When we had a farm at moonlight, about 1963, I can remember a roadman filling in our potholes in our long driveway, mum fed him too.
Pete Lusk
Roadmen, so many of them scattered along the roads, I wonder how many km they covered each side of their hut?
Pete Lusk
There was a roadman on Karamea Bluff, Tommy Mokau, took his holidays at Mokihinui. Before my time.
Bronwen Skates
colin''s great uncle Joseph O'Donnell was a road man on the Kumara Mitchells road. He had a hut at Westbrook which was about 5km from Kumara. He never married and lived there even after he retired. until he became ill and died in Grey Hospital. A wonderful old bloke but a man of few words
Greg Mait
Note how far forward the wheel is . Making for a heavier load
Peter Armstrong
Greg Mait I was thinking the same thing, I've Wheeled a few barrows in my life I bet that's a very heavy load
May Chalmers
The wooden wheelbarrow would be heavy before he put anything in it
Tom Bowe
Thems the time when MEN were men.
Yvonne Anisy
The wheelbarrow probably weighed a ton
Tony Kelly
That's a big Barrow. 350kg easy. Wheel is a long way forward too, he'll be taking half.
Brian Clark
Almost looks like his arms have gotten longer from carrying the heavy loads
Merv Nicolle
A lot of people today could take lessons of him about what hard work really is,and at that age put a lot of young ones to shame.
Pat Cooper
Merv Nicolle how not to over load more likely lol
Pat Cooper
Work smarter not harder.
Nottony Bro
Merv Nicolle I am 50 and I doubt I could work as hard as him
Susan Carrington Baistow Siddall
Love it Roadmen were amazing bring them back
Nick Dunn
He is a keen man. Hungary boards on a wheelbarrow.
Tony Froome
Imagine trying to get a 20 year old today to attempt that
Alan Beck
Tony Froome You're thinking of the City.
Jock Allen
Tony Froome The Barrow empty would be enough
Raewyne Whitcombe Walker
Tony Froome certainly a different breed now..
Tony Froome
Raewyne Whitcombe Walker think the X box controller heavy enough lol. Mean credit to the ol fella actually lifting that though aye
Chris Ogunmayin
That's a big barrel full. Must have been so heavy
Lindsay Parks
They had workers like that man all up the west coast.there work tools a shovel,pick, an a wheel barrow an worked hard for very little pay.
Trish Rennie
Sadly working conditions are sliding backwards and soon we will be seeing the likes of this again!!!
Denis King
John D looks like he would never give up, never ask for a hand, and play hard at the end of the day…legend.
Cheryl Hedley
Is the strap around his Shoulders helping to brace the load
Dennis Gibbs
Cheryl Hedley Good spotting. I think it would help with the lifting.
Greg Mait
That would have been when both the Grey and Westland County Councils were in the Black . Not like now when we have all the high tech gear and a massive team of engineers and beauracrats and we're in the Red
Colin Skates
Hungry boards on the wheelbarrow. My great uncle was the roadman at Westbrook on the Greenstone road. Not sure of when he retired but remember visiting him in his hut mid 60's
John Armstrong
I was at Makita headquarters today and there wheelbarrows have 3 wheels and an electric motor battery driven
John Kerr
Thats a load and a half!
Colin Robbins
The reality is, the barrow was heavier than the load you could ever put in it. Once you got to used to pushing an empty barrow around for a while you ended up with Popeye muscles, then carrying a load was no problem.
Annie Smith
It’s so nice to have these photographs to remind us of the hardship and difficulties of people like John Dicken. As a society, we have progressed much, but also failed much.
Craig Willman
Josh Bognar this fellow's a bloody legend, good diet of meat and vedg
Gary Oliver
he needs to straiten his back, then he'd be able to get a little bit more on
Peter Moore
Imagine the wieght in that.?Amazing fella.
Andy Mayhew
Dad made a wooden wheel barrow, I could hardly move it empty as a kid.
Les Holmes Germanicus
I've just come back for my 30 minutes cribtime from shovelling and spreading gravel at the green space beside the Runanga Miners's Hall this morning.
Karol Schist
Over loaded barrow & no hi viz gear .. shocking
Wade Turner
He was older than greymouth at that time
David Thomas Healy
The great depression taught young men the art of how to use the Wheel barrow such as those. Many of the roads in New Zealand were built by strong men like him pushing those all day.
Brent Davies
what a tough bugger!
Chris Harvey
1 November 1898 the first pension started
The act gave a small means-tested pension to elderly men and women with few assets who were 'of good moral character' and had for the previous five years been leading a 'sober and reputable life'Tony Simpson
People would not have a clue how to work that bloody hard today - unfortunately me too!!! We do not have bloody clue hope lucky we are these days - especially if we are under about 25 or 30. To hopefully bypass the young naysayers, I have seen a few - I am 71, was a secondary teacher until 2002, then with may amazing wife, set up our own IT business and our home educational support business in 1982,
Kylie Clark
Tony perhaps your comment should be altered to be thankful we no longer have to work as hard as these men did, perhaps we should be thankful we are able to spend our older years enjoying our life and the family we may build.
Perhaps “working that hard” isn’t an honour, I sure am glad I don’t have to work that hard to put a roof over my families head.
Because I don’t have to, not because I can’t.
Signed - “young naysayer” who is able to enjoy their children and their life rather than work with bleeding fingers.
Tony Simpson
Kylie Clark This comment was made after running my own business for almost 25 years. Latest incident employing young staff - sent to a course in queenstown recently - rather than paying him to run a dodgy car, sent him away in the wife's car. Never saw him after the course - a day or two sick leave (of which he had none left), the resigned by phone - I have not seen him since before he went to QT...His would be the "worst" of this type of performance (he has no children to bring up, not even a pet fish!!) we have met in our time in time, but there have been others almost as bad.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Tony Simpson There would be NO Unemployment, sickness, WINZ help with housing;rent, solo parents etc., then. Church charities as did families.helped. The Depressions years were tough, Sugar sack years.
Jacqueline Hoo
Tony Simpson you'd be surprised at what the young can do. A lot of old people found this out after the Christchurch earthquakes
Tony Simpson
Jacqueline Hoo Not at all - some fantastic young people - we have employed stunning young folk - especially in the business office - but we have employed others who are shockers...
1d
Reply
Pete Lusk
Tony Simpson yes, I saw that with the Student Army…they worked right through a dust storm, amazing effort
1d
Reply
Jamie Freyja
Tony Simpson well that certainly won't help yr work hard ethic .?
20m
Reply
Jock Allen
Hungry sides on the Barrow as well
1d
Reply
PaulAnthony Teens
Jock Allen couldn’t have lifted that on best days let alone push it
1d
Reply
Pete Lusk
What a great photo…and he’s using hungry boards to fill up his barrow…that would be extra heavy.
1d
Reply
Jason WA
I was one of the last roadmen in Nz.
1d
Reply
Peter Chronican
Great photo, we have a lot to thank our forefathers for. Imagine what it would take to move that today, Digger, loader, tip truck, 4 staff , Cones, signs, etc, etc
Joy White
Heavy load,they were bred tough,hard workers.
Phil Wright
Born in 1838! You would be struggling to get some big young fella nowadays to do that all day,the bloody barrow is bigger than him !
Sandra Mike Moore
Back breaking work indeed.
1d
Reply
Timothy James Carrington
That's massive in every way,well captured
John Pearce
Hard work did not hurt anyone
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West Coast New Zealand History (17th Sep 2024). John Dicken, Grey County Roadman, Cobden,1914.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 29th Apr 2026 03:14, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/25687