Ormondville Rail Preservation Group
People associated with the Station
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Ormondville Rail Preservation Group
Home Page - Bed & Breakfast - Souvenirs
These lists are mostly combination of Fred Playle's 101 Years of Ormondville, Post Office directory listings, newspaper reports (especially the Hawkes Bay Herald, Bush Advocate, Dannevirke Advocate and the Dannevirke Evening News), electoral rolls for the Waipawa Electorate and other incidental records. However, material supplied by families is gradually being added. Note that most dates shown here are approximations and will be upgraded later where possible. Please contact us if you can have information that might add to this list or to ORPG’s records.
James Walter Douglas – (9/8/1880 - c 1884) The first stationmaster, who reportedly took up his post at Ormondville at the time the station opened.
Douglas has a further significance to the district. Until he retired from the sea in 1880, he was a ship's officer, and his positions included being First Officer on the immigrant ship Ballarat when it brought the first contingent of Danes (around 80 people) to settle at Dannevirke and Norsewood. The ship had arrived at Napier (from London) on 15 September 1872, the same day the Norwegian ship Høvding arrived with the first of its two much larger contingents of Norwegians.
After leaving the sea, he took employment with NZ Railways and it seems likely that Ormondville was his first posting. In early 1884, he married Miriam Adelaide Parsons (Folio 345), beginning a trend for bachelor stationmasters to marry while at Ormondville station. Probably she was a member of the local Parsons family that operated sawmills in the area.
Douglas' obituary indicates that after leaving Ormondville station he transferred to Makotuku Station - thus starting a trend for former Ormondville stationmasters. Later he transferred to some other unknown Hawkes Bay stations. Around 1890, he left the railways and settled in Dannevirke, and in 1903, he was described as living at Mangatera (on the outskirts of Dannevirke). He either died, or more likely was buried, on 1 July 1910, aged 67 years, his grave being at the Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery. His wife's name does not appear on the cemetery records, or at least not under the surname Douglas.
Surviving copies of the Dannevirke newspaper resume after a gap on 1 July 1910, and his obituary does not appear in these (suggesting he died about 28 June). However, the Manawatu Evening Standard of 8/6/1910 [5(2)] does contain the aforementioned brief obituary. See also our webpage 'Historic Articles', and the Dannevirke Advocate article of 14/4/1903 entitled 'A Pleasant Outing'.
Unknown - probably – Herman Marius Lund (c 1884) Nothing is known with certainty of this person other than that he apparently married during his time at the station. Perhaps he was the memorable Ormondville stationmaster-postmaster who threatened to beat up a male would-be customer and throw him off the platform in November 1884. Possibly this same person was the one who removed without permission any overseas stamps from yet-to-be-delivered letters in the latter part of 1884.
Herman Marius Lund - (Appears as stationmaster in the 1887-8 Wise’s Directory - mid-May 1888.) Although as yet unconfirmed, probably he is the aforementioned ‘unknown’ stationmaster. Marriage registrations indicate that he married in 1887 (Folio 1227), although his wife's name has not yet been researched.
Naturalisation and 1917 Alien Registration records show that he was born in Lingby, Denmark, in about 1853-4. He emigrated to NZ in about 1876, and was a clerk at Tahoraiti when he was naturalised on 19/3/1883. He left Ormondville Station to become stationmaster at Makotuku in mid-May 1888, but the 'friendly, kind and obliging' Lund was called back there in late May to be presented with a locket inlaid with diamonds and rubies, and engraved: "H.M. Lund, Presented by Ormondville Friends, 1888."
The Bush Advocate of 21/1/1892 records that he was an avid collector of coins, and that this collection included Roman coins dating from 389 BC. 101 Years Of Ormondville, page 150 records that he was stationmaster at Waitara in 1899, and by 1917, he was a land agent at Waitara. He is buried at Waitara Cemetery, although his date of death is not recorded. A similar dilemma befell Hannah Maria Cecilia Lund, who died aged 44, and who also has an unmarked grave at the cemetery. Perhaps she is his wife.
David Wilson – (Mid-May 1888 - Jan. 1900) Prior to taking up his duties at Ormondville, Wilson was a Booking Clerk at Napier Station. He was stationmaster at Ormondville for almost twelve years, during which time (c Nov. 1888) he became the third stationmaster to marry while in charge of the station.
His wife, formerly Annie Painter, tragically drowned on 26 December 1899, along with her young niece, Nellie Wilson, in the nearby Manawatu River (just a small stream in the vicinity of Ormondville). Upon hearing the terrible news, Wilson abandoned the station and rushed to search for his wife’s body. Because of this breach of railways discipline (which could have resulted in major train mishap), he resigned rather than face dismissal. At that time he had achieved seventeen years' service with the Railways.
He remained in Ormondville working as a Commissioning Agent, and later became Town Clerk. He later married Elizabeth Ann (surname not researched, perhaps Frazer). He died on 13 March 1929 aged 73 years. Elizabeth died in Hastings on 21 June 1964, aged 88. The couple are buried at Ormondville Cemetery with their daughter Joan Barbara, who died aged 4 on 17 January 1920.
(A Mr Cook then relieved briefly at Ormondville)
Frank Unsworth – (March 1900-July 1902) Unsworth was probably Wilson’s replacement, this unnamed new stationmaster arriving in March 1900. In February 1901, he became yet another stationmaster who married while in charge of Ormondville station, his new wife being the former Alice Gee. Unsworth was previously a station clerk at Riversdale, in the South Island, where his wife had apparently lived.
The popular stationmaster transferred to Waitotara in 1902, but during 1908 he returned to become Makotuku’s stationmaster. (A. Whitson was stationmaster there in January 1908) Unsworth left Makotuku in April 1913 to take over Lumsden station. Alice’s seemingly sudden death (registered at Gore) was announced at Makotuku in February 1914.
Arthur William Hutchings – (July 1902 - 1909) Previously of Ashhurst. He was still there at the time of the 1905-6 Electoral Roll. His wife was Florence Ellen Hutchings.
Hugh McDougall – (1909 - presumably January 1913) While his arrival date is as yet unknown, McDougall went on annual leave in May 1907, being relieved by H. Bennett. He and his wife, Elizabeth Maria McDougall, appear in the 1908 Electoral Roll.
Ernest John Reid – (mid-January 1913 - 1916) Ref: Wise’s Directories and 101 Years of Ormondville. His wife was Christina Reid.
Percy C. Box – (c1916-1920) Ref: Wise’s Directories and the 1919 Electoral Roll. His wife was Annie Chesney Box.
Allan J. McGrail – (c 1925) Ref: Wise’s Directory
Horace Meyrick – (c 1929) Ref: Wise’s Directory
Harold William Naish (and/or William Naish) – (c 1933-1936) Ref: Wise’s and Stone’s Directories.
Clarence Raymond Williams – (c 1936-1940) Ref: Wise’s and Stone’s Directories
Allan Cameron McLachlan - (c 1941-1946) Ref: Wise’s and Stone’s Directories
G.E. Taylor - (c 1948-1949) Ref: Wise’s Directory
C. Pepperwell - (c 1950/1) Ref: Wise’s Directory
(No Ormondville stationmasters were listed in Wise’s Directories of 1952, 1953/4, 1955)
Bruce Kinvig - (c 1957) Ref: Wise’s Directory. From his niece's recollection, Kinvig was possibly stationmaster at Ormondville from the early 1950s. He subsequently moved to Wellington, where he died in the late 1980s.
Edward Pawson - (c 1959/60 - ?) Ref: Wise’s Directory
Footnote: This list is still research in progress beyond 1960, and other names are yet to be added. However, 101 Years of Ormondville [p. 111] lists Geo. Taylor, whose dates are yet to be traced, and D. Chaffer, who was stationmaster until 1976 when C. Guillum-Scott took over.
The last stationmaster was withdrawn from Ormondville on 4 July 1978, when the station's status was reduced to that of an 'attended flag station.' From that time, the station was manned by 'station agents', and these included Alister Haste (whose son was later a key participant in saving the station), Mr Carroll, Kevin Pearson and finally Kevin's brother, Jim Pearson. He became redundant on 20 April 1991, when Ormondville was closed as a crossing station and when the tablet system was replaced. The new Makotuku crossing loop also opened at that time.
Roland Gilbert Abbott - Railway Clerk (1925 Wise's Directory)
Bert Andersen - Porter (1955 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory)
J. Annand - Porter (1946 Wise's Directory)
Charles Baines - Platelayer (1883-4 Wise's Directory)
Max Bellamy - Railway worker (1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Fred Bevin - Railway Clerk (1918 Wise's Directory)
Frederick C. Carnie - Railway worker (1938 Wise's Directory)
W.T. Daley - Porter (1948-9 to 1950-51 Wise's Directory)
F. Daniels - Porter ( ? –Oct. 1907) Responsible for a slight accident during shunting in about August 1907, and as a result was (by that time unexpectedly) suspended and replaced in October 1907. He was highly regarded by the Ormondville community and received a gift from them.
James Davidson - Surfaceman (1957 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Samuel Dockary - Platelayer (1915 Wise's Directory)
William Duncan - Surfaceman (1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Robert Dutch - Railway worker (1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Roland Edwards - Part-time porter (1883-1884) Sacked January 1884 for drinking and acting strangely. Murdered his wife and four children several weeks later and was subsequently hung.
Francis Lionel ('Frank') Forward - Railway worker (appears in 1943 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory, where he is listed as Lionel Francis). A number of members of the Forward family are buried at Ormondville, and probably Frank Forward was not the only one who worked for the Railways in the vicinity of Ormondville. Possibly he was living in Makotuku in 1934, as the cemetery records include the burial of a newborn child of F. Forward of that place. He died on 16 August 1972, aged 73 years. His wife was Minnie Forward.
Ormondville-based forebears of this family, Francis Forward and his wife Anna Johanna, nee Nielsen (from a Danish family, arr. 1873, associated with Dannevirke and Takapau), produced a son there in 1881, whose descendants have contacted us from Sydney. Francis and Anna's eldest son, born 1879, was named Francis Henry Forward.
A Mrs Elizabeth A. Forward is also listed at Ormondville in the 1943 Wise's Directory. She is Elizabeth Ann Forward, who died at Awapuni, Palmerston North, on 18 April 1945, aged 71 years. Described as the widow of F. Forward, and the mother of Lorna (Mrs H. Griffith), Engie and Frank, she is also buried at Ormondville Cemetery.
David Frame - Platelayer (1918 Wise's Directory)
Cornelius Genet - Surfaceman (1957 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory)
F.S. Gray (relieved Longhurst 1914) Of Napier.
J. Hall (c 1911-1913) Former staff member. Still too ill to return from Australia. Probably ex-Makotuku Station employee who died April 1914.
W.J. Haxton (1914-?) From Otaki. Replaced J. King.
D. Hunter - Porter (1948-9 Wise's Directory)
Thomas Hutchings - Porter(c 1906) Perhaps a relative of the stationmaster.
Arthur James - Surfaceman (1925 Wise's Directory)
Mr Kelly - Ganger (c 1907) In charge of the local track gang as at August 1907.
J. King (1913-1914) There nine months, transferred to relieving staff based at Wellington. Returned a few weeks later to relief a sick staff member.
George Lay - Porter (1925 Wise's Directory)
W. Little - Cadet (1906-7) Promoted to Hastings November 1907.
G. B. W.D. Longhurst (There 1914) Perhaps lived in Wellington. Returned from leave with his wife in March 1914.
George Longman - Railway worker (1938 Wise's Directory)
Samuel B. McDonald - Porter (There 1914, also 1916 Wise's Directory) Hand injured April 1914.
John McKenzie - Platelayer (1918 Wise's Directory)
James Mahoney - Ganger (1953 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory) Paul’s relative.
Kenneth Mathieson - Surfaceman (1957 to 1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Joseph Mooney - Ganger (Left Ormondville in July 1902)
Peter Ivan Murrell (There around 1963) Station assistant. The family later moved to Australia. (Source: His daughter Margaret)
William Nicholls - Platelayer (1915 - 1916 Wise's Directory) The Dannevirke Evening News of 14/4/1913 records that he had been on the Ormondville permanent staff for some time, but that he had resigned to become a carpenter and builder at Ormondville.
Arthur O'Leary - Bridgeman (1925 Wise's Directory)
William H. Pardoe - Porter (1957 Wise's Directory)
John P. Scahill - Platelayer (1915 - 1916 Wise's Directory)
Bernard J. Seymour - Porter (1946-54) Bernard and Frances Seymour, and their children, lived in one of the Ormondville railway houses. Their daughter Marion (Orme) recalls that in addition to working as a porter at the station, he had also worked as a ganger while based there. Although very young at the time, she recalls him working on the viaduct and describing the intense heat track gangs experienced while working on very hot summer days.
James H. Smyth - Surfaceman (1959-60 Wise's Directory)
Richard Henry Edward Stilwell - Ganger (1915 - 1920 Wise's Directory)
Frank Taylor - Ganger (1952 Wise's Directory)
Ron Trotman - Railway worker, recalled as being there in the early 1950s.
David J. Walker - Railway worker (1959-60 Wise's Directory)
William Walter - Porter (1943 Wise's Directory)
John Weston - Railway worker (1955 Wise's Directory). John ('Bonzo') Weston, his wife Cecily (or Cicely), and their three children, Jacqueline, Marion and Adrian, arrived in Ormondville directly from England. Some of the children had whooping cough when they first arrived, and because the railway house they were to occupy, was not vacant when they first arrived, the Seymour family (above) took them in. Things were made all the more complicated as the whooping cough meant that the Weston children also had to be quarantined while in the same house as the Seymour children. (Source: Marion Orme, nee Seymour)
Gordon Williams - At Ormondville around 1960s(??) while his brother Les was based at Matamau Station. Gordon moved from Ormondville to Dannevirke and then to Paki Paki. He was still there when that station burnt down. He left NZR in 1986. (Source: his nephew Grant Williams)
(Note: This list is at present under construction, with other known publicans yet to be added to it. The property’s certificates of title, which have not been sighted for this list, would doubtless provide far more detail of owners, leasees, and mortgages, the latter perhaps corresponding with rebuilding after the fires.)
John Daly - (First publican 1/1/1881 – April 1881) Built and named the original Settlers Arms Hotel.
Jeremiah (John) Linehan - (April 1881 – March 1884) Owner when Roland Edwards murdered his family.
Charles Leach - (March 1884 – at least Nov. 1888) Hotel unlicensed between June 1884 and June 1887, due to local anti-temperance sentiments that raged following the Edwards murders. Leach built/rebuilt the Settlers Arms as a much larger hotel in late 1887 immediately following the relicensing. After giving up the hotel, Leach settled at Ormondville. He died on 17 July 1911 and is buried at Ormondville Cemetery.
Lake Falconer - (c 1891 - April1892) Ref: Wise’s Directory. Jenn's relative. Falconer arrived in NZ in 1863 on the ship Prince of Wales. His christian name has been a family name in Scotland for over 300 years. He settled at Warepa, South Otago, before moving the Hawkes Bay. He married Elizabeth A. Rimmer and the couple had seven children, born variously in Napier and Wairoa, where he ran hotels. In later life he lived near Motueka, where he operated an export apple orchard. However WWI cost him the lives of two sons (at Gallipoli) and caused his orchard to go broke. He duly retired to Eastbourne, where in a state of "melancholy decline" until his death in November 1931, having, in the intervening years, resisted "all attempts at conversation."
Mr Cuttle (April 1892 - ?) Ref: Bush Advocate 7/4/1892.
(No Ormondville hotelkeeper is mentioned in the 1894/5 Wise’s Directory, but Falconer was then at the Junction Hotel, Norsewood. The microfiche from the 1896/7 Directory was missing, but it was not R.F. Jackson, the next known publican.)
Rich. F. Jackson – (c 1898 - c August 1901) Ref: Wise’s Directory and HBH 29/8/1901.
(101 years of Ormondville also lists A. Cuttler and C. Remington as publicans prior to 1904. This year saw the formation of the Waipawa Licensing Committee, the original source of some of the following material.)
Thomas John Bennett - (by April 1903-1909) Ref: Wise’s Directory and 1908 [but not 1911] Electoral roll. Former owner, according to DEN 6/4/1914.
Philip Henry Jolley (1909-1912)
John Fraser (1912-1916) Also DEN 12/5/1914 and 1914 Electoral Roll.
Charles William Love (1916-1919) . The 1919 Electoral Roll lists only Mary Elizabeth Love (married woman) as being resident at the Settlers Arms Hotel.
W.R. Parker (1919-c1921) Ref 101 Years of Ormondville.
Herbert H. West (1921) Ref: Wise’s Directory and 101 Years of Ormondville.
O.C. Duncan (1921 - 1922) Ref 101 Years of Ormondville
H. Mann (1922-1923) Ref: 101 Years of Ormondville.
Robert McNair (1923 - 1925) Ref: Wise’s Directory
James Mackie Smith (1925 - 1929) Ref: 101 Years of Ormondville.
(The Settlers Arms Hotel was transferred in 1928 from the Waipawa Licensing District to the Pahiatua Licensing District.
W.M. (Bill) Senk (1930?) 101 Years of Ormondville (p. 130-1) states that it was during Senk's occupancy that the two-storied Settlers Arms burnt down, along with other buildings in the vicinity. The actual date of the fire has not yet been traced. However, there is potentially a major error here, as Senk was certainly licensee of the Makotuku Hotel when it burnt down on 8 May 1933. What is also certain is that a single-story Tudor-style Settlers Arms replaced the two-storied hotel
Charles Stephen Le Fevre (1934-1937) Ref also: Wise’s and Stone’s Directories. The Directories also indicate that he bought a local farm when he gave up the hotel.
Gerald E. Hewald (1937-1938?)
Ces Badley (1939). Badley was a member of the 1924 Invincibles All Black team.
There are varying descriptions of the most recent fire at the Settlers Arms Hotel, which evidently occurred in June 1939. One of these states that Hewald then owned the hotel. The other states that Badley was running the hotel. Both may be correct. This fire destroyed much (but not all) of the building, along with some surrounding commercial buildings. The present hotel dates to this time, but other buildings were not replaced. A temporary bar was then set up in a tin shed across the road in order to retain the licence. The new hotel was under construction by September 1939. Ref: 101 Years of Ormondville, p. 42, 131.
Geurt Thomassen (1939 - 1940)
George Mangos (1940 - 1946)
A. L. Darraugh (1946 - 1950)
Walter J. Earl (1950 - 1963) Earl remained owner of the hotel until 1975, when it was purchased by Dominion Breweries.
T.J. O'Brian (1963 - 1967)
W.F. Marshall (1967 - 1968)
E.A. Needham (1970 - 1972)
E. Larsen (1972 - 1975)
C.J.P Rosier (1975 - ?)
David & Beth Ormandy (licensee in 1978)
Last updated 12 June 2005
