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Murchison earthquake, Auckland Weekly News *PHOTO ALBUM*
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DescriptionTHE EVACUATION OF MURCHISON
FOLLOWING THE 1929 EARTHQUAKE
Five days after the June 17 earthquake it was decided to move the homeless people to Nelson until conditions improved.
They were followed over the next few days by refugees from the more remote valleys around Murchison The photos show how difficult that was over devastated hill country often in the rain and cold and negotiating roads strewn with rock and clay.
1.
A group of people who decided to stay in their homes in Murchison and risk further earthquakes ...many followed !!
2.
Boarding a truck to travel to safety in Nelson
3.
Dave Mann the chef at the Commercial Hotel in Murchison cooking meals outdoors for hungry residents. and Mr H Paterson post master continuing to do his job
4
Refugees from Tutaki Flat enroute toHu Murchison
5
An elderly gentleman being escorted around a steep slip
6
A group of refugees heading for safety
7
A party of rescued and rescuees who walked from Newtons Flat to Murchison in heavy rain
8.
Gig used by rescuers to transport some elderly folk who had walked a long way and needed rest.
9
A group of tired refugees from Newton Flat having a 'breather' after a hard slog over steep and broken terrain
10
A difficult task for lower Maruia Valley refugees
11
Highly valued assistance for refugees from Newton Flat
12
A group of Murchison residents waiting to be evacuatedDate of Photo1929Map[1] ContributorPaul Tregurtha
FOLLOWING THE 1929 EARTHQUAKE
Five days after the June 17 earthquake it was decided to move the homeless people to Nelson until conditions improved.
They were followed over the next few days by refugees from the more remote valleys around Murchison The photos show how difficult that was over devastated hill country often in the rain and cold and negotiating roads strewn with rock and clay.
1.
A group of people who decided to stay in their homes in Murchison and risk further earthquakes ...many followed !!
2.
Boarding a truck to travel to safety in Nelson
3.
Dave Mann the chef at the Commercial Hotel in Murchison cooking meals outdoors for hungry residents. and Mr H Paterson post master continuing to do his job
4
Refugees from Tutaki Flat enroute toHu Murchison
5
An elderly gentleman being escorted around a steep slip
6
A group of refugees heading for safety
7
A party of rescued and rescuees who walked from Newtons Flat to Murchison in heavy rain
8.
Gig used by rescuers to transport some elderly folk who had walked a long way and needed rest.
9
A group of tired refugees from Newton Flat having a 'breather' after a hard slog over steep and broken terrain
10
A difficult task for lower Maruia Valley refugees
11
Highly valued assistance for refugees from Newton Flat
12
A group of Murchison residents waiting to be evacuatedDate of Photo1929Map[1] ContributorPaul Tregurtha
From Facebook
CommentsDorothy Wills
Marvellous photos my Mum was in this earthquake but she never talked about it much except to say she was getting hay out of a loft to feed cattle and was thrown out of the loft on to the floor below, I believe it was on Phillip Norris’s property next door to where she lived. Her name was Marjorie Baily
Dennis Gibbs
Fantastic Photos
Margaret Standen
My Grandmother was on the first bus from The Nelson to the Coast when the road reopened. Sitting facing each other they stopped at certain points to release homing pidgeons to advise they had advised there safely. I cannot remember the time the trip took but recall her saying it was a very long one and at times had to get off the bus for safety while it navigated difficult parts of the road.
Caroline Dunlop
Would we be better able to cope now? Could we do what those people had to do?
Frances McMillan
Amazing people.
Lyn Gosling
My dad was apparently a few weeks old and my nana grabbed him from the baby bath in front of the fire just before the big mantle clock fell into the bath.
Kathleen Handcock
Thank you Paul for the photos,l,m a newby to Murchison so it's good to see some history of a town l will call home
Yvonne Jean
Am sure Bruce collive owned the pub there at that time
Bob Maxwell
I recall a Bruce Collve as a barman at the Junction Hotel when I delivered Soft drinks to that Hotel
Jan Warner
My mum was fourteen at the time living in Greymouth and until her death she was absolutely petrified of any earth quake.
Shiree Couch
Fantastic photos my nana was at school when the earthquake happened she remembered it vividly and I know my great grandmother was taken out soon after the earthquake as she was due to give birth think she was bought to Christchurch
Peter Armstrong
Great pictures. I don't think our modern lives would prepare us to face adversity ,as well as these people would have.
Joan Gollan
None of our relations. Corbyvale was their home.
Phil Millar
My mother was in this as a young girl and had vivid memories of the devists.
Linda Howard
They were very hardy people.
Phil Millar
.of the devistation it had caused,including hill disapearing!
Katrina Ranson
My grandfather was in this earthquake he lost his wife and little boy
Jo-Anne Sunbeam
My great Aunt (Hutching) was at Te Ariki and walked out to Murchison and my Mums cousins family from the Tutaki (Marris) also walked out to Murchison ...
Cheryl Hedley
These photos are amazing, no rescue helicopters in 1929, and certainly cold weather in june
Ian Jacques
Special people. Thank you for sharing
Jeanette Willard
Very interesting The poor families definitely did it hard
Mary Costello
Bloody Tough Buggars
Michael Welsh
Very grim for the folks
William John Vaile
Great pics paul
Colleen Ming
Wonderful pictures. My Mum, Mary Gilroy, was bathing my newborn sister Marie in front of the fire when the earthquake caused the fireplace to cave in. My Mum’s hands were burnt.
Kathy Mintrom
Wow thankyou shows have easy our life is compared to those days Amazing photos
Bob Laing
Paul Tregurtha
When I come back to NZ next we must meet up
Great photos and some history I didn’t know about … See More
Dianne Smith
I remember my Dad telling me about it as he was living there & how the ground opened up & swallowed things. Moved houses also. Young ones today wouldn't cope & even me being an oldie would find it bloody hard. A great generation in those days.
Terry Bradley
At the time of the quake my grandfather was an unemployed brickie, and struggling in Auckland.
Within a couple of days he moved the family to Westport and began helping with the reconstruction.
Colleen Yee
Courages people, it must have been hard with the cold & wet weather and no way to connect to hear just what was happening.
Alan Messenger
My mum said the ground was rippling and she thought it was the end of the world!
Susan Barlow
What remarkable photos.
Anne Brown
Absolutely amazing, wonderful history and great photography thank for sharing
Pauleen Knowles
That was the day my older brother was born! Of earth shaking consequence, as it turned out to be!!
Pauleen Knowles
His name was Garry Ross Nankivell!
Kathryn Ward
Such an ordeal
Margaret Stewart
Thankyou Paul. It happened not long before my brother Bill was born. Are you Percy's son who lived in Bright Street? We loved down in Romilly St
Marvellous photos my Mum was in this earthquake but she never talked about it much except to say she was getting hay out of a loft to feed cattle and was thrown out of the loft on to the floor below, I believe it was on Phillip Norris’s property next door to where she lived. Her name was Marjorie Baily
Dennis Gibbs
Fantastic Photos
Margaret Standen
My Grandmother was on the first bus from The Nelson to the Coast when the road reopened. Sitting facing each other they stopped at certain points to release homing pidgeons to advise they had advised there safely. I cannot remember the time the trip took but recall her saying it was a very long one and at times had to get off the bus for safety while it navigated difficult parts of the road.
Caroline Dunlop
Would we be better able to cope now? Could we do what those people had to do?
Frances McMillan
Amazing people.
Lyn Gosling
My dad was apparently a few weeks old and my nana grabbed him from the baby bath in front of the fire just before the big mantle clock fell into the bath.
Kathleen Handcock
Thank you Paul for the photos,l,m a newby to Murchison so it's good to see some history of a town l will call home
Yvonne Jean
Am sure Bruce collive owned the pub there at that time
Bob Maxwell
I recall a Bruce Collve as a barman at the Junction Hotel when I delivered Soft drinks to that Hotel
Jan Warner
My mum was fourteen at the time living in Greymouth and until her death she was absolutely petrified of any earth quake.
Shiree Couch
Fantastic photos my nana was at school when the earthquake happened she remembered it vividly and I know my great grandmother was taken out soon after the earthquake as she was due to give birth think she was bought to Christchurch
Peter Armstrong
Great pictures. I don't think our modern lives would prepare us to face adversity ,as well as these people would have.
Joan Gollan
None of our relations. Corbyvale was their home.
Phil Millar
My mother was in this as a young girl and had vivid memories of the devists.
Linda Howard
They were very hardy people.
Phil Millar
.of the devistation it had caused,including hill disapearing!
Katrina Ranson
My grandfather was in this earthquake he lost his wife and little boy
Jo-Anne Sunbeam
My great Aunt (Hutching) was at Te Ariki and walked out to Murchison and my Mums cousins family from the Tutaki (Marris) also walked out to Murchison ...
Cheryl Hedley
These photos are amazing, no rescue helicopters in 1929, and certainly cold weather in june
Ian Jacques
Special people. Thank you for sharing
Jeanette Willard
Very interesting The poor families definitely did it hard
Mary Costello
Bloody Tough Buggars
Michael Welsh
Very grim for the folks
William John Vaile
Great pics paul
Colleen Ming
Wonderful pictures. My Mum, Mary Gilroy, was bathing my newborn sister Marie in front of the fire when the earthquake caused the fireplace to cave in. My Mum’s hands were burnt.
Kathy Mintrom
Wow thankyou shows have easy our life is compared to those days Amazing photos
Bob Laing
Paul Tregurtha
When I come back to NZ next we must meet up
Great photos and some history I didn’t know about … See More
Dianne Smith
I remember my Dad telling me about it as he was living there & how the ground opened up & swallowed things. Moved houses also. Young ones today wouldn't cope & even me being an oldie would find it bloody hard. A great generation in those days.
Terry Bradley
At the time of the quake my grandfather was an unemployed brickie, and struggling in Auckland.
Within a couple of days he moved the family to Westport and began helping with the reconstruction.
Colleen Yee
Courages people, it must have been hard with the cold & wet weather and no way to connect to hear just what was happening.
Alan Messenger
My mum said the ground was rippling and she thought it was the end of the world!
Susan Barlow
What remarkable photos.
Anne Brown
Absolutely amazing, wonderful history and great photography thank for sharing
Pauleen Knowles
That was the day my older brother was born! Of earth shaking consequence, as it turned out to be!!
Pauleen Knowles
His name was Garry Ross Nankivell!
Kathryn Ward
Such an ordeal
Margaret Stewart
Thankyou Paul. It happened not long before my brother Bill was born. Are you Percy's son who lived in Bright Street? We loved down in Romilly St
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West Coast New Zealand History (12th May 2021). Murchison earthquake, Auckland Weekly News *PHOTO ALBUM*. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 19:15, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29350