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Bill Parker riding Pickwick, leading Norman Archer's stallion Raja at Westport show
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DescriptionBill Parker riding Pickwick and leading Norman Archers stallion Raja at Westport show. Norman would travel to chch and buy a wide variety of horses of all ages ,some for the mines ,farm hacks, show hacks etc and send them all back on the train . They would be unloaded at Te Kuha Buller and driven along to his farm up the nine mile.Map[1] ContributorAlison Hale
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Location (city or town)WestportPersonBill Parker Landmark (Place)RajaOrganisation (eg business) PickwickEventHorse racingWestport show
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Date Created22nd August 2021CommentsAlan Johnson
Alison, That pic takes me back many Years> Bill lived with his Mum at Seargants hill (They lived next door to my Grandparents, Olive and Jack Bennet) and Bill always had a passion and love for horses and I am sure he was the Clerk of course at many race meetings in his time> His Mum Nellie was Grandmas sister as I understand so all in all Bill and I are Related. Keep the photos from his collection coming please
Susan Johnstone Lord
Interesting..it is the stories attached to photos that help us today get a picture of these times past
Gwen Gardner
Love it
Gwen Gardner
Who has normans farm now Alison?
Alison Hale
Gwen Gardner just asked my sister she thinks is split between Pearson and Pete Morrison te kuha farm
Gwen Gardner
Alison Hale ha love it
Gwen Gardner
Another question Alison
Where was the farm u were brought up on & who has it now
Been around a few farms up there now so just trying to sort it out in my head
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Norm Archer taught me to ride. Bill had a big horse called Mandrake. I well remember Pickwick. I also rode a horse called Charmain at the A&P shows.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett yes I had often heard of him talking of that name. That's not the one tom fox and him put the nugget on to disguise the white for the races at Bill Kennedys at moonlight. I'm proberly mistaken.
Pete Doncliff
Alison Hale sounds like the sort of thing Bill and Tom Fox would get up to
Alison Hale
No.im probably mistaken it was probably when bill was older and they may have the horse nugget for that reason.
Alison Hale
Correction Have called the horse nugget because they used the nugget on him.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett was Charmaine skinny McKinley mad thing a dun
Alison Hale
Allan Archer yes i was told he was buried at boatmans he played a big part in many of the westport horse riders especially bills early life . I remember him saying they would put the pit ponies between a couple of draughts when they were breaking them in.
\
Alison Hale
Oh you will be right skinnys was called champagne Charlie.
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Alison Hale yes I remember him well. Frankie Menzie rode him at the shows.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett I have a couple of tiny photos with Bill on his horses you may be able to identify mandrake for me. I'll put tomorrow.
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Alison Hale I'll try
Alison Hale
Me. I was a townie by the buller Bridge and biked for miles to milk cows out towards pig and whistle when I was a young un.
Gwen Gardner
Ha I always thought u were a farm girl
Alison Hale
Gwen Gardner no got promised a life on one riding the range . Hence why a ran away. Closest i got to doing that in Canterbury was exercising the hunt horses for rolly barker at the brakenfeild hunt when I was just 16. The rest of the time I was written down as house keeper. Hmmm
Gwen Gardner
Alison Hale ha ha
House keeper huh
The Bain of a woman’s life
Alison Hale
I remember boiling the roast and roasting the corned beef . Had no one to ask in the country at motunau. It was on Coringa ,knew no one.
Tania Hassan
Awesome picture !!
Leanne Cochrane
Awesome photo
Margaret Grant
Gosh how old was Bill there.
Alison Hale
20 I think he said but he looks about 16
Judi Trompetter
What a great picture!
Lyn Coleman
great picture
Anne Lambe
Bill had very bandy legs and was a great rider back in the days.
Marilyn Rea-Menzies
My bay mare Beauty, came from Norman Archer's farm. I was 15 years old when my Dad purchased her for me from Norm. I remember Billy Parker well from those dKaren Smith-Colligan
Which family of Parkers is Bill from.
Victor Johnson
Karen Smith-Colligan Bill's mother was Nellie Parker nee Lowe. She was one of William and Emma Lowe's [nee Drough] seven daughters. Nellie passed away in 1968 in Wellington and is buried at the Karori Cemetery.
In respect of Bill's father, his name was Henry Hyde Parker.
William Lowe passed away in 1920 and is buried at the Orowaiti Cemetery in Westport. Emma passed away in June 1953 and is also buried at the Orowaiti Cemetery.
I am a second cousin of Bill's through my grandmother, Olive Bennett [nee Lowe] and had a lot to do with him in my younger days.
Alison Hale
Victor Johnson you got that mostly right but his father's name was William Henry Hyde Parker and his grandfather was Henry Hyde and his great grandfather was William Parker who came into chch in 1865 and worked as a clerk for the provincial government in Peterborough Street. I have a list of his children that mostly settled around Canterbury.
Victor Johnson
Alison Hale thank you for the further information on Bill"s father, I shall update the family genealogy
Would you like a PDF file of the Lowe geneology compiled by my aunt, Dorothy Turnrr nee Bennett?
Alison Hale
Victor Johnson yes I would love it thankyou I can also send you more info on the Parker side if you wish. I remember Bill saying the last words he heard his father say, do you think the train will wait for me and nellie said yes Bill the driver will see you. He was dieing of tb and was heading to the sanatorium at cashmere. Bill would have been nine at the time and living at Cameron's where they had moved to to chase the gold on the beach. When Bill was eighty his sons and I took him to visit his father's grave for the first time at the Bromley cemetery. He had died in 1940
Victor Johnson
Alison Hale the Lowe genelogy file will be sent via private messenger.
Lesley Commette
My pal Trisha Mary Wilson mother used to byke out to Norman Archer's farm every weekend to ride. He even gave us two horses to care for in the winter - Coltack and Queen High. Best days of our childhood.
Lesley Commette
We were Lesley Chinn and Patricia Rae in those days.
Joy White
Bill Parker a good friend and cousin,my twin brother Graham Clarke and Bill were very close mates.Bill's ashs are sprinkled on Grahams property in Toogoolawah Queensland.Bill loved spending time there riding Grahams horse's.RIP Bill wonderful horseman
Caroline Horwood
Nice photo...he shod my horses for a while...great horseman...told a good yarn to
Alison, That pic takes me back many Years> Bill lived with his Mum at Seargants hill (They lived next door to my Grandparents, Olive and Jack Bennet) and Bill always had a passion and love for horses and I am sure he was the Clerk of course at many race meetings in his time> His Mum Nellie was Grandmas sister as I understand so all in all Bill and I are Related. Keep the photos from his collection coming please
Susan Johnstone Lord
Interesting..it is the stories attached to photos that help us today get a picture of these times past
Gwen Gardner
Love it
Gwen Gardner
Who has normans farm now Alison?
Alison Hale
Gwen Gardner just asked my sister she thinks is split between Pearson and Pete Morrison te kuha farm
Gwen Gardner
Alison Hale ha love it
Gwen Gardner
Another question Alison
Where was the farm u were brought up on & who has it now
Been around a few farms up there now so just trying to sort it out in my head
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Norm Archer taught me to ride. Bill had a big horse called Mandrake. I well remember Pickwick. I also rode a horse called Charmain at the A&P shows.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett yes I had often heard of him talking of that name. That's not the one tom fox and him put the nugget on to disguise the white for the races at Bill Kennedys at moonlight. I'm proberly mistaken.
Pete Doncliff
Alison Hale sounds like the sort of thing Bill and Tom Fox would get up to
Alison Hale
No.im probably mistaken it was probably when bill was older and they may have the horse nugget for that reason.
Alison Hale
Correction Have called the horse nugget because they used the nugget on him.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett was Charmaine skinny McKinley mad thing a dun
Alison Hale
Allan Archer yes i was told he was buried at boatmans he played a big part in many of the westport horse riders especially bills early life . I remember him saying they would put the pit ponies between a couple of draughts when they were breaking them in.
\
Alison Hale
Oh you will be right skinnys was called champagne Charlie.
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Alison Hale yes I remember him well. Frankie Menzie rode him at the shows.
Alison Hale
Lynne Kearns-Corbett I have a couple of tiny photos with Bill on his horses you may be able to identify mandrake for me. I'll put tomorrow.
Lynne Kearns-Corbett
Alison Hale I'll try
Alison Hale
Me. I was a townie by the buller Bridge and biked for miles to milk cows out towards pig and whistle when I was a young un.
Gwen Gardner
Ha I always thought u were a farm girl
Alison Hale
Gwen Gardner no got promised a life on one riding the range . Hence why a ran away. Closest i got to doing that in Canterbury was exercising the hunt horses for rolly barker at the brakenfeild hunt when I was just 16. The rest of the time I was written down as house keeper. Hmmm
Gwen Gardner
Alison Hale ha ha
House keeper huh
The Bain of a woman’s life
Alison Hale
I remember boiling the roast and roasting the corned beef . Had no one to ask in the country at motunau. It was on Coringa ,knew no one.
Tania Hassan
Awesome picture !!
Leanne Cochrane
Awesome photo
Margaret Grant
Gosh how old was Bill there.
Alison Hale
20 I think he said but he looks about 16
Judi Trompetter
What a great picture!
Lyn Coleman
great picture
Anne Lambe
Bill had very bandy legs and was a great rider back in the days.
Marilyn Rea-Menzies
My bay mare Beauty, came from Norman Archer's farm. I was 15 years old when my Dad purchased her for me from Norm. I remember Billy Parker well from those dKaren Smith-Colligan
Which family of Parkers is Bill from.
Victor Johnson
Karen Smith-Colligan Bill's mother was Nellie Parker nee Lowe. She was one of William and Emma Lowe's [nee Drough] seven daughters. Nellie passed away in 1968 in Wellington and is buried at the Karori Cemetery.
In respect of Bill's father, his name was Henry Hyde Parker.
William Lowe passed away in 1920 and is buried at the Orowaiti Cemetery in Westport. Emma passed away in June 1953 and is also buried at the Orowaiti Cemetery.
I am a second cousin of Bill's through my grandmother, Olive Bennett [nee Lowe] and had a lot to do with him in my younger days.
Alison Hale
Victor Johnson you got that mostly right but his father's name was William Henry Hyde Parker and his grandfather was Henry Hyde and his great grandfather was William Parker who came into chch in 1865 and worked as a clerk for the provincial government in Peterborough Street. I have a list of his children that mostly settled around Canterbury.
Victor Johnson
Alison Hale thank you for the further information on Bill"s father, I shall update the family genealogy
Would you like a PDF file of the Lowe geneology compiled by my aunt, Dorothy Turnrr nee Bennett?
Alison Hale
Victor Johnson yes I would love it thankyou I can also send you more info on the Parker side if you wish. I remember Bill saying the last words he heard his father say, do you think the train will wait for me and nellie said yes Bill the driver will see you. He was dieing of tb and was heading to the sanatorium at cashmere. Bill would have been nine at the time and living at Cameron's where they had moved to to chase the gold on the beach. When Bill was eighty his sons and I took him to visit his father's grave for the first time at the Bromley cemetery. He had died in 1940
Victor Johnson
Alison Hale the Lowe genelogy file will be sent via private messenger.
Lesley Commette
My pal Trisha Mary Wilson mother used to byke out to Norman Archer's farm every weekend to ride. He even gave us two horses to care for in the winter - Coltack and Queen High. Best days of our childhood.
Lesley Commette
We were Lesley Chinn and Patricia Rae in those days.
Joy White
Bill Parker a good friend and cousin,my twin brother Graham Clarke and Bill were very close mates.Bill's ashs are sprinkled on Grahams property in Toogoolawah Queensland.Bill loved spending time there riding Grahams horse's.RIP Bill wonderful horseman
Caroline Horwood
Nice photo...he shod my horses for a while...great horseman...told a good yarn to
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West Coast New Zealand History (24th Aug 2021). Bill Parker riding Pickwick, leading Norman Archer's stallion Raja at Westport show. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 9th Apr 2026 07:05, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29847