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The Funnels and the Owen River Hotel *PHOTO ALBUM*
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DescriptionOwen River Hotel, dated about 1956 based on my parent's Chevrolet Powerglide car parked outside.
Following the completion of the Rimutaka railway tunnel Lionel and Beth Funnell (nee McGregor) purchased a recently imported Chevrolet Powerglide car, which one of the engineers on the tunnel project had imported from the USA, and had it converted from left-hand drive to right-hand, but was selling so as to go back home. As the tunnel was opened to traffic on 3rd November 1955, we might guess the car was purchased and this series of photos taken late 1955 or 1956.
Seems numerous anecdotal stories emerged within the Funnell family when this stylish beast of a car was purchased; obviously something the family was proud of by posing with it almost as a member of the family.
Pic 2
Beth looking busy beside their Chevrolet Powerglide parked outside the house at Cobbitty farm, Oroua Downs. Based on the car's history, we estimate this to be dated 1955-56
3
Beth and Lionel Funnell, together with Gail Robinson (nee Funnell), Roy Funnell, and John Funnell ... and the newest family member, their Chevrolet Powerglide parked outside the house at Cobbitty farm, Oroua Downs. Based on the car's history, and the age of the children, we estimate this to be dated 1955-56
Funnell - descendants of John and ElizabethMap[1] ContributorFunnell
Following the completion of the Rimutaka railway tunnel Lionel and Beth Funnell (nee McGregor) purchased a recently imported Chevrolet Powerglide car, which one of the engineers on the tunnel project had imported from the USA, and had it converted from left-hand drive to right-hand, but was selling so as to go back home. As the tunnel was opened to traffic on 3rd November 1955, we might guess the car was purchased and this series of photos taken late 1955 or 1956.
Seems numerous anecdotal stories emerged within the Funnell family when this stylish beast of a car was purchased; obviously something the family was proud of by posing with it almost as a member of the family.
Pic 2
Beth looking busy beside their Chevrolet Powerglide parked outside the house at Cobbitty farm, Oroua Downs. Based on the car's history, we estimate this to be dated 1955-56
3
Beth and Lionel Funnell, together with Gail Robinson (nee Funnell), Roy Funnell, and John Funnell ... and the newest family member, their Chevrolet Powerglide parked outside the house at Cobbitty farm, Oroua Downs. Based on the car's history, and the age of the children, we estimate this to be dated 1955-56
Funnell - descendants of John and ElizabethMap[1] ContributorFunnell
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)Owen RiverPersonLionel FunnellBeth Funnell (nee McGregor) Landmark (Place) Owen River Hotel
Category Information
Category TagHotels
From Facebook
Date Created9th May 2021CommentsElizabeth Ann Beech
Just a question. Is this family connected to the Funnell family that lived in the Motueka area??
Keith Funnell
Elizabeth Ann Beech ... Actually no we are not directly linked via the most recent 5 or so generations, but I recon we must be at some point. If others in that family have had their DNA processed and shared, I'd be keen to see what linkage their might be with my own DNA.
Elizabeth Ann Beech
Keith Funnell my great uncle married Cathleen Mary Funnell. Her grandparents married in Sussex in 1848 and came to Nelson aboard the Marlins at the end of 1849. No blood relation to me at that point. So no DNA , though Cathleen Mary's grandsons are my cousins somewhere along the line through my grest uncle.
Elizabeth Ann Beech
Sorry. Her grandparents were Walter Funnell and his wife was Charlotte new Stepney.
Keith Funnell
Elizabeth Ann Beech ... great great grandparents came from Sussex as well (Ticehurst and Ripe). While my grandparents came to NZ from Australia. In behind that relocation, my great great grandparents did not arrive in Australia by paying for a ticket .... the King of England paid for their travel. Mind you prior to that free transport scenario great great grandad James Funnell did acquire a piece of rope that was not his .... unfortunately it had a horse attached to the other end of the rope ... oops!
Lynette Jenkins Mott
That pub had good pies
Annie Swain
The number plates changed to that style in mid 1956 so the photo date is not before that.
No photo description available.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain ... yes, I knew those number plates could be interpreted, so that nicely dates the photo for us all
Annie Swain
Keith Funnell Of course the plates ran for 5 years but I guess the ages of the folks in the photo probably date it for you.
Annie Swain
Chevrolet called that body style Fleetline - it was available in either the base Special or the more upmarket Deluxe lines. The distinctive side moulding says it is a 1951 Deluxe.
No photo description available.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain .... excellent, will add that detail to our family history archives now as well .... ewwhhh "Deluxe" .. love it
Annie Swain
Keith Funnell The lower price Special had no side trim. Of course these are USA models. The cars sold in NZ came from Canada and had some detail variations. Of course in the US the Chevrolet was about a cheap a car as you could get whereas here in NZ, … See More
No photo description available.
John Paget
My silly older brother wrote one off on the Causeway in Chch.
Keith Funnell
John Paget ... I wonder if it was the same one ?
Alva Mundy
My father worked on the Rimataka tunnel also the Maori bank tunnel
Keith Funnell
If per chance this beast of a car is still around today, I know some of the Funnell boys would be keen to reminisce .... there can’t be that many around that came in as left hand drive
Dorothy Wills
A swanky looking car - fancy would have been nice to ride in too I bet. My husband just commented that his parents shifted from the Moutere up to the Glenroy and a Funnell truck carried their belongings apparently Funnells had a transport business back… See More
Keith Funnell
Dorothy Wills the Funnell's Transport business isn't related to my branch, in terms of the last 5 generations at least, but I would suggest that since most Funnell's have a connection with Sussex in England originally, including mine, we just need to go digging back further.
Roger O'Regan
That would be one super rare car in New Zealand. Often referred to these days as "Slopers".
Keith Funnell
Roger O'Regan ... my cousins said they came across one at a car fancier's rally somewhere in the North Island only a few years ago, but didn't think to ask if they knew its whakapapa at the time.
Naomi Tainui-Jones
Thats a nice car
Susan Barlow
How lovely! Wonderful family stories can be "lost" in mere photos. Thank you for sharing this one of yours ... made me smile; and remember my own.
Peter Leversedge
Would be an iron case Poweglide
Bob Homewood
Peter Leversedge yes those cases
were not light from my distant memory
Bevan Grooby
The Chevrolet was still the cheap car when it came to the GM range,Pontiac was next in line then Buick,then the Cadilllacs,the Pontiac had a lot more Crome than the Chevy,plus parts were interchangeable.
Annie Swain
Bevan Grooby Not a lot of parts interchange in the Chevs and Pontiac of the early '50s. Different engines - flathead six and eight for Pontiac and ohv six for Chev - and chassis for starters.
Bevan Grooby
As for the Funnell family they were living in the Moutere in the late 60s around the Drummonds rd area.
Bevan Grooby
Annie I wasn’t thinking of the engines,more the other bits,I am working on a 1938 Pontiac silver streak and parts fit.Both cars changed a lot after the forties,in the 30s most cars were sitting on fisher body’s
.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain I have private messages you to ask if you my check my logic on another couple of cars with number plates. They are from north island so not relevant to post here, but would appreciate your opinion
Annie Swain
Bevan Grooby Don't have direct experience with the '30s stuff - though I did own a '38 Buick in the 1970s - but as the Pontiac uses the B body - as Buick and Olds did - and the Chev the A body I am surprised. I guess stuff like door hardware is probably the same. In that era our Pontiacs came from the US and the Chevs from Canada.
Geoff Roberts
Would think that is probably Evan Peacocks (pub owner) Ford Mercury outside with the Chev....
Geoff Roberts yes it is.. and their dog Sam
Geoff Roberts
Christine Peacock Got told lots tales of that V8 by Bob back Tap forestry days.....
Christine Peacock
Geoff Roberts yes just showed him the photos!! He is still a bundle of knowledge
Just a question. Is this family connected to the Funnell family that lived in the Motueka area??
Keith Funnell
Elizabeth Ann Beech ... Actually no we are not directly linked via the most recent 5 or so generations, but I recon we must be at some point. If others in that family have had their DNA processed and shared, I'd be keen to see what linkage their might be with my own DNA.
Elizabeth Ann Beech
Keith Funnell my great uncle married Cathleen Mary Funnell. Her grandparents married in Sussex in 1848 and came to Nelson aboard the Marlins at the end of 1849. No blood relation to me at that point. So no DNA , though Cathleen Mary's grandsons are my cousins somewhere along the line through my grest uncle.
Elizabeth Ann Beech
Sorry. Her grandparents were Walter Funnell and his wife was Charlotte new Stepney.
Keith Funnell
Elizabeth Ann Beech ... great great grandparents came from Sussex as well (Ticehurst and Ripe). While my grandparents came to NZ from Australia. In behind that relocation, my great great grandparents did not arrive in Australia by paying for a ticket .... the King of England paid for their travel. Mind you prior to that free transport scenario great great grandad James Funnell did acquire a piece of rope that was not his .... unfortunately it had a horse attached to the other end of the rope ... oops!
Lynette Jenkins Mott
That pub had good pies
Annie Swain
The number plates changed to that style in mid 1956 so the photo date is not before that.
No photo description available.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain ... yes, I knew those number plates could be interpreted, so that nicely dates the photo for us all
Annie Swain
Keith Funnell Of course the plates ran for 5 years but I guess the ages of the folks in the photo probably date it for you.
Annie Swain
Chevrolet called that body style Fleetline - it was available in either the base Special or the more upmarket Deluxe lines. The distinctive side moulding says it is a 1951 Deluxe.
No photo description available.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain .... excellent, will add that detail to our family history archives now as well .... ewwhhh "Deluxe" .. love it
Annie Swain
Keith Funnell The lower price Special had no side trim. Of course these are USA models. The cars sold in NZ came from Canada and had some detail variations. Of course in the US the Chevrolet was about a cheap a car as you could get whereas here in NZ, … See More
No photo description available.
John Paget
My silly older brother wrote one off on the Causeway in Chch.
Keith Funnell
John Paget ... I wonder if it was the same one ?
Alva Mundy
My father worked on the Rimataka tunnel also the Maori bank tunnel
Keith Funnell
If per chance this beast of a car is still around today, I know some of the Funnell boys would be keen to reminisce .... there can’t be that many around that came in as left hand drive
Dorothy Wills
A swanky looking car - fancy would have been nice to ride in too I bet. My husband just commented that his parents shifted from the Moutere up to the Glenroy and a Funnell truck carried their belongings apparently Funnells had a transport business back… See More
Keith Funnell
Dorothy Wills the Funnell's Transport business isn't related to my branch, in terms of the last 5 generations at least, but I would suggest that since most Funnell's have a connection with Sussex in England originally, including mine, we just need to go digging back further.
Roger O'Regan
That would be one super rare car in New Zealand. Often referred to these days as "Slopers".
Keith Funnell
Roger O'Regan ... my cousins said they came across one at a car fancier's rally somewhere in the North Island only a few years ago, but didn't think to ask if they knew its whakapapa at the time.
Naomi Tainui-Jones
Thats a nice car
Susan Barlow
How lovely! Wonderful family stories can be "lost" in mere photos. Thank you for sharing this one of yours ... made me smile; and remember my own.
Peter Leversedge
Would be an iron case Poweglide
Bob Homewood
Peter Leversedge yes those cases
were not light from my distant memory
Bevan Grooby
The Chevrolet was still the cheap car when it came to the GM range,Pontiac was next in line then Buick,then the Cadilllacs,the Pontiac had a lot more Crome than the Chevy,plus parts were interchangeable.
Annie Swain
Bevan Grooby Not a lot of parts interchange in the Chevs and Pontiac of the early '50s. Different engines - flathead six and eight for Pontiac and ohv six for Chev - and chassis for starters.
Bevan Grooby
As for the Funnell family they were living in the Moutere in the late 60s around the Drummonds rd area.
Bevan Grooby
Annie I wasn’t thinking of the engines,more the other bits,I am working on a 1938 Pontiac silver streak and parts fit.Both cars changed a lot after the forties,in the 30s most cars were sitting on fisher body’s
.
Keith Funnell
Annie Swain I have private messages you to ask if you my check my logic on another couple of cars with number plates. They are from north island so not relevant to post here, but would appreciate your opinion
Annie Swain
Bevan Grooby Don't have direct experience with the '30s stuff - though I did own a '38 Buick in the 1970s - but as the Pontiac uses the B body - as Buick and Olds did - and the Chev the A body I am surprised. I guess stuff like door hardware is probably the same. In that era our Pontiacs came from the US and the Chevs from Canada.
Geoff Roberts
Would think that is probably Evan Peacocks (pub owner) Ford Mercury outside with the Chev....
Geoff Roberts yes it is.. and their dog Sam
Geoff Roberts
Christine Peacock Got told lots tales of that V8 by Bob back Tap forestry days.....
Christine Peacock
Geoff Roberts yes just showed him the photos!! He is still a bundle of knowledge
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Apr 2026). The Funnels and the Owen River Hotel *PHOTO ALBUM*. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 19:14, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29348