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Photo of Denniston from "Doctor in the Sticks".
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DescriptionJust finished reading the book Doctor in the Sticks,this interesting photo of Denniston was in it.Map[1] ContributorJames Newby
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Location (city or town)DennistonOrganisation (eg business)"Doctor in the Sticks"EventPhoto of Denniston from "Doctor in the Sticks".
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Category Tagghost town
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Date Created27th April 2022CommentsDavid Perry
You’d really want a chunk of this real estate to retire to? Not!
Ray Chandler
Rubbish truck had a problem that day.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
And town planning, building consents? Wow how people managed
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Ray, my husband lived next door to the Dr and his wife in Hastings,
Michael Doreen Ryan
Looks like the Camp below the brake head
Ken Barr
think you’re right about that Micky. You can see the Banbury Arches in the top right of the photo.
James Newby
No gardens to see.
Richard Haar
There is no soil on the Denniston Plateau to grow plants in. The same reason those that passed away up there were brought down to be buried.
Caroline Dunlop
My mother and her 3 brothers were all born on Denniston.
Chris Carroll
My family lived up there too. Photos of them in the museum. Nana and her sister.
Ken Jackson
Jeez what a hard life.
Ian Jackson
Ken Jackson -you should try Auckland!
David Perry
Ian Jackson Right on it’d be pretty hard to ram raid the general store at Dennison back in the day and get back down from there!
Del Te Rito
My grandfather James Robinson worked there till he had a dreadful accident , was in hospital in wellington for a year.
Mark Bradford
My Nana was born in Denniston and at 11years her.mother died she had to give up
school and take over her duties looking after her siblings and have food on the table where her dad finished at the Mine.
Now that's a hard Life. And she never complained.
Trish Rennie
Looking at the landscape can now understand why they said they couldn't establish vegetable gardens.....tough lives...respect to them
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki
My mother and father and older sister lived in Denniston late 1930's,must have been a hard life.
Jeanine Bishop
God it looks like a hell hole you would have had to be tought to live there at that time.
Blair Kelly
Looks cool wicked in its day
Lorraine O'Donoghue
What an existence living up there with no gardens lawns etc. Probably the atmosphere didn't encourage outdoor activity anyway even if there was soil.
Debbie Hills
Lorraine O'Donoghue but people did it hard to make a living, survive and to get ahead. Live in awe of the settlers.
Gary Cody
There is actually lots of "sticks" scattered about. Unreal.
Sally Brake
Incredible resilience they must have had. Thanks for sharing.
Rose Casey
What a hard life they must have had. Must read the bookRose Ormsby
Hi Heather, who is the author of Doctor in the sticks, and publisher please. Just wondering is James Newby your Uncle. Very interested in the book. My dad, William Brown , worked at Denniston in the 30's. Tough Irishman. Thanks
James Newby
Rose Ormsby
May be an image of book and text that says 'doctor in the sticks ATHGATE'
James Newby
May be an image of text that says 'Doctor in the Sticks D. D.A A BATHGATE Collins AUCKLAND AND LONDON'
James Newby
Rose OrmsbyI collect West Coast history books and I picked this book up off Trade Me .It was published in 1972 in it The author talks about his time he spent time Denniston and also in Otira while the tunnel was under construction,mentioning the liberal use of explosives in many different interesting situations,also that one of road men who worked in the gorge didn’t come out to either Arthur’s Pass or Otria for 4 years.And no I’m not Heather’s uncle I’m her brother,
Rose Ormsby
James Newby Hi James, delighted with your quick response . I will also try to hunt down a copy of " Doctor in the sticks". Love the name. .. l have a big interest in the history of the Westcoast; my sister lives there and have visited many times. I'm an Artist and into photography, the scenery blows me away. My dad worked with your Uncle Jimmy and your father in the mines - always spoke highly of them both.
Thanks for passing on info about the book.
Kind regards,
Rose.
Heather Newby
Rose Ormsby James is my brother.James Newby
Rose Ormsby
Heather Newby Thanks Heather, he has kindly responded to question about book.
Jackie Roberts
My grandparents with their children came out frm wales in 1922 to work in coal mine up on denniston my mum was one of them went to school there to
Jackie Roberts
Their name was Hearne some people my know them
Helen Ruscoe
Shelagh Beatty Dave might like this book if he hasn't already read it. I am going to see if I can get it from the library.
Val N Merv Brittain
I red the book Denniston Rose it was a great read
Theresa Gibson
Must have been a wet day, no clothes on the lines in the foreground, the forked sticks are the props….
Jan Blackburn
Rough living -
Don Pearce
what,no phone?
You’d really want a chunk of this real estate to retire to? Not!
Ray Chandler
Rubbish truck had a problem that day.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
And town planning, building consents? Wow how people managed
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Ray, my husband lived next door to the Dr and his wife in Hastings,
Michael Doreen Ryan
Looks like the Camp below the brake head
Ken Barr
think you’re right about that Micky. You can see the Banbury Arches in the top right of the photo.
James Newby
No gardens to see.
Richard Haar
There is no soil on the Denniston Plateau to grow plants in. The same reason those that passed away up there were brought down to be buried.
Caroline Dunlop
My mother and her 3 brothers were all born on Denniston.
Chris Carroll
My family lived up there too. Photos of them in the museum. Nana and her sister.
Ken Jackson
Jeez what a hard life.
Ian Jackson
Ken Jackson -you should try Auckland!
David Perry
Ian Jackson Right on it’d be pretty hard to ram raid the general store at Dennison back in the day and get back down from there!
Del Te Rito
My grandfather James Robinson worked there till he had a dreadful accident , was in hospital in wellington for a year.
Mark Bradford
My Nana was born in Denniston and at 11years her.mother died she had to give up
school and take over her duties looking after her siblings and have food on the table where her dad finished at the Mine.
Now that's a hard Life. And she never complained.
Trish Rennie
Looking at the landscape can now understand why they said they couldn't establish vegetable gardens.....tough lives...respect to them
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki
My mother and father and older sister lived in Denniston late 1930's,must have been a hard life.
Jeanine Bishop
God it looks like a hell hole you would have had to be tought to live there at that time.
Blair Kelly
Looks cool wicked in its day
Lorraine O'Donoghue
What an existence living up there with no gardens lawns etc. Probably the atmosphere didn't encourage outdoor activity anyway even if there was soil.
Debbie Hills
Lorraine O'Donoghue but people did it hard to make a living, survive and to get ahead. Live in awe of the settlers.
Gary Cody
There is actually lots of "sticks" scattered about. Unreal.
Sally Brake
Incredible resilience they must have had. Thanks for sharing.
Rose Casey
What a hard life they must have had. Must read the bookRose Ormsby
Hi Heather, who is the author of Doctor in the sticks, and publisher please. Just wondering is James Newby your Uncle. Very interested in the book. My dad, William Brown , worked at Denniston in the 30's. Tough Irishman. Thanks
James Newby
Rose Ormsby
May be an image of book and text that says 'doctor in the sticks ATHGATE'
James Newby
May be an image of text that says 'Doctor in the Sticks D. D.A A BATHGATE Collins AUCKLAND AND LONDON'
James Newby
Rose OrmsbyI collect West Coast history books and I picked this book up off Trade Me .It was published in 1972 in it The author talks about his time he spent time Denniston and also in Otira while the tunnel was under construction,mentioning the liberal use of explosives in many different interesting situations,also that one of road men who worked in the gorge didn’t come out to either Arthur’s Pass or Otria for 4 years.And no I’m not Heather’s uncle I’m her brother,
Rose Ormsby
James Newby Hi James, delighted with your quick response . I will also try to hunt down a copy of " Doctor in the sticks". Love the name. .. l have a big interest in the history of the Westcoast; my sister lives there and have visited many times. I'm an Artist and into photography, the scenery blows me away. My dad worked with your Uncle Jimmy and your father in the mines - always spoke highly of them both.
Thanks for passing on info about the book.
Kind regards,
Rose.
Heather Newby
Rose Ormsby James is my brother.James Newby
Rose Ormsby
Heather Newby Thanks Heather, he has kindly responded to question about book.
Jackie Roberts
My grandparents with their children came out frm wales in 1922 to work in coal mine up on denniston my mum was one of them went to school there to
Jackie Roberts
Their name was Hearne some people my know them
Helen Ruscoe
Shelagh Beatty Dave might like this book if he hasn't already read it. I am going to see if I can get it from the library.
Val N Merv Brittain
I red the book Denniston Rose it was a great read
Theresa Gibson
Must have been a wet day, no clothes on the lines in the foreground, the forked sticks are the props….
Jan Blackburn
Rough living -
Don Pearce
what,no phone?
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West Coast New Zealand History (31st Aug 2024). Photo of Denniston from "Doctor in the Sticks".. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 5th Apr 2026 02:35, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/30959