Embedded Files
NAME:
Charles Priestley
BORN:
28th Aug 1918
MARRIED:
Pearl Christina Taylor
!946
DIED:
9th Sep 1987
The life story of William and Kate's youngest child Charles could be seen as a testament of triumph over adversity.
Although Charlie was faced with more challenges in life than most, he never wavered when it came to his sense of duty and responsibility to family and community. His family were also faced with challenges that they had to overcome together.
We have therefore provided a little more detail in this chapter than normal to what is a remarkable life, family and legacy.
Any corrections, additional information, pictures or stories relevant to this chapter can be submitted via the contacts in the footer section of this page. Accreditation is given, where applicable. Many thanks to all those who have contributed.
Charles Priestley (Charlie)
Charles Priestley (Charlie)
A compilation of memories by
Bill Paku, Bernie and Maurice Priestley
The Early Years
Charles was born at the Cochrane St homestead in Gisborne on 28th Aug 1918. He was named after his grandfather Charles Priestley who was the founding father of our Priestley family here in New Zealand.
Like his grandfather before him, Charles became better known to friends and family as Charlie or Chas. The most significant event during Charlie’s childhood was an accident that happened while he was helping to disc a paddock. Charlie’s right foot got caught in the disc machinery which carved into his foot and removed much of the muscle below the knee. He was very lucky not to lose his foot as some medics wanted to amputate. Dr Karlenburg, a surgeon at Cook Hospital, insisted on trying to save it and after much care and determination, was successful. Charles grew up contending with his damaged leg. He would bind his leg, ankle and foot with yards of elastic bandages to get his foot into footwear. Despite this perceived handicap, he followed his older brothers Pat and Harry through Gisborne High School and into the 1st XV for rugby and 1st XI for cricket, a truly remarkable feat.Young Man Charlie
Being the youngest of his birth family meant many of Charlie’s nieces and nephews were not much younger than him. Although holding much respect for his standing in the family they addressed him simply as Charlie instead of Uncle.
Charlie aged 1
Charlie and Pearl had three children who survived past birth. Bernie, born in Gisborne in 1947
Maurice, also born in Gisborne in 1951, spent his first year of his life in Tokomaru Bay.
Catherine's birth was transferred to Greenlane Hospital in Auckland due to foreseen blood compatibility complications, in 1954.
A few years after their marriage, they built a new two bedroom family home at 3 Patiti Street Gisborne. This was the family home for much of the family's life, only being rented out for a period of time in 60's when Charlie's work commitments required them to live away.
A third room was also later added to the house by Pearl's brother Alan Taylor for her father Henry Taylor to live in. Further alterations were made later to improve accessibility for Maurice and, with the advent of sewerage, to upgrade the bathroom to accommodate a flush toilet. After the children had left home, Pearl's bachelor brother Don Taylor would later occupy that room.
Working Career
Charlie was only 18 years old when his father William died in 1936. By this time his older brothers had already left home leaving young Charlie as the head of the house. He would cycle off to work in the morning and arrive home between 5.30 and 6.30pm usually for a half hour in the garden before sitting for dinner at the head of the table. Apart from his work and family responsibilities, Charlie enjoyed among other things, playing cricket on weekends. As a young man, he had many friends and a social life to go with them, but Sunday usually saw at least a four-hour stint in the gardens. At the outbreak of World War ll in 1939, Charlie immediately volunteered to join the armed forces but was rejected because of his leg injury. Charlie was devastated and apparently appealed the authorities’ decision for some time before finally accepting it. During WW2, young men who were not eligible for military service were redirected to other jobs in the public service through the conscription process. Charlie was directed to work in Wellington. He flatted for a time with cartoonist Neville Lodge, which is apparently why son Maurice's middle name is Neville. When he returned to Gisborne after the war in 1945, now aged 27, Charlie worked with the Public Works Dept and became the paymaster for the railway workers station at Bartletts, south of GisborneA Wife, Family and Home
Charlie married Pearl Christina Taylor in 1946.
Pearl’s parents were Henry Bernard Taylor and Margaret Jessie Macleod . The family has no record of Pearl's father's history. Her mother's antecedents left the Isle of Skye early in the nineteenth century with fellow highlanders to follow Rev. Norman Macleod in his efforts to find the ‘promised land’. They landed in Waipu in the 1850's.
Charlie and Pearl
Wedding day
Charlie and Pearl were based in Tokomaru Bay for the first few years (1946-52) of married life . where Charlie worked at the Gisborne Sheep farmers General Store before moving to Patiti St.
Sister Kitty, Charlie and sister Marie
Charlie’s working life in the ‘50s, was mostly in clerical and administration jobs with the likes of the Ministry of Maori Affairs and the Ministry of Works. He traveled the entire East Coast often doing the pay runs up around the East Cape to Opotiki returning to Gisborne via the Waioeka Gorge one week, and the following week the pay run to Wairoa via Morere returning via Tiniroto. Bernie and Maurice occasionally went on these journeys with their father. In the late '50's, Charlie returned to working for Gisborne Sheep farmers, first in the Gisborne store in Customhouse St, and was then posted to the Whatatutu branch as manager at the beginning of 1961. Later in his career, Charlie returned to public service as a child welfare officer with the Social Welfare Department, remaining there until his retirement in the late seventies. Charlie had strong ideas about social justice and the responsibility of society to provide proper support to people who needed it. He was highly respected by his colleagues and the families he supported. Maurice recalls how, in his own experience of living and working in Gisborne and at Te Puia Hospital, Coasties showed tremendous respect for Charlie and his brothers around the Tairawhiti rohe.
Family Life
A photo of Maurice's 1st birthday party shows him with a bunch of local kids Bernie had invited, much to the surprise of mother Pearl. She improvised by buying ice cream and cakes from the shop.
Family life was to change for Charlie and Pearl shortly after this when son Maurice, aged 21 months, contracted polio in December 1953. They left no stone un-turned to give their son the best treatments of the day. (Maurice's Story story is below)
And although by necessity much attention was focused on Maurice's needs, Charlie and Pearl ensured that the other children received just as much love and attention. They worked hard toward providing a good education, a good social grounding but most importantly, a warm and loving family life for their children.
Throughout the fifties, the family did not own a car although Charlie would occasionally borrow one for special occasions. During the Whatatutu period Charlie was supplied a Morris Oxford by Gisborne Sheepfarmers. Prior to that Charlie would often double Maurice on the bike for trips to go fishing or watch rugby games by sitting him on the cross-bar. Maurice was provided with taxis via CCS for daily hospital physiotherapy sessions and high school and parents of fellow Air Scouts picked him up for weekly meetings. The first car the family bought was a Ford Mk2 Zephyr in about 1974-75.
In 1957, Pearl got a weekend job when the Chalet Rendezvous Restaurant opened, apparently one of the first licensed restaurants in New Zealand, She worked there for some time as kitchen-hand and chef. Needless to say, there were no complains when it came to meals in this Priestley household.
Retirement and a Life Fulfilled
Charlie and Pearl were great gardeners. Half of the back yard at 3 Patiti St was in vegetables and fruit trees tended by Charlie the other half was lawn bordered with flower gardens tended by Pearl. Charlie got into growing orchids in his retirement. Pearl was an active member of the Gisborne Garden Club and regularly participated in and exhibited at flower shows. She was also a fine artist and enjoyed using water colours.
Although naturally right handed Charlie played golf left handed. In retirement, he played lawn bowls. Throughout life his injured leg caused him trouble with balance but despite this he was adept at all his sporting activities. Although he never had formal piano lessons he could bang out a tune on the piano. Charlie was a keen follower of horse racing. He was never far from a radio on Saturdays. He loved gathering seafood and despite not diving due to poor eyesight, was surprisingly successful at catching crayfish and gathering paua by simply feeling under rocky ledges. In retirement Charlie and Pearl often traveled around the country, and once or twice to Australia, visiting and spending time with friends and relations and sightseeing. After Charlie died on 9 September 1987 Pearl continued living at 3 Patiti St, hosting the wedding of Maurice and Jenny O’Connor the following year. Pearl survived and recovered well from a stroke in the early ‘90s. She joined, and became a committee member of, the Gisborne Stroke Club. Eventually Pearl decided to sell the Patiti St property and move into the Orange Grove Retirement Village. Once again, she created an outstanding garden in the space available and continued contributing to her various community groups right up to her death on 23 November 1998. Charlie’s ashes are interred at the Te Arai Urupa in Manutuke with his parents. Pearl’s ashes are interred at the Taruheru Cemetery in Gisborne with her parents.May they rest in peace
Charles Legacy
Charles Legacy
Bernie and his wife Christine, Kathy and her husband Bob
Maurice, Charlie and Pearl
There can be no doubt that Charlie and Pearl's greatest legacy are their children. They themselves are a tribute to what a parents undying love and support can produce.
Bernie
Bernie spent his first four years in Tokomaru Bay. He attended Mangapapa School, Gisborne Intermediate, Waikohu College in Te Karaka, and Lytton High School. Bernie’s high school years were marked by his success in sports playing in the 1st XV and excelling in mid-distant and steeplechase athletics. A highlight was running in a race with Peter Snell at the Childers Road Reserve. When Maurice and Pearl went overseas in 1961, Bernie remained with his father Charlie in the Sheep farmers house in Whatatutu, surviving by eating most of their main meals next door at the Oil Springs Hotel. Bernie learnt to drive as a 13-year-old in the firm’s Morris lorry, accompanying the delivery driver on trips to the outback stations. On occasions, he drove the truck into Te Karaka on his own for repairs, go to school, and drive it back home again after school. Father Charlie guided Bernie into a public service cadet-ship with the Department of Lands and Survey in Gisborne on leaving school in 1964. Bernie was promoted to Wellington and then transferred to the Rotorua Branch when he married his high school girl friend Christine Cairns in April ‘69. Bernie moved from the Lands and Survey Dept into insurance for a while and eventually into setting up and running his own businesses.
Maurice
Maurice spent his first year of his life in Tokomaru Bay. As mentioned above, he contracted polio in December 1953 and was hospitalised for a couple of years. Maurice's education was initially by correspondence then he attended Mangapapa School and Whatatutu Primary School. During further periods of time in and out of hospitals dictated that he had a mixture of correspondence and hospital schooling. For a short time in 1962, Auntie Effie (Uncle Harry Priestley's wife) tutored Maurice at home.
He eventually successfully transitioned back into mainstream schooling at Gisborne Boys High School and on to Waikato University.
Charlie made sure Maurice had holiday jobs through university breaks first at Gisborne Markets and later at the Gisborne County Council. Charlie and Maurice also shared a weekend job packing mandarins for a while. Then every three years at election time they worked together manning the voting booth at Waituhi. Maurice recalls how many of the local voters knew and greeted his father citing their hapu connections.
After leaving university, and having difficulty finding a full time job, Maurice got involved in the music business, opening the first specialist record shop in Gisborne. He went on as a musician touring New Zealand in bands, teaching music, working in and eventually taking over a recording studio and music retail business. In the mid-seventies, Maurice worked at Te Puia Hospital for two years and later, when he moved to Wellington in new millennium with his wife Jenny, he started a new public health career in the Capital & Coast DHB .
Cathy
Cathy attended Mangapapa School, Whatatutu Primary School, Ilminster Intermediate and Lytton High School. After leaving school, she worked at Arthur Toyes Gisborne drapery store. Her main sporting activity was basketball through these years. While Maurice and Pearl were overseas, Cathy stayed with Pearl’s sister Jean Stormer and family in Wairoa.
She married Bob Rasby in the early ‘70s and their daughter Saren was born in 1972 and son Brent in 1976.
As the ‘70s progressed Cath became more involved in the development of organisations promoting human rights and Maori women’s issues. During this time, she changed the spelling of her first name to Katherine to align with the kaupapa of that work. While working at Ngati Porou Hauora Kathy’s work involved returning tangata whaiora from Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital back to their whanau and hapu. She was based in Hamilton while doing some of this work before returning to Gisborne.
Kathy passed away in 2003 (aged 43) at her home at Wainui Beach in Gisborne. Her body is interred at Taruheru Cemetery in Gisborne.
Maurice's Story
Once diagnosed with polio, Maurice spent two years in Cook Hospital through the acute phase of the disease, and subsequent rehabilitation, learning to walk with calipers and crutches. During the stay in hospital children were not permitted to visit and the only contact Bernie and Maurice had together was through a hospital window. Ongoing treatment was to ensue throughout his young life.
Pearl, Maurice and Charlie
Before Maurice got a wheelchair, Bernie and other kids in the neighbourhood used to push Maurice to school in a pushchair where he walked around using calipers and crutches. In June 1961, when the family was living in Whatatutu, Maurice and Pearl sailed from Wellington to Great Britain on the Rangitane for Maurice to have major spinal surgery at Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh. The Whatatutu community gave them a full farewell at the Mangatu Marae before they departed. Pearl and Maurice were booked to sail back from Southampton on the Rangitane in June 1962 but as Maurice needed to remain in hospital longer than expected, their return berths were cancelled. A replacement berth to sail home was not possible as all NZ bound voyages were committed to Brits emigrating to New Zealand. The Crippled Children’s Society(CCS), which raised the funds for the trip in the first place, raised more money for the extra expense of a Boeing 707 air trip via London, New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Fiji, then on to Auckland in a Lockheed Electra and on to Gisborne in a DC3. Pearl served on the CCS committee for many years before and after the trip. In 1963 Maurice was hospitalised for a further 12 months at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, for what amounted to be a repeat of the surgery he had in Scotland. Maurice’s main connection with his whanau during this time was through his Aunties Dine and Pani, who visited him regularly both at the hospital and at the Wilson Home where he spent time recuperating from the various operations. Charlie or Pearl made the trip to Auckland to visit when they could. Maurice recalls how he always knew when Charlie was about to visit because he could hear his father’s distinctive limping footsteps along the corridor. Maurice’s education from 1961 to 1965 school years was provided intermittently by either hospital schooling or at home doing Correspondence School. When he returned home from Auckland in 1964 he was doing his third form year by Correspondence. His tutor through this period was Mrs Simpson, wife of Mel Simpson, the Headmaster of Gisborne Boys’ High School. In term 2 1965, Mr Simpson agreed to trial Maurice in the only third form class that did not have classes upstairs. The trial worked out well and Maurice stayed at the school until 1969, moving on to Waikato University in 1970.
Charles Timeline
Charles Timeline
> 1918 - Born 28 Aug 1918
1918: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918. Refer also to New Zealand History online
1918: End of World War I.
1927: World population reaches 2 billion.
1931: Napier earthquake.
> 1933 - Sister died Rangi Priestley d. 9 Mar 1933 (15 years)
> 1936 - Father died William Augustine Priestley d. 19 Dec 1937 (18 years)
1939: Start of WWII. Germany invades Poland.
> 1945 - Mother died Kate (Rangikahiwa) Campbell d. 24 Mar 1945 (27 years)
1945: End of World War II. V.E. Day.
> 1946 - Married Pearl Christina Taylor (28 years)
> 1947 - Child Charles Bernard "Bernie" Priestley (30 years)
> 1949 - Child Raymond John Priestley b. 28 Dec 1949 (31 years)
> 1949 - Child died Raymond John Priestley b. 29 Dec 1949 (31 years)
1950: Korean War. (1950-1953)
> 1951 - Child Maurice Priestley b. 1951 (33 years)
1952: New Zealand's population reaches over two million.
1952: Reign of Queen Elizabeth II
1953: Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay conquer Mt Everest
1953: Tangiwai rail disaster
> 1955 - Child Katherine "Kathy" Priestley b. 4 Feb 1955 (37 years)
> 1959 - Brother died Chris (Karaitiana) Carrington d. 14 Nov 1959 (41 years)
1959: Auckland Harbour Bridge opens
1960: World population reaches 3 billion.
> 1963 - Brother died Harry Jones Priestley d. 16 Dec 1963 (45 years)
1965: Vietnam War. (1965-1975)
1968: Wahine inter-island ferry disaster.
> 1969 - Brother died Wi Kepa Priestley d. 14 Jun 1969 (51 years)
1969: Man walks on the moon. Apollo 11 mission.
> 1973 - Brother died James Patterson (Pat) Priestley d. 18 Nov 1973 (55 years)
1973: New Zealand's population reaches three million
> 1974 - Sister died Katherine (Kitty) Priestley d. 13 Aug 1974 (56 years)
1974: World population reaches 4 billion
> 1977 - Brother died William Augustine Priestley d. 18 Aug 1977 (59 years)
1977: Home Computers become commercially available
1979: Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashes on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 people die.
> 1980 - Sister died Pani Priestley d. 12 Feb 1980 (62 years)
> 1982 - Sister died Sarah Harriet (Sally) Priestley d. 16 Jan 1982 (65 years)
1982: First köhanga reo established
> 1986 - Sister died Amelia (Dine) Priestley d. 23 Jun 1986 (67 years)
1987: World population reaches 5 billion
> 1987 - Died 8 Sep 1987 (69 years)
Charles Media
Charles Media
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Charles Whakapapa
Charles Whakapapa
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