ALBUM - Mc`Donnell House Greymouth

About this image

DescriptionAngela K Croft ...Aunty Von is sitting on the steps. Behind her , the next lawn up from the steps from the tennis court, was the croquet lawn. The croquet sticks were kept in a box at the right end of the verander My bedroom was that round one upstairs. Behind it ran the ball room, and in the front beside my room was the chapel We loved to slide down the bannisters The story goes that Father Roache, when young ,picked one of his sisters up by the ears at the top of the stairs and said," Do you want to fly?"ContributorGenevieve Bryant

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)GreymouthLandmark (Place)McDonnell's housePuketahi Street Last edited by: Tracey Butler

Alexander Street Last edited by: Tracey Butler

Greymouth old vilaEventMcDonnell House Fire Last edited by: Tracey Butler

StoryMemories of McDonnell's House Last edited by: Tracey Butler

Category Information

Category TagOld buildingsOld HousesMenuBy Location | Greymouth Last edited by: Tracey Butler

From Facebook

LinkMcDonnell HouseCommentsThe McDonnell house and tennis lawn. Veronica McDonnell. Sorry no dates.

Laura Mills Detlaff Marvellous. Was this Alexander Street Genevieve Bryant?

Clare McDonnell Have you anymore photos Gen??

Angela K Croft Aunty Von is sitting on the steps. Behind her , the next lawn up from the steps from the tennis court, was the croquet lawn. The croquet sticks were kept in a box at the right end of the verander My bedroom was that round one upstairs. Behind it ran the ball room, and in the front beside my room was the chapel We loved to slide down the bannisters The story goes that Father Roache, when young ,picked one of his sisters up by the ears at the top of the stairs and said," Do you want to fly?"
February 4 at 3:30pm · Like · 2

Clare McDonnell We
February 4 at 3:32pm · Like

Genevieve Bryant Going through some photos now Clare.
February 4 at 3:41pm · Like · 1

Genevieve Bryant What street was it Angela?
February 4 at 3:42pm · Like

Genevieve Bryant I would say that round bedroom would have been the pick of them Angela! Granddad Edward McDonnell died 25th August,1955 aged 72 years, so I presume the house would have sold then?
February 4 at 3:47pm · Edited · Like · 1

Brian McIntyre This is how I remember it Zody Ensor
February 4 at 3:52pm · Like · 1

Brian McIntyre Was pretty wild like that in the early 50s Genevieve Bryant
February 4 at 3:54pm · Like

Brian McIntyre from my life story ...Genevieve Bryant ....McDONNELL’S At the foot of the hill lived the McDonnell’s, in a flash big green house, complete with tennis court. Huge pine trees were right around the boundary of their section. We kids would scratch up heaps of pine needles. When Mr. McDonnell had parked his “Packard” car [A big American model] in his garage off Alexander Street, he would walk around the corner into Puketahi street and would light our little pine needle fires. When ever I smell the smoke of pine needles burning I think of those little fires. Mr McDonnell had a grocer shop in town, it was in Tainui Street next to Revington’s Hotel and opposite the Post Office. They were in those days; very well off [although the supermarkets killed off his business] Mr McDonnell always wore a black suit and bowler hat, gold watch chain, walking stick and to smoked a cigar. He had a handicapped son who was a very simple, maybe Down’s Syndrome and every time a train would sound its whistle Jimmy would imitate it. But if one of us kids made a train whistle noise Jimmy would tell us not to be smart.
February 4 at 3:58pm · Like · 3

Clare McDonnell Love your story Brian...
February 4 at 4:13pm · Like · 1

Brian McIntyre Genevieve Bryant it was on Puketahi St and Alexander St corner but was commonly known as Upper Puketahi St and Hugh McDonnell parked his Rover car further up the hill at about the level of where the house is/was. Great memories of there as a kid but we did struggle to see over the fence
February 4 at 4:15pm · Edited · Like · 1

Brian McIntyre Thank you to your Granddad Clare McDonnell for the lovely memories that I have of him and those times. I left Greymouth Queens Birthday 1963 but strangley I have no recolection of any funeral being held for your Granddad at Puketahi St.
February 4 at 4:19pm · Like

Clare McDonnell He died in 1955-I was 6 months old
February 4 at 4:22pm · Like

Rachel Fawcett-Kay Dave McMillan Helen McMillan
February 4 at 5:03pm · Like

Angela K Croft FacebookMy mother, Mary McDonnell, told the story of how the first day Grandad and his mother drove the car formally, great grand mother had fresh flowers on her hat, and my mother, a child in the back seat, watched a big bumble bee try and land on t...See More
February 4 at 5:14pm · Like · 1

Clare McDonnell I am sure Angela that Dad said Grandad was the first to have a car on the Coast with the Kennedy Bros....
February 4 at 5:41pm · Like · 2

Brian McIntyre Angela K Croft Thank you for that information which gives me an even better insight into the McDonnell house. If you get the opportunity to talk to Joe Bruerton again tell him hello from me. I did phone his brother Robert late last year to say hello. I lived in Puketahi St like the big McDonnell house
February 4 at 5:56pm · Like

Dave McMillan 1971 it was flats and I was in one in the bottom left.
February 4 at 6:15pm · Unlike · 1

Zody Ensor Cyril Hector
February 4 at 7:08pm · Like

Margaret Moore We lived in the top flat when we first married. I think we were there for 1 year.It was close to town and I walked to the Bnz where I worked
February 4 at 8:34pm · Like · 1

Geoffrey Bell Correct me if I am wrong, didn't the McDonnell family donate the wonderful Alter when St. Pat's Churchurch was built in Chapel St. It has now been moved to the new Church in High St.
February 6 at 11:20am · Like · 1

Brian McIntyre That sounds familiar Geoffrey Bell
February 6 at 11:54am · Like

Margaret Elaine Sadler Yes... Geoffrey Bell also paid for all the tiles that were at the Greymouth Memorial Baths in Turumaha St when it was getting built.
February 6 at 1:13pm · Like · 1

Clare McDonnell Yes correct to both the above re tiles and alter. When the church moved to high st priest discussed with mum the alter...they didn't want to take it to the new church but mum insisted. ..I am really pleased she did. .
February 7 at 6:22am · Like · 2

Brian McIntyre That would have been a bloody insult Clare McDonnell. A new generation of priests with no appreciation of Coasts history / past
February 7 at 6:35am · Like

Clare McDonnell The church was st pats greymouth...marble from Italy. Is that correct Angela K Croft
February 7 at 10:30am · Like

OCR Text Transcription Edit Edit +-Close

Editing is temporarily disabled

Cancel Edit

Start typing here to find a location	Latitude	Longitude	Zoom	Actions

loading google map....

Save Cancel