Menu
Xmas on the Coast
Expand/collapse
About this image
DescriptionWhat are the things you find worthy of remembering? I remember my Husband and my Parents... and my childhood summers on the Coast.For Xmas, as a child, I would get a colouring book,talcum powder and an orange,, just loved it... and following the Sallie army band doing xmas carols on the back of the truck is a treasured memory.Date of Photo1940`s - 1970`s
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)West CoastEventChristmas on the CoastXmas on the Coast
From Facebook
Date Created25th December 2020CommentsBarb Rodway
Merry Christmas Heather.thank you for all your hard work .
Heather Newby
Barb Rodway Thanks ..we are truly a team effort on this group..lot`s of amazing input..makes it so interesting.
Barb Rodway
Heather Newby it sure does
Heather Newby
I remember my Husband and Parents.. who are no longer with us.
Donald Pearson
Merry Christmas.
Butch Cadigan
Heading down to Ross picking blackberries on a sunny Sunday.
Then the blackberry & apple pie for tea, and blackberry jelly on toast for the next few weeks.
Heather Newbyr
Butch Cadigan yum
Karen Blanchfield
I remember a house full of kids hovering around the real Christmas tree, waiting for our father to come home after visiting the hospital wards each Christmas morning, and only then could we open the presents and rush out to use the new tennis rackets, bikes, skates, etc..... in our new summer gear! Fond memories of Christmas in Greymouth with our family.
Heather Newby
I remember getting a hairbrush and comb set when I was about 10 and I was just thrilled!
Rosanna Anderson
I remember walking around the banks of the Heathcote River picking wild mint for mum to make mint sauce
Heather Newby
Rosanna Anderson home made mint sauce! thats what Brian McIntyre puts on his whitebait fritters.. yum
Bob Jamieson
I remember "first footing" on New Years Eve, with neighbours bringing lumps of coal. lovely memories of Runanga on the Coast.
Nova Hichens
Walking for miles when growing up in Kumara. Eating fushias,Laurels, blackberries, going to Kumara beach for picnics & we had to hire the local bus as we were a big family. Lovely memories & too many to mention.
Heather Newby
Nova Hichens lots of blackberries on the Coast..
Anne Miller Mcmillan
Merry xmas Heather. Your efforts are much appreciated .
Heather Newby
Anne Miller Mcmillan Thanks heaps! same to you
Brian Hope
Building up great stacks of wood on Blaketown Beach and hoping it wouldn't rain on Nov. 5th.
Heather Newby
Brian Hope ha ha ha.. i remember that too
Sue McCallum
Summer nights swimming at the beach. And mums xmas cake . Steam pudding w 5 cent pieces in it yes a real Xmas tree .
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum OMG.. i just remembered the 6 pences.. were they 6 pences?
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby well befor currentcy change in 67 or 68 then it was 5 cent pieces. Because I also remember going to shop with a bunch of Penny's to get ice cream and lollies old mrs Sheard refused the Penny's
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum ha ha ha.. i remember Mrs Sheard.. Trevor Sheard was a sweetie..
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby yes but she was one scary lady
Heather Newbyr
Sue McCallum so it wasnt just me.. lol.
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby nooooo hated going to thier milk bar for sunday banana split which was part of the shop now looking back would almost yell hurry up make ur mind up
Robin Spillane
I always think of my father smoking his once a year cigar after Christmas dinner.
Heather Newby
Robin Spillane ha ha.. thats amazing.. a once a year cigar.. do you mean he had a packet of cigars and it took him ten years to get through them?
Barbara Fitzsimmons
It all comes flooding back memories some good some bad .Tears on my pillow
Heather Newby
Barbara Fitzsimmons same here
Bruce Carey
Many nice holidays on the Coast
Trish Rennie
I remember the smell of Christmas...the plum duff boiling on the coal range...the ham cooking in the copper...the new potatoes straight from the garden that shed their skins when you touched them.. No scraping them....shelling peas...the rich cream straight from the farm...our once a year oranges...home made fruit salad from preserving jars...and the biggest treat was the thruppences, sixpences and if truly lucky....a shilling all from Mum's plum duff wrapped in wee parcels....Merry Christmas to you all
Heather Newby
Trish Rennie i remember our once a year oranges.. i wonder why they were once a year? I think they came from south africa too.. and I remember shelling peas
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby I remember we used to each get in a paper bag under tree each bag w our name on it plums yes 1 orange a apple and the only ever time we got fizzy drink a glass bottle of Fanta we enjoyed that just as much as getting our present also I got… See More
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum i remember getting an orange too.. and "moonlight Mist" talcum powder.. colouring or cutout books or Dot to Dot books.. loved them!
Trish Rennie actually.. you just reminded me. i have potatoes ready for harvesting in my garden>
Kathryn Cox
Trish Rennie special memories Trish..a safe and Merry Christmas to you and your family. Xx
Bob Laing
Trish Rennie
I have many of the same memories
Trish Rennie
Kathryn Cox hope your day is an extra special one where you make some more treasured memories
Trish Rennie
Heather Newby because they were so expensive to buy then...a real l
Kathryn Cox
Trish Rennie thank you..you to
Margaret Standen
Trish Rennie minted new potatoes and fresh peas are my first Xmas memories. Miss the simple times
Heather Newby
Christmas in Greymouth.. always seemed to be hot weather at that time
Jeannie Preddy
Presents left in pillow cases, church on Christmas morning then home for big roast dinner and pudding with sixpences wrapped in greaseproof paper!
Heather Newby
Jeannie Preddy nice
Bev Freitas
Nova Hichens
Yes,good days growing up in Kumara,didn’t really need friends,we had our sisters (7)and our cats,
Great xmas’s with plenty to eat,
Bev Freitas wow... 7 sisters.. amazing.. how many cats did you have?
Bev Freitas
Heather Newby
I love reading these posts,
Yes 7 sisters,2 brothers,brothers-in-laws,and nephews,nieces,and about 5 cats,1 dog,… See More
Heather Newby
Bev Freitas quite simple presents back then but didnt we love them? was so exciting!
Bruce Dando
Was hotter them days then now
Heather Newby
Bruce Dando thats what I thought too,, I have vivid memories of being brown as a berry after spending the summer school holidays skating on the lagoon mudflats and swimming in the blaketown lagoon with all the other kids during the summer school holida… See More
Kerry Molloy
Heather Newby yup she was just a pair of shorts barefeet and a bike was always handy as someone always had a new place to visit or swim.Out from daylight till dark ,always into mischief -mostly harmless.Youd be king of the heap if ya could catch crawli… See More
Heather Newby
Kerry Molloy underground huts in the lupins by the beach
Margaret Malloch
I remember when we biked all the way from our farm at settlement in our old clothes without mum knowing when we got home she would say I hope no one knew you what would you think if it was a wee place like kumara
Margaret Standen
Merry Xmas Heather and thanks for all you do and especially the memorie
Margaret Standen thanks.
Joy Duncan
I sure remember,those were the days.
Mary Moffitt
The anticipation of Christmas Eve. Now I love the same anticipation shown by grandchildren. The magic is still there.
Merry Christmas Heather.
Heather Newby
badge icon
Author
Mary Moffitt same to you
Lynne McKenzie
Merry Christmas Heather Newby, aren't we the luckiest people to be admin on such fantastic pages, All the very best wishes to you and your members from us all on the The Blackball Line
thanks Lynne... same to you.
Bev Freitas
Someone should put all these memories into a book,Would make good reading,
Sue McCallum
Bev Freitas absolutly agree
Nova Hichens
Bev Freitas remember we always had cherrys, have some for over the next couple of days.
Bev Freitas
Nova Hichens
Yes,and we were left with purple teeth,
Laurie Davis
Can a mere Aucklander say ‘Merry Christmas ‘to all you Coasters. Your recollections from years gone by quite uplifting. My great grandparents, James and Margaret Jolly lived on the Coast for many years. Arrived in Hokitika in about 1867. Lived in most of the small towns, Stafford, Ross and Kumara. James was publican at the European hotel for a time.
Mary Moffitt
Laurie Davis Your great grandparents probably knew mine - Martha Lammas - she was there in the early Sixties as well. She worked as a singer in one of the hotels.
Laurie Davis
Mary Moffitt Almost certainly would have. James Jolly stage managed and played in the orchestras around the small towns.A lot of the shows are mentioned in ‘Papers Past ‘online.
Mary Moffitt
Laurie Davis Martha Lammas changed her name then some time. Not sure what happened to that husband, but she was widowed by 1868. She was also billed as Miss Griffen, Mrs Griffin, and M Griffin - with various spellings, later on in Waikaia. I suppose they could not read the handwriting!
Jenny Jones
Merry Christmas Anne & John.
Rosemarie Searle
Funny. I can’t remember it raining during my childhood summers. Always fun.
Lois Little
I remember my Aunty take ing me on the railcar to greymouth Xmas shopping I would buy my mother hair clips and Aunty lil would buy me morning tea the real deal scone with cream on a fizzy drink fabulous
Les van Dijk
Heather my strongest memory of Christmas was the orange and of course that one a year Xmas leg of roast lamb
Heather Newby
Les van Dijk yes.. we all seemed to get an orange back in those days.
Marlene Jackson Perry
Loved those daysxxxxxxxx
Cecily Woolhouse
Great memories Jenny, no big puds and sixpences today but enjoy your day, love to you both
Susan McLennan
Hi Cecily sorry we didn't get to catch up before we took off. Catch you when we get home. Happy Christmas to you both xxx
Cecily Woolhouse
When do you come home??? Good fire going at yours
Merry Christmas Heather.thank you for all your hard work .
Heather Newby
Barb Rodway Thanks ..we are truly a team effort on this group..lot`s of amazing input..makes it so interesting.
Barb Rodway
Heather Newby it sure does
Heather Newby
I remember my Husband and Parents.. who are no longer with us.
Donald Pearson
Merry Christmas.
Butch Cadigan
Heading down to Ross picking blackberries on a sunny Sunday.
Then the blackberry & apple pie for tea, and blackberry jelly on toast for the next few weeks.
Heather Newbyr
Butch Cadigan yum
Karen Blanchfield
I remember a house full of kids hovering around the real Christmas tree, waiting for our father to come home after visiting the hospital wards each Christmas morning, and only then could we open the presents and rush out to use the new tennis rackets, bikes, skates, etc..... in our new summer gear! Fond memories of Christmas in Greymouth with our family.
Heather Newby
I remember getting a hairbrush and comb set when I was about 10 and I was just thrilled!
Rosanna Anderson
I remember walking around the banks of the Heathcote River picking wild mint for mum to make mint sauce
Heather Newby
Rosanna Anderson home made mint sauce! thats what Brian McIntyre puts on his whitebait fritters.. yum
Bob Jamieson
I remember "first footing" on New Years Eve, with neighbours bringing lumps of coal. lovely memories of Runanga on the Coast.
Nova Hichens
Walking for miles when growing up in Kumara. Eating fushias,Laurels, blackberries, going to Kumara beach for picnics & we had to hire the local bus as we were a big family. Lovely memories & too many to mention.
Heather Newby
Nova Hichens lots of blackberries on the Coast..
Anne Miller Mcmillan
Merry xmas Heather. Your efforts are much appreciated .
Heather Newby
Anne Miller Mcmillan Thanks heaps! same to you
Brian Hope
Building up great stacks of wood on Blaketown Beach and hoping it wouldn't rain on Nov. 5th.
Heather Newby
Brian Hope ha ha ha.. i remember that too
Sue McCallum
Summer nights swimming at the beach. And mums xmas cake . Steam pudding w 5 cent pieces in it yes a real Xmas tree .
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum OMG.. i just remembered the 6 pences.. were they 6 pences?
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby well befor currentcy change in 67 or 68 then it was 5 cent pieces. Because I also remember going to shop with a bunch of Penny's to get ice cream and lollies old mrs Sheard refused the Penny's
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum ha ha ha.. i remember Mrs Sheard.. Trevor Sheard was a sweetie..
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby yes but she was one scary lady
Heather Newbyr
Sue McCallum so it wasnt just me.. lol.
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby nooooo hated going to thier milk bar for sunday banana split which was part of the shop now looking back would almost yell hurry up make ur mind up
Robin Spillane
I always think of my father smoking his once a year cigar after Christmas dinner.
Heather Newby
Robin Spillane ha ha.. thats amazing.. a once a year cigar.. do you mean he had a packet of cigars and it took him ten years to get through them?
Barbara Fitzsimmons
It all comes flooding back memories some good some bad .Tears on my pillow
Heather Newby
Barbara Fitzsimmons same here
Bruce Carey
Many nice holidays on the Coast
Trish Rennie
I remember the smell of Christmas...the plum duff boiling on the coal range...the ham cooking in the copper...the new potatoes straight from the garden that shed their skins when you touched them.. No scraping them....shelling peas...the rich cream straight from the farm...our once a year oranges...home made fruit salad from preserving jars...and the biggest treat was the thruppences, sixpences and if truly lucky....a shilling all from Mum's plum duff wrapped in wee parcels....Merry Christmas to you all
Heather Newby
Trish Rennie i remember our once a year oranges.. i wonder why they were once a year? I think they came from south africa too.. and I remember shelling peas
Sue McCallum
Heather Newby I remember we used to each get in a paper bag under tree each bag w our name on it plums yes 1 orange a apple and the only ever time we got fizzy drink a glass bottle of Fanta we enjoyed that just as much as getting our present also I got… See More
Heather Newby
Sue McCallum i remember getting an orange too.. and "moonlight Mist" talcum powder.. colouring or cutout books or Dot to Dot books.. loved them!
Trish Rennie actually.. you just reminded me. i have potatoes ready for harvesting in my garden>
Kathryn Cox
Trish Rennie special memories Trish..a safe and Merry Christmas to you and your family. Xx
Bob Laing
Trish Rennie
I have many of the same memories
Trish Rennie
Kathryn Cox hope your day is an extra special one where you make some more treasured memories
Trish Rennie
Heather Newby because they were so expensive to buy then...a real l
Kathryn Cox
Trish Rennie thank you..you to
Margaret Standen
Trish Rennie minted new potatoes and fresh peas are my first Xmas memories. Miss the simple times
Heather Newby
Christmas in Greymouth.. always seemed to be hot weather at that time
Jeannie Preddy
Presents left in pillow cases, church on Christmas morning then home for big roast dinner and pudding with sixpences wrapped in greaseproof paper!
Heather Newby
Jeannie Preddy nice
Bev Freitas
Nova Hichens
Yes,good days growing up in Kumara,didn’t really need friends,we had our sisters (7)and our cats,
Great xmas’s with plenty to eat,
Bev Freitas wow... 7 sisters.. amazing.. how many cats did you have?
Bev Freitas
Heather Newby
I love reading these posts,
Yes 7 sisters,2 brothers,brothers-in-laws,and nephews,nieces,and about 5 cats,1 dog,… See More
Heather Newby
Bev Freitas quite simple presents back then but didnt we love them? was so exciting!
Bruce Dando
Was hotter them days then now
Heather Newby
Bruce Dando thats what I thought too,, I have vivid memories of being brown as a berry after spending the summer school holidays skating on the lagoon mudflats and swimming in the blaketown lagoon with all the other kids during the summer school holida… See More
Kerry Molloy
Heather Newby yup she was just a pair of shorts barefeet and a bike was always handy as someone always had a new place to visit or swim.Out from daylight till dark ,always into mischief -mostly harmless.Youd be king of the heap if ya could catch crawli… See More
Heather Newby
Kerry Molloy underground huts in the lupins by the beach
Margaret Malloch
I remember when we biked all the way from our farm at settlement in our old clothes without mum knowing when we got home she would say I hope no one knew you what would you think if it was a wee place like kumara
Margaret Standen
Merry Xmas Heather and thanks for all you do and especially the memorie
Margaret Standen thanks.
Joy Duncan
I sure remember,those were the days.
Mary Moffitt
The anticipation of Christmas Eve. Now I love the same anticipation shown by grandchildren. The magic is still there.
Merry Christmas Heather.
Heather Newby
badge icon
Author
Mary Moffitt same to you
Lynne McKenzie
Merry Christmas Heather Newby, aren't we the luckiest people to be admin on such fantastic pages, All the very best wishes to you and your members from us all on the The Blackball Line
thanks Lynne... same to you.
Bev Freitas
Someone should put all these memories into a book,Would make good reading,
Sue McCallum
Bev Freitas absolutly agree
Nova Hichens
Bev Freitas remember we always had cherrys, have some for over the next couple of days.
Bev Freitas
Nova Hichens
Yes,and we were left with purple teeth,
Laurie Davis
Can a mere Aucklander say ‘Merry Christmas ‘to all you Coasters. Your recollections from years gone by quite uplifting. My great grandparents, James and Margaret Jolly lived on the Coast for many years. Arrived in Hokitika in about 1867. Lived in most of the small towns, Stafford, Ross and Kumara. James was publican at the European hotel for a time.
Mary Moffitt
Laurie Davis Your great grandparents probably knew mine - Martha Lammas - she was there in the early Sixties as well. She worked as a singer in one of the hotels.
Laurie Davis
Mary Moffitt Almost certainly would have. James Jolly stage managed and played in the orchestras around the small towns.A lot of the shows are mentioned in ‘Papers Past ‘online.
Mary Moffitt
Laurie Davis Martha Lammas changed her name then some time. Not sure what happened to that husband, but she was widowed by 1868. She was also billed as Miss Griffen, Mrs Griffin, and M Griffin - with various spellings, later on in Waikaia. I suppose they could not read the handwriting!
Jenny Jones
Merry Christmas Anne & John.
Rosemarie Searle
Funny. I can’t remember it raining during my childhood summers. Always fun.
Lois Little
I remember my Aunty take ing me on the railcar to greymouth Xmas shopping I would buy my mother hair clips and Aunty lil would buy me morning tea the real deal scone with cream on a fizzy drink fabulous
Les van Dijk
Heather my strongest memory of Christmas was the orange and of course that one a year Xmas leg of roast lamb
Heather Newby
Les van Dijk yes.. we all seemed to get an orange back in those days.
Marlene Jackson Perry
Loved those daysxxxxxxxx
Cecily Woolhouse
Great memories Jenny, no big puds and sixpences today but enjoy your day, love to you both
Susan McLennan
Hi Cecily sorry we didn't get to catch up before we took off. Catch you when we get home. Happy Christmas to you both xxx
Cecily Woolhouse
When do you come home??? Good fire going at yours
Editing is temporarily disabled
Cancel EditClick on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
West Coast New Zealand History (27th Dec 2020). Xmas on the Coast. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 12th Apr 2026 10:15, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28804