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NAME:
Wi Kepa Priestley
BORN:
23rd Jan 1896
Tologa Bay, East Coast, NZ
MOEA:
Gladys Jones
Kath Morris
Te Aorere Bristowe
DIED:
14th June, 1969
This chapter is dedicated to Wi Kepa, the eldest son of William and Kate Priestley. It is a collaboration of various family members but in main, it has been written by his son, Bill.
We hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as we have had putting it together. We encourage other family members (direct or indirect) to further contribute any memories that you may have of our tipuna Kepa.
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.
When Kepa returned home, he was rehired by J S Allen and applied his trade there for a few more years.
It was around this time that Kepa started having children. With Gladys Jones he had daughters Shirley and Lois. With Kath Morris he had another daughter Rata. Unfortunately these relationships didn't last and all 3 girls were eventually whangai-ed by their Priestley grandparents.
In the late 1920s he moved to Te Araroa where he worked as a truck driver for a couple of companies, McKeddie & Co and By Burgess Ltd.
During the 1930's he met and married a local woman by the name of Te Aorere Bristowe. They settled in the near by community of Awatere where they had sons Charles Pomare (Pom), Tahurangi (Tahu) and William (Bill). Te Aorere also had a son Arthur (Tommy) Bristowe from a previous relationship. All these boys were brought up as part of the family unit. Kepa along with Te Aorere worked hard for many years to provide for the family’s needs.
For a period of time daughters Shirley and Louis also lived in Awatere, with their Dad, Stepmother, and step-brothers. Shirley then moved back to Gisborne, and was whangai-d by her Priestley Grandparents. While Lois remained in Awatere for all her school years. with her brothers in Awatere as part of the blended family.
The isolation of living at the East Cape seemed to isolate the children from their Gisborne based Priestley relatives in many ways as travel between the towns was very difficult back then.
Around about the 1950s a gentleman Mr. William (Bill) Walker built and operated a timber mill up the Whakaangiangi Valley. The timber mill was a good employee for the people of the Awatere Valley. Kepa worked for him as a mill hand handyman then as a truck driver, milling native trees from around the Matakaoa area. They mainly milled rimu for the building industry in the East Coast and Gisborne district. One time he picked up a ex U.S army GMC six wheeler truck for Bill Walker from Kawhia west of Hamilton. Bill converted it into a logging truck. The arrival of the truck at Te Araroa was a great attraction for the area.
Wi Kepa
Kepa Place Map (Click to Enlarge)
Wi Kepa Priestley (Kepa)
Wi Kepa Priestley (Kepa)
Memoirs by Bill Priestley (son)
The eldest son of William Augustine Priestley and Kate Campbell, was born on the 23rd of January, 1896 in Tolaga Bay, East Coast. He was named after his fathers brother Wi Kepa who had died two years earlier in 1894 aged only 14 years old.
The family initially lived in the Whangara area before moving to Gisborne around the early 1900's. This was where Kepa received his schooling.
Kepa partook in many sporting activities during his early life. He represented Gisborne at cycling, rowing and rugby league.
Upon leaving school, Kepa took on an apprenticeship of plumbing with the Gisborne plumbing firm, J S Allen & Son.
In 1914 The Great War began so Kepa enlisted. He served time overseas in Egypt and Western Europe for almost four years. He was demobilised 16/833 Pte Wi Kepa Priestley on the 9th of May 1919.
Kepa eventually left Walkers Mill and joined the Public Works Department at Te Araroa. He worked there as a machine operator on tractors, bulldozers and trucks. There was an incident before the bridge was built across the Awatere River. Kepa was delivering diesel and other goods for the East Cape light house when the truck he was driving got stuck in the river. A grader came to the rescue and that got stuck as well. Before anything else could be done, it poured with rain, the river flooded and the grader was pushed over. They had to wait a few days before the all the machinery could be recovered. There is a now bridge over the river, the lighthouse has mains power and is unmanned.
As work became short in Te Araroa, Kepa transferred to Opotiki and worked on the upgrading of the Waioeka Gorge. He worked there for many years before retiring and returning back to Awatere Valley for a number of years before moving to Te Araroa
The Te Araroa House- Rotate the view (click on arrow) to see the Pacific Ocean
He and Te Aorere then moved back into Te Araroa where they lived out the rest of his life in a house at the foot of Whetumatarau hill looking out toward the Pacific Ocean. At that time, they only had a petrol-fuelled generator for lighting. Mains power was not hooked up to Te Araroa until after Kepa had passed away. All the cooking and water heating was done with wood fires. Kepa enjoyed his cooking and was very good at it. With a lot of help from Te Aorere, the house and grounds were kept in good condition.
Within the local community, he always lent a helping hand to a lot of people with their plumbing problems. He worked on the original dining room and cook house for the Awatere Marae. This marae work was a labour of love that continued throughout his life and one that has been on-going for about seventy year's.
Kepa enjoyed life but towards the end, he suffered with knee problems. He sort help from colour therapy. It is unclear whether this helped with his knees but it seemed to ease his mind.
Wi Kepa Priestley passed away peacefully on 14 Jun 1969 in Te Araroa aged 73 years. He is buried in the Marangairoa Urupa, Awatere.
Memories of Kepa's son, William Augustine (Bill) Priestley, (b. 26 Nov 1937 - d.7 Aug 2016)
Kepa War Service Record
Kepa War Service Record
Kepa Stories and Memiors
Kepa Stories and Memiors
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Kepa Whakapapa
Kepa Whakapapa
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