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AddBy: Dr Tane Taylor9th Dec 2025 11:34AMA week or so ago John Burford dentist from Greymouth sent me this link.
He worked with my father Ron Taylor before we left to live in Albania.
Happy to connect with anyone who is interested in my father’s ( our family’s ) experiences.
doctortataylor@outlook.com.
Tane Taylor
He worked with my father Ron Taylor before we left to live in Albania.
Happy to connect with anyone who is interested in my father’s ( our family’s ) experiences.
doctortataylor@outlook.com.
Tane Taylor
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Copyright is retained by the photographer and/or contributor. Please do not reuse without permission.
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Ron Taylor - dentist and communist
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DescriptionJamie King: Know anything of Ron Taylor dentist and communist based in Greymouth in the 1960s? Very interested in hearing from you…
Letters courtesy Peter Lusk:
Tirana
Albania
27th May, 1986
Dear Peter Lusk
Thank you for your letter of 8th May, 1986, which I received yesterday. The picture of the demonstration in Greymouth certainly aroused some memories and I was especially pleased to learn that Hardy and Zona are both in reasonable health. They are dear friends. Your words in praise of the level achieved in the English translation of Enver Hoxha’s works were a source of considerable satisfaction to the members of the group with which I work, when I read them that section of the letter this morning.
There are many lessons from Albania which are of vital importance to the people of NZ and every other country of the world, but here let me issue a warning: while the principles of Marxism-Leninism are universal in their application, the tactics of the revolution are specific to each country and people and to each stage of historical development. These tactics must take account of the history, traditions, outlook and concrete conditions of the particular people and any attempt to transfer the tactics which may have succeeded in one country, mechanically to another country, is fraught with sectarian dangers and liable to alienate the people from the revolution.
Take the questions of national indebtedness and land ownership that you mentioned. With interest rates in NZ running at their present very high levels, no doubt people in NZ are impressed by the fact that a small country like Albania has managed to develop rapidly without any national debt. This is a great confirmation of the Marxist economic theory and an important factor in Albania’s political and economic independence and its future. But to achieve this success has meant sacrifices, consciously doing without many things that the peoples of neighbouring countries enjoy and accepting a relatively low standard of living, so that 30-38% of the total national income could be used for socialist accumulation for investment to develop the national economy. Of course this is the only way to build the future prosperity of the masses of the people on sound foundations, but meanwhile it enables enemies of socialism to make unfavorable comparisons between living conditions in socialist Albania and those in other countries with more highly developed economies. I think it was in his book “the Titoites” that Enver Hoxha wrote: We do not pretend that we are able to provide our people yet with living standards equal to those prevailing even in the revisionist countries of Eastern Europe…
Although the post-War boom in NZ has now been replaced by the inevitable capitalist slump, the high level of productivity and material well-being achieved there are such that a superficial comparison of living standards in NZ and Albania is still unfavorable to the latter.
Hence in propaganda work, this question must be handled very carefully, stressing the aspect of economic security for the present and future generations. Otherwise opponents will score cheap points.
Now people can see more clearly that the national debt is a crippling burden to the national economy and farmers and others are demanding reduced interest rates, but I doubt whether they understand that the debt burden results from the capitalist relations of production and that without a revolutionary change in these relations, even cancellation of their debts would bring no lasting change for the better. As you say, this requires raising their consciousness, to the point where they can see the cause of their troubles and not just effects.
In regard to land ownership, the tradition in NZ is entirely different from that in Albania and the whole of Europe. From the time the colony was founded, land has been regarded pretty much like any other commodity, as a thing to be bought and sold (the Maori tradition having been disregarded), while here the communal right to use the land, which stems from antiquity, has lived on in the peasantry.
During the National Liberation War, the peasant masses fought for the liberation of the country from the foreign invaders and for the land. Hence one of the first acts of the People’s Republic was to implement the Party’s war-time slogan, “the land belongs to the tillers,” through the Land Reform. Each peasant household was given five hectares of agricultural land, while the sale, purchase or mortgaging of land was prohibited by law. In the conditions existing in Albania at that time, this was the only correct policy: it united the peasantry more firmly under the leadership of the party of the proletariat and enabled the first steps to be taken towards socialism in the countryside – collectivisation, through the voluntary uniting of the small scale peasant economies in agricultural cooperatives. The process of persuading all the peasant households to unite their land in cooperatives took about twenty years and meanwhile, the cooperatives themselves have undergone a complex development to more and more advanced stages. Now a number of the most advanced cooperatives have transformed themselves into state farms, a higher stage of socialist property relations. It was not until 1976, a decade after the completion of the collectivisation of agriculture, that the land was nationalised in Albania. Under the new constitution adopted in 1976, all land belongs to the state and is given free for the use of state enterprises and institutions, cooperatives and private citizens (private houses).
Although the policy pursued in Albania is an application of the Leninist principles for the socialisation of small economies through co-operation, the tactics applied are different from those in Russia after the October Revolution, which proclaimed the nationalisation of the land immediately. And obviously, the tactics required in the conditions of NZ will be different again, indeed vastly different.
As you say, the deteriorating economic conditions are impelling ever wider strata of the NZ people to seek changes, but this sentiment for change must be channelled in a positive, socialist direction by welding all these strata into a united movement under the leadership of the Marxist-Leninist party. To exert its leadership, the party must have worked out a clear policy which meets the needs of the working class, first of all, but also wins the support of the other working people because it fulfills their aspirations. Detailed analysis of the real facts, such as Marx and Lenin did in their time and Enver Hoxha did in his, is what is needed for the elaboration of a concrete revolutionary policy around which the working masses of NZers can be united. This policy must embody the Marxist-Leninist principles in forms which show what NZers must do now. Examples from what Lenin, Stalin and the Bolsheviks did and what the PLA is doing are very valuable, but insufficient on their own because the social conditions, traditions and prevailing outlook of the people of NZ are so different.
One of the greatest barriers to development of socialist consciousness among NZ people is their deep-rooted social democratic ideology and belief in Parliamentary methods. Therefore I think a very valuable guide to action can be found in Lenin’s words: People have to grasp the fundamental political fact that the bourgeosie is armed to the teeth against the proletariat.
Greetings
Ron Taylor
Letters courtesy Peter Lusk:
Tirana
Albania
27th May, 1986
Dear Peter Lusk
Thank you for your letter of 8th May, 1986, which I received yesterday. The picture of the demonstration in Greymouth certainly aroused some memories and I was especially pleased to learn that Hardy and Zona are both in reasonable health. They are dear friends. Your words in praise of the level achieved in the English translation of Enver Hoxha’s works were a source of considerable satisfaction to the members of the group with which I work, when I read them that section of the letter this morning.
There are many lessons from Albania which are of vital importance to the people of NZ and every other country of the world, but here let me issue a warning: while the principles of Marxism-Leninism are universal in their application, the tactics of the revolution are specific to each country and people and to each stage of historical development. These tactics must take account of the history, traditions, outlook and concrete conditions of the particular people and any attempt to transfer the tactics which may have succeeded in one country, mechanically to another country, is fraught with sectarian dangers and liable to alienate the people from the revolution.
Take the questions of national indebtedness and land ownership that you mentioned. With interest rates in NZ running at their present very high levels, no doubt people in NZ are impressed by the fact that a small country like Albania has managed to develop rapidly without any national debt. This is a great confirmation of the Marxist economic theory and an important factor in Albania’s political and economic independence and its future. But to achieve this success has meant sacrifices, consciously doing without many things that the peoples of neighbouring countries enjoy and accepting a relatively low standard of living, so that 30-38% of the total national income could be used for socialist accumulation for investment to develop the national economy. Of course this is the only way to build the future prosperity of the masses of the people on sound foundations, but meanwhile it enables enemies of socialism to make unfavorable comparisons between living conditions in socialist Albania and those in other countries with more highly developed economies. I think it was in his book “the Titoites” that Enver Hoxha wrote: We do not pretend that we are able to provide our people yet with living standards equal to those prevailing even in the revisionist countries of Eastern Europe…
Although the post-War boom in NZ has now been replaced by the inevitable capitalist slump, the high level of productivity and material well-being achieved there are such that a superficial comparison of living standards in NZ and Albania is still unfavorable to the latter.
Hence in propaganda work, this question must be handled very carefully, stressing the aspect of economic security for the present and future generations. Otherwise opponents will score cheap points.
Now people can see more clearly that the national debt is a crippling burden to the national economy and farmers and others are demanding reduced interest rates, but I doubt whether they understand that the debt burden results from the capitalist relations of production and that without a revolutionary change in these relations, even cancellation of their debts would bring no lasting change for the better. As you say, this requires raising their consciousness, to the point where they can see the cause of their troubles and not just effects.
In regard to land ownership, the tradition in NZ is entirely different from that in Albania and the whole of Europe. From the time the colony was founded, land has been regarded pretty much like any other commodity, as a thing to be bought and sold (the Maori tradition having been disregarded), while here the communal right to use the land, which stems from antiquity, has lived on in the peasantry.
During the National Liberation War, the peasant masses fought for the liberation of the country from the foreign invaders and for the land. Hence one of the first acts of the People’s Republic was to implement the Party’s war-time slogan, “the land belongs to the tillers,” through the Land Reform. Each peasant household was given five hectares of agricultural land, while the sale, purchase or mortgaging of land was prohibited by law. In the conditions existing in Albania at that time, this was the only correct policy: it united the peasantry more firmly under the leadership of the party of the proletariat and enabled the first steps to be taken towards socialism in the countryside – collectivisation, through the voluntary uniting of the small scale peasant economies in agricultural cooperatives. The process of persuading all the peasant households to unite their land in cooperatives took about twenty years and meanwhile, the cooperatives themselves have undergone a complex development to more and more advanced stages. Now a number of the most advanced cooperatives have transformed themselves into state farms, a higher stage of socialist property relations. It was not until 1976, a decade after the completion of the collectivisation of agriculture, that the land was nationalised in Albania. Under the new constitution adopted in 1976, all land belongs to the state and is given free for the use of state enterprises and institutions, cooperatives and private citizens (private houses).
Although the policy pursued in Albania is an application of the Leninist principles for the socialisation of small economies through co-operation, the tactics applied are different from those in Russia after the October Revolution, which proclaimed the nationalisation of the land immediately. And obviously, the tactics required in the conditions of NZ will be different again, indeed vastly different.
As you say, the deteriorating economic conditions are impelling ever wider strata of the NZ people to seek changes, but this sentiment for change must be channelled in a positive, socialist direction by welding all these strata into a united movement under the leadership of the Marxist-Leninist party. To exert its leadership, the party must have worked out a clear policy which meets the needs of the working class, first of all, but also wins the support of the other working people because it fulfills their aspirations. Detailed analysis of the real facts, such as Marx and Lenin did in their time and Enver Hoxha did in his, is what is needed for the elaboration of a concrete revolutionary policy around which the working masses of NZers can be united. This policy must embody the Marxist-Leninist principles in forms which show what NZers must do now. Examples from what Lenin, Stalin and the Bolsheviks did and what the PLA is doing are very valuable, but insufficient on their own because the social conditions, traditions and prevailing outlook of the people of NZ are so different.
One of the greatest barriers to development of socialist consciousness among NZ people is their deep-rooted social democratic ideology and belief in Parliamentary methods. Therefore I think a very valuable guide to action can be found in Lenin’s words: People have to grasp the fundamental political fact that the bourgeosie is armed to the teeth against the proletariat.
Greetings
Ron Taylor
From Facebook
CommentsAlison Newland
I think our neighbour was Ron Taylor(mid 60s) but he was a policeman.
Brian McIntyre
Yep different one. Unconciously, as a Policeman Ron helped smugglers unload the contraband off their yacht that had run aground.
Geoff Roberts
He was our dentist an family friend... Used to come shooting on our Shenandoah farm..had a small gold mine at Lyel...he and his daughter were in. Commust Albaina for along time ..I remember a TV interview with them when they returned to NZ after the fall of Albania... think June was the daughter... Would be great to know what happened ?
Robin McKenzie
OMG a memory as a teenager sitting in his dentist chair... An experience that put me off dentists for almost ever as far as dentistry goes. As above didn't know his interests.
Brent Tomlinson
He was my dentist but being a child i didnt know his interests
Pete Lusk
Jack Doyle was another CP member, but from the 1920s. There was a scandal back then. Pretty sure it was Angus McLagan took off with Jacks wife. McLagan started off CP, became a minister in first Labour Govt….then turned against the worker big time. Semple was the same…began as a revolutionary while in Grey V mines…ended up as a minister like McLagan, became rabid against the working class and earned the title Semple Iscariot, as in Judas Iscariot.
Frances Adank
Anyone interested in in Albania should check out the books by Lea Ypi, Free and a new one out now. Indignity. Ron pulled out a bottom row of my teeth back in the 1960s when my second teeth came through behind my milk teeth. He used gas to knock me out, so only know I recovered well. Bob Mitchell another Greymouth person and Communist Party Member lived opposite us in Doyle St, famous in our family for getting mum to sew a button on his ancient jacket at the last minute as he was about to get on the train to Chch and from there to Albania to see Communism in action. He must have known Ron too.
Sandra May Rooney
Some faint memories
David Coach-man
cool as thread....
Kenneth John Dalzell
My sister knocked my two front teeth out with a hockey ball and ron replced them with gold caps,finally had them replced with cerec but ron did a great job.as a 14 yr old at the time,ouch !
JOB.AS
Domainpark - Bitte den Rasen nicht betreten. Vielen Dank!
Domainpark - Bitte den Rasen nicht betreten. Vielen Dank!
Malcolm Howell
All you wanted to know. A fascinating interview.
https://www.monitorproductioninsound.eu/voice-from-the-east
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
MONITORPRODUCTIONINSOUND.EU
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
Kathy Crooks
He lived in Taylorville I belive Rangi has passed away not sure about June and think there were 2 other children lovely family Ron left a few years after his wife passed.
Arthur Bass
I reckon I may have had a run in with him when I was a plod in Grey'
Robin McKenzie
OMG a memory as a teenager sitting in his dentist chair... An experience that put me off dentists for almost ever as far as dentistry goes. As above didn't know his interests.
Christine Banks
He, along with other communist party members, were friends of my mum's mum, Mrs Chrissie Rawcliffe. Before he left for Albania, we visited him and his family our at Taylorville, lived down near the river, and remember playing with his kids when I was very young. He was a good dentist and was able to save my brother's teeth ( he and I had teeth that the coating wasn't any good), he painted my brother's teeth with fluoride and Peter kept his teeth. By the time I came along, Ron had gone and my first teeth were just pulled out, my second teeth weren't much better. I remember communist Xmas parties held at the Taylorville hall and Chinese films, in Chinese, being shown, boring for kids ?. Mostly very good people, just different times and none of them knew how bad things were in Russia or China, that came much later.
Alan Pegley
Ron was a friend of my father. In 1959 I had a cycling accident resulting in the loss of several front teeth and was admitted to Grey Hospital. This is an extract from my book The Spoken Word. "my father arranged for a local dentist Ron Taylor to visit me. Ron was active in the Communist Party and stood several times in the West Coast electorate for the General Elections. After an inspection of the dental damage he concluded that as the rest of my teeth weren't in great shape ,I should consider dentures. I agreed with his conclusions. So there it is. I've had dentures since I was 16. Think of all the money I've saved in dental visits"
Alison Newland
I think our neighbour was Ron Taylor(mid 60s) but he was a policeman.
Malcolm Howell
https://newsroom.co.nz/.../the-nz-woman-who-became.../...
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
NEWSROOM.CO.NZ
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
Ivan Murray Wilson
Try checking with John Burford dentist formerly of GM, now Auckland.
Pete Lusk
NZs Communist Party always looked for a father figure…first was Soviet Union, then China, then Albania. Switch to Albania was 1978.
It’d be great if someone wrote a book on Taylor family. So interesting!!
I have a letter from Ron, 1980s, him in Albania, me on the Coast. He gave me good advice…basically the two places are very different and revolutionary work will, of course, be different.
The Coast was a very good place to be a party member, specially amongst mining families. I’d take the Peoples Voice newspaper around and be welcomed like a long lost friend!
Old Mrs Nessie Willman said to me: “Oh, the Peoples Voice…I haven’t seen it for years”. She sat me down, made me a cup of tea.
Ngaire Watson (Millerton) was another. We always had a good natter, specially before her husband Tommy died. Tommy was a truck driver at Stockton when he retired.
Closses were very good politically…I met Dave in Blaketown 1980s, he’d been in Marxian Students pre 1920s, then Bill, Wellington, was in CPNZ in 30s, 40s, then Bobby, a close friend of mine for many years. Bobby still lived in Millerton, in the family home and very much a Red.
Those revolutionary-minded miners who didn’t join the CPNZ were on the right track…it really wasn’t worth joining. Geoff Kitchin was one of these, along with Bobby.
When Bobby died I wrote a 300 page book centred on his life. If you google: Bobby Closs, a Red in West Coast Mines you’ll get the on-line version with 300+ photos
Edited
Pete Lusk
I never met Ron, but knew Hardy and Zona Browning who lived in Taylorville. Stayed with them a couple of times, Hardy was in Communist Party and so was I. Zona was a hard shot!
(This was in 1980s, only two CP members on the Coast by then….Hardy and me).
Gary Murdoch
Before elections back in the day, it was common for speakers to harangue an audience outside the Miners Hall in Blackball during intermission at the weekend movies. I remember Ron Taylor as a strong stump orator spouting forth from a small platform in front of the Post Office.
Malcolm Howell
Ron Taylor was our dentist in the early 60's before he departed for Albania with his family to "live the dream" as a Communist. Life as they knew it would never be the same again. June the daughter was an announcer on Radio Tirana. It was a cruel lesson to them all and the interview you understand how they suffered. Ron was also treated poorly when he got back to NZ and applied for the NZ Pension. I listened to a podcast from the UK where a young 13yr old boy in England who listened to Radio Tirana - finally tracked down the daughter June Taylor (adopted from Rotorua) when she was living in the UK. Gee that was interesting what these NZ children went thru moving to a strict communist country that Albania was in those days. Very interesting. If you hunt around on the net you may still find it.
Brent Tomlinson
He was my dentist but being a child i didnt know his interests
Arthur Bass
I reckon I may have had a run in with him when I was a plod in Grey'
Malcolm Howell
Ron Taylor was our dentist in the early 60's before he departed for Albania with his family to "live the dream" as a Communist. Life as they knew it would never be the same again. June the daughter was an announcer on Radio Tirana. It was a cruel lesson to them all and the interview you understand how they suffered. Ron was also treated poorly when he got back to NZ and applied for the NZ Pension. I listened to a podcast from the UK where a young 13yr old boy in England who listened to Radio Tirana - finally tracked down the daughter June Taylor (adopted from Rotorua) when she was living in the UK. Gee that was interesting what these NZ children went thru moving to a strict communist country that Albania was in those days. Very interesting. If you hunt around on the net you may still find it.
Christine Banks
He, along with other communist party members, were friends of my mum's mum, Mrs Chrissie Rawcliffe. Before he left for Albania, we visited him and his family our at Taylorville, lived down near the river, and remember playing with his kids when I was very young. He was a good dentist and was able to save my brother's teeth ( he and I had teeth that the coating wasn't any good), he painted my brother's teeth with fluoride and Peter kept his teeth. By the time I came along, Ron had gone and my first teeth were just pulled out, my second teeth weren't much better. I remember communist Xmas parties held at the Taylorville hall and Chinese films, in Chinese, being shown, boring for kids ?. Mostly very good people, just different times and none of them knew how bad things were in Russia or China, that came much later.
Pete Lusk
NZs Communist Party always looked for a father figure…first was Soviet Union, then China, then Albania. Switch to Albania was 1978.
It’d be great if someone wrote a book on Taylor family. So interesting!!
I have a letter from Ron, 1980s, him in Albania, me on the Coast. He gave me good advice…basically the two places are very different and revolutionary work will, of course, be different.
The Coast was a very good place to be a party member, specially amongst mining families. I’d take the Peoples Voice newspaper around and be welcomed like a long lost friend!
Old Mrs Nessie Willman said to me: “Oh, the Peoples Voice…I haven’t seen it for years”. She sat me down, made me a cup of tea.
Ngaire Watson (Millerton) was another. We always had a good natter, specially before her husband Tommy died. Tommy was a truck driver at Stockton when he retired.
Closses were very good politically…I met Dave in Blaketown 1980s, he’d been in Marxian Students pre 1920s, then Bill, Wellington, was in CPNZ in 30s, 40s, then Bobby, a close friend of mine for many years. Bobby still lived in Millerton, in the family home and very much a Red.
Those revolutionary-minded miners who didn’t join the CPNZ were on the right track…it really wasn’t worth joining. Geoff Kitchin was one of these, along with Bobby.
When Bobby died I wrote a 300 page book centred on his life. If you google: Bobby Closs, a Red in West Coast Mines you’ll get the on-line version with 300+ photos
Gary Murdoch
Before elections back in the day, it was common for speakers to harangue an audience outside the Miners Hall in Blackball during intermission at the weekend movies. I remember Ron Taylor as a strong stump orator spouting forth from a small platform in front of the Post Office.
Alan Pegley
Ron was a friend of my father. In 1959 I had a cycling accident resulting in the loss of several front teeth and was admitted to Grey Hospital. This is an extract from my book The Spoken Word. "my father arranged for a local dentist Ron Taylor to visit me. Ron was active in the Communist Party and stood several times in the West Coast electorate for the General Elections. After an inspection of the dental damage he concluded that as the rest of my teeth weren't in great shape ,I should consider dentures. I agreed with his conclusions. So there it is. I've had dentures since I was 16. Think of all the money I've saved in dental visits"
Kathy Crooks
He lived in Taylorville I belive Rangi has passed away not sure about June and think there were 2 other children lovely family Ron left a few years after his wife passed.
David Grundy
He's left.
Frances Adank
Anyone interested in in Albania should check out the books by Lea Ypi, Free and a new one out now. Indignity. Ron pulled out a bottom row of my teeth back in the 1960s when my second teeth came through behind my milk teeth. He used gas to knock me out, so only know I recovered well. Bob Mitchell another Greymouth person and Communist Party Member lived opposite us in Doyle St, famous in our family for getting mum to sew a button on his ancient jacket at the last minute as he was about to get on the train to Chch and from there to Albania to see Communism in action. He must have known Ron too.
I think our neighbour was Ron Taylor(mid 60s) but he was a policeman.
Brian McIntyre
Yep different one. Unconciously, as a Policeman Ron helped smugglers unload the contraband off their yacht that had run aground.
Geoff Roberts
He was our dentist an family friend... Used to come shooting on our Shenandoah farm..had a small gold mine at Lyel...he and his daughter were in. Commust Albaina for along time ..I remember a TV interview with them when they returned to NZ after the fall of Albania... think June was the daughter... Would be great to know what happened ?
Robin McKenzie
OMG a memory as a teenager sitting in his dentist chair... An experience that put me off dentists for almost ever as far as dentistry goes. As above didn't know his interests.
Brent Tomlinson
He was my dentist but being a child i didnt know his interests
Pete Lusk
Jack Doyle was another CP member, but from the 1920s. There was a scandal back then. Pretty sure it was Angus McLagan took off with Jacks wife. McLagan started off CP, became a minister in first Labour Govt….then turned against the worker big time. Semple was the same…began as a revolutionary while in Grey V mines…ended up as a minister like McLagan, became rabid against the working class and earned the title Semple Iscariot, as in Judas Iscariot.
Frances Adank
Anyone interested in in Albania should check out the books by Lea Ypi, Free and a new one out now. Indignity. Ron pulled out a bottom row of my teeth back in the 1960s when my second teeth came through behind my milk teeth. He used gas to knock me out, so only know I recovered well. Bob Mitchell another Greymouth person and Communist Party Member lived opposite us in Doyle St, famous in our family for getting mum to sew a button on his ancient jacket at the last minute as he was about to get on the train to Chch and from there to Albania to see Communism in action. He must have known Ron too.
Sandra May Rooney
Some faint memories
David Coach-man
cool as thread....
Kenneth John Dalzell
My sister knocked my two front teeth out with a hockey ball and ron replced them with gold caps,finally had them replced with cerec but ron did a great job.as a 14 yr old at the time,ouch !
JOB.AS
Domainpark - Bitte den Rasen nicht betreten. Vielen Dank!
Domainpark - Bitte den Rasen nicht betreten. Vielen Dank!
Malcolm Howell
All you wanted to know. A fascinating interview.
https://www.monitorproductioninsound.eu/voice-from-the-east
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
MONITORPRODUCTIONINSOUND.EU
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
Voice From The East — monitor production in sound
Kathy Crooks
He lived in Taylorville I belive Rangi has passed away not sure about June and think there were 2 other children lovely family Ron left a few years after his wife passed.
Arthur Bass
I reckon I may have had a run in with him when I was a plod in Grey'
Robin McKenzie
OMG a memory as a teenager sitting in his dentist chair... An experience that put me off dentists for almost ever as far as dentistry goes. As above didn't know his interests.
Christine Banks
He, along with other communist party members, were friends of my mum's mum, Mrs Chrissie Rawcliffe. Before he left for Albania, we visited him and his family our at Taylorville, lived down near the river, and remember playing with his kids when I was very young. He was a good dentist and was able to save my brother's teeth ( he and I had teeth that the coating wasn't any good), he painted my brother's teeth with fluoride and Peter kept his teeth. By the time I came along, Ron had gone and my first teeth were just pulled out, my second teeth weren't much better. I remember communist Xmas parties held at the Taylorville hall and Chinese films, in Chinese, being shown, boring for kids ?. Mostly very good people, just different times and none of them knew how bad things were in Russia or China, that came much later.
Alan Pegley
Ron was a friend of my father. In 1959 I had a cycling accident resulting in the loss of several front teeth and was admitted to Grey Hospital. This is an extract from my book The Spoken Word. "my father arranged for a local dentist Ron Taylor to visit me. Ron was active in the Communist Party and stood several times in the West Coast electorate for the General Elections. After an inspection of the dental damage he concluded that as the rest of my teeth weren't in great shape ,I should consider dentures. I agreed with his conclusions. So there it is. I've had dentures since I was 16. Think of all the money I've saved in dental visits"
Alison Newland
I think our neighbour was Ron Taylor(mid 60s) but he was a policeman.
Malcolm Howell
https://newsroom.co.nz/.../the-nz-woman-who-became.../...
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
NEWSROOM.CO.NZ
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
The Kiwi who voiced a communist regime
Ivan Murray Wilson
Try checking with John Burford dentist formerly of GM, now Auckland.
Pete Lusk
NZs Communist Party always looked for a father figure…first was Soviet Union, then China, then Albania. Switch to Albania was 1978.
It’d be great if someone wrote a book on Taylor family. So interesting!!
I have a letter from Ron, 1980s, him in Albania, me on the Coast. He gave me good advice…basically the two places are very different and revolutionary work will, of course, be different.
The Coast was a very good place to be a party member, specially amongst mining families. I’d take the Peoples Voice newspaper around and be welcomed like a long lost friend!
Old Mrs Nessie Willman said to me: “Oh, the Peoples Voice…I haven’t seen it for years”. She sat me down, made me a cup of tea.
Ngaire Watson (Millerton) was another. We always had a good natter, specially before her husband Tommy died. Tommy was a truck driver at Stockton when he retired.
Closses were very good politically…I met Dave in Blaketown 1980s, he’d been in Marxian Students pre 1920s, then Bill, Wellington, was in CPNZ in 30s, 40s, then Bobby, a close friend of mine for many years. Bobby still lived in Millerton, in the family home and very much a Red.
Those revolutionary-minded miners who didn’t join the CPNZ were on the right track…it really wasn’t worth joining. Geoff Kitchin was one of these, along with Bobby.
When Bobby died I wrote a 300 page book centred on his life. If you google: Bobby Closs, a Red in West Coast Mines you’ll get the on-line version with 300+ photos
Edited
Pete Lusk
I never met Ron, but knew Hardy and Zona Browning who lived in Taylorville. Stayed with them a couple of times, Hardy was in Communist Party and so was I. Zona was a hard shot!
(This was in 1980s, only two CP members on the Coast by then….Hardy and me).
Gary Murdoch
Before elections back in the day, it was common for speakers to harangue an audience outside the Miners Hall in Blackball during intermission at the weekend movies. I remember Ron Taylor as a strong stump orator spouting forth from a small platform in front of the Post Office.
Malcolm Howell
Ron Taylor was our dentist in the early 60's before he departed for Albania with his family to "live the dream" as a Communist. Life as they knew it would never be the same again. June the daughter was an announcer on Radio Tirana. It was a cruel lesson to them all and the interview you understand how they suffered. Ron was also treated poorly when he got back to NZ and applied for the NZ Pension. I listened to a podcast from the UK where a young 13yr old boy in England who listened to Radio Tirana - finally tracked down the daughter June Taylor (adopted from Rotorua) when she was living in the UK. Gee that was interesting what these NZ children went thru moving to a strict communist country that Albania was in those days. Very interesting. If you hunt around on the net you may still find it.
Brent Tomlinson
He was my dentist but being a child i didnt know his interests
Arthur Bass
I reckon I may have had a run in with him when I was a plod in Grey'
Malcolm Howell
Ron Taylor was our dentist in the early 60's before he departed for Albania with his family to "live the dream" as a Communist. Life as they knew it would never be the same again. June the daughter was an announcer on Radio Tirana. It was a cruel lesson to them all and the interview you understand how they suffered. Ron was also treated poorly when he got back to NZ and applied for the NZ Pension. I listened to a podcast from the UK where a young 13yr old boy in England who listened to Radio Tirana - finally tracked down the daughter June Taylor (adopted from Rotorua) when she was living in the UK. Gee that was interesting what these NZ children went thru moving to a strict communist country that Albania was in those days. Very interesting. If you hunt around on the net you may still find it.
Christine Banks
He, along with other communist party members, were friends of my mum's mum, Mrs Chrissie Rawcliffe. Before he left for Albania, we visited him and his family our at Taylorville, lived down near the river, and remember playing with his kids when I was very young. He was a good dentist and was able to save my brother's teeth ( he and I had teeth that the coating wasn't any good), he painted my brother's teeth with fluoride and Peter kept his teeth. By the time I came along, Ron had gone and my first teeth were just pulled out, my second teeth weren't much better. I remember communist Xmas parties held at the Taylorville hall and Chinese films, in Chinese, being shown, boring for kids ?. Mostly very good people, just different times and none of them knew how bad things were in Russia or China, that came much later.
Pete Lusk
NZs Communist Party always looked for a father figure…first was Soviet Union, then China, then Albania. Switch to Albania was 1978.
It’d be great if someone wrote a book on Taylor family. So interesting!!
I have a letter from Ron, 1980s, him in Albania, me on the Coast. He gave me good advice…basically the two places are very different and revolutionary work will, of course, be different.
The Coast was a very good place to be a party member, specially amongst mining families. I’d take the Peoples Voice newspaper around and be welcomed like a long lost friend!
Old Mrs Nessie Willman said to me: “Oh, the Peoples Voice…I haven’t seen it for years”. She sat me down, made me a cup of tea.
Ngaire Watson (Millerton) was another. We always had a good natter, specially before her husband Tommy died. Tommy was a truck driver at Stockton when he retired.
Closses were very good politically…I met Dave in Blaketown 1980s, he’d been in Marxian Students pre 1920s, then Bill, Wellington, was in CPNZ in 30s, 40s, then Bobby, a close friend of mine for many years. Bobby still lived in Millerton, in the family home and very much a Red.
Those revolutionary-minded miners who didn’t join the CPNZ were on the right track…it really wasn’t worth joining. Geoff Kitchin was one of these, along with Bobby.
When Bobby died I wrote a 300 page book centred on his life. If you google: Bobby Closs, a Red in West Coast Mines you’ll get the on-line version with 300+ photos
Gary Murdoch
Before elections back in the day, it was common for speakers to harangue an audience outside the Miners Hall in Blackball during intermission at the weekend movies. I remember Ron Taylor as a strong stump orator spouting forth from a small platform in front of the Post Office.
Alan Pegley
Ron was a friend of my father. In 1959 I had a cycling accident resulting in the loss of several front teeth and was admitted to Grey Hospital. This is an extract from my book The Spoken Word. "my father arranged for a local dentist Ron Taylor to visit me. Ron was active in the Communist Party and stood several times in the West Coast electorate for the General Elections. After an inspection of the dental damage he concluded that as the rest of my teeth weren't in great shape ,I should consider dentures. I agreed with his conclusions. So there it is. I've had dentures since I was 16. Think of all the money I've saved in dental visits"
Kathy Crooks
He lived in Taylorville I belive Rangi has passed away not sure about June and think there were 2 other children lovely family Ron left a few years after his wife passed.
David Grundy
He's left.
Frances Adank
Anyone interested in in Albania should check out the books by Lea Ypi, Free and a new one out now. Indignity. Ron pulled out a bottom row of my teeth back in the 1960s when my second teeth came through behind my milk teeth. He used gas to knock me out, so only know I recovered well. Bob Mitchell another Greymouth person and Communist Party Member lived opposite us in Doyle St, famous in our family for getting mum to sew a button on his ancient jacket at the last minute as he was about to get on the train to Chch and from there to Albania to see Communism in action. He must have known Ron too.
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West Coast New Zealand History (22nd Nov 2025). Ron Taylor - dentist and communist. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 19th Mar 2026 20:32, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/35518