47 Cochrane St

47 Cochrane Street, Gisborne, New Zealand

The Cochrane Street homestead isn't our typical family historic place in the sense that it doesn't affiliate us to any particular tribe or area. It is however a special historic place in the sense that it holds a very special place in our hearts as it was our family home for almost 50 years.

With at least 3 generations of family growing up here at some stage of their lives, the memories that this house holds are too numerous to begin to imagine. Unfortunately, many of these memories have faded into history now that many from those generations have passed on. This chapter then, are recollections of one of the few left to tell the story of our time at Cochrane St, Bill Paku.

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47 Cochrane Street

By Bill Paku

The following are my recollections and memories of 47 Cochrane street, things I have heard, and my own thoughts on how things were here over the years of Priestley ownership.

The Old Racecourse as Bill remembers it

47 Cochrane Street was originally the Park Racecourse caretakers house built around 1900 and William (grandfather) had taken on that role in 1903. I do not have any record of just when William became owner of the house, but assume that it must have been when race meetings ceased at the Park and started at Makaraka around 1910. A body known as the 'Makaraka Domain Board' had control of the facilities at the Park racecourse and it also appears that this body determined what remuneration William received. Attached below are receipts from the Municipal Council signed by the then town clerk and that will indicate just what his duties were just prior to his death. No information in these receipts mentions the Cochrane Street house, so it was in Grandfather's name at that time.

Various Council letters to the Priestley's at Cochrane St

Various Council receipts issued to William for fees he collected at the Park

Sarah (Sally) b. 25 Apr 1904, was the first of grandmother Kate's seven children born at Cochrane Street. All seven children attended school from there and started their careers. Whaangai-ed children Ida,Mary and Rata received their entire education from No. 47, and my own from primer 3 to High School. Shirley, Lois and Doris also had schooling from No. 47.

Jack Karepa a relation from Tolaga Bay boarded at Cochrane Street and attended High School. Jack was later killed in action in the 2nd. World war. My own birth was from Cochrane Street as were cousins Pat Ward, Hari and Kitty Leach and probably some of the older cousins as well.

Cochrane St circa 1930

Grandmother Kate (Rangi Kahiwa) was a true home maker, and welcomed not only her own family, but anyone they brought with them. Peoples actions seemed to change from time to time but hers never did.

Grandfather William lived and worked from Cochrane Street from 1903 until his death in 1937, some 34 years. His original job was as caretaker of the race course, but after racing ceased at the Park, it became a training course only. In those early days there were quite a few race horse owners and trainers in Gisborne and I assume that they would have paid the Council for the use of the Course.

William appears to have been associated with the Course as (1) Caretaker of the Race- Course. (2) Caretaker of the camping ground there. (3) Various other duties. I have always understood that he had use of the course centre for some of his own use, and when a golf course was formed there, he may have had some involvement with that. I know that at one time he had a firewood business from Cochrane Street with a large motor driven saw, and 8ft. Lengths of Puriri were sent down to him by his brothers at Whangara.

(Watch This Space)

Layout of the old Cochrane Street property will go here when we find it

Steven and Charles, and his son Bill I believe worked on this with him delivering firewood to clients on a truck that they owned. I don't think that his remuneration from the Council was great, and his need to subsidise this in various ways was necessary.

After grandfathers death, Grandmother continued to keep No. 47 as a family home. She still cared for the 3 to 5 whaangai children and from 1938 on, my mother and myself, although Kitty (mum) was away most of the time working as a domestic. Charles the youngest son was still at home and working from No.47 I can recall her sons and daughters calling to see her from time to time, Uncle Kara (Chris Carrington) was a regular, usually with a mutton, and assistance when the section was planted in potatoes was always available. I milked 2 cows in the railroad paddock, fed the chooks, collected coal and puha along the railway line . All of us children had our jobs to do.

Photo Slideshow

After the start of the 2nd world war in the 1940s family movement changed with some of the men folk called upon for Military Service. Son Charles was posted to Wellington after he was turned down for active service and worked there as directed. Son Bill who was driving trucks for a Tokomaru Bay firm, went off with the 28'. Maori Battalion. Son Pat also left with the Maori Battalion, but his wife Lydia, 2 daughters, and infant son moved into Cochrane St. for about 8 — 10 months until finding a house to rent in Ormond Road. Until 1945 when Grandmother Kate passed away, family came and went as the war dictated. Cousin Shirley met and married a farming man Bernie Mullooly also a returned serviceman. Lois also married a farming man Tom Scott. Doris had taken up nursing in TePuia. Ida had met and married Graham Hughes and moved away from No.47.

Grandmother lived to see her 2 sons return from desert warfare — but only just. She passed away on 24th. March 1945.

After Kate's death my mother, myself, Mary and Rata and Uncle Charles were still living in Cochrane Street. Pat Priestley and his family moved into 47 late in 1945 and stayed until his 2 daughters had finished high school, after which he and Lyd returned to their home at Pouawa. This would have been around 1946.

Bill and Charles had also married and moved on by this time and Rata had married and moved to Rotorua by 1947. In 1948 mother Kitty, myself and Mary were the only ones resident. Mary and a friend moved away to Auckland shortly after this.

Charles had been left 47 Cochrane Street in his Mother's will and as he and wife Pearl were to move on, he decided to sell No. 47. The buyer was Wilf Wright, a teacher at the local highschool. I was a pupil when Wilf joined the staff and he took my form for maths — we nicknamed him 'Wilbur' after one of the famous Wright brothers of aviation fame.

Mother and I rented a couple of rooms from him as this was made a 'condition of sale' by Charles. I think the time was late 1948. Mother and I were 2 — 3 months there before moving into a flat of our own.

We were the last to leave.

Cochrane St - Since and Now

47 Cochrane 2017

The original house still stands to this day and has had many families that have lived there and called it home since we left. The current family to call it home are Steve and Penny Bushell. They are wonderful and have a genuine interest in the history of the house to the point of allowing us the occasional Priestley whanau visit.

Over the years, other houses have sprung up on neighboring properties so the the sprawling family gardens and orchards have now disappeared. The old park course and camp ground is now the home ground the the Poverty Bay Rugby Union and local Golf Club rooms and course. The area that was once the horse stables and birdcage is now a children's home.

Time moves on but some things never change. Cochrane Street served our family and the community very well for the almost 50 years we were there. It has continued to do this in the 50 plus years since.