Extracts from The Life and Times of Leslie Kearvell (1901-
by his daughter, Mary Voyle
2. LIFE IN A NEW LAND
The Kearvell family finally settled in Ulster Street, Hamilton and the children, Leslie and Mildred, were enrolled at the Hamilton West Primary School on 1st February 1910. To illustrate a little of the life in Hamilton in those early years the following extracts are taken from articles that were written by my father for the Waikato Historical Society in 1979….
Leslie with his parents, Francis and Edith (nee Rogers) Kearvell
1. THE BEGINNING
Leslie Kearvell was born 21st May 1901 at 38 Powney Road, Maidenhead. Berkshire England.
He was the son of Francis George Kearvell (a Carpenter) and Edith (nee Rogers), who
before their marriage at St Luke's Anglican Church in Maidenhead on 15th December
1900, was employed as a Laundress in her family's business. Both families had been
long-
Leslie's sister, Mildred Charlotte was also born at 38 Powney Road on 13th June 1904.
Leslie's education began at Priory Road Infants School, High Wycombe which he attended from 3rd September 1906 till 26th July 1907. He then attended Boynhill Boys Primary School till 9th December 1909 when the family emigrated to New Zealand. This came about after Edith was left a small legacy and also because her elder sister, Martha Jammett, had emigrated to New Zealand with her husband, James and children, Horace and Elsie, the previous year.
S S Awara
The Kearvell family left England on 11th December 1909 aboard the S.S. ARAWA and arrived in Wellington on 25th January 1910.They travelled by rail to Te Awamutu where they were met by Martha and James Jemmett and taken by buggy to the Jemmett home in Pukeatua. It was raining and dad often recalled his first impression of New Zealand as being most uncomfortable. He was seated in the buggy between his mother and his aunt who both had umbrellas for protection from the rain and as he said, "I copped the lot!"
" In an era just prior to World War One the area just north of Hamilton, between
the Railway and the River was known as Te Rapa. Colonel Allen Bell had a farm bounded
by the Main Road, the Railway and Sunshine Avenue to the present Air Force Station.
Col. Bell sub-
My father, Frank Kearvell, got in early, and for approximately 100 pounds purchased the section which now forms part of the Winstone spread. He built what was then known as a modern bungalow. We lived there until about 1917, when we moved to a farm at Tuhikaramea. It may be difficult today to visualise that this large area, now a complexity of industry and prestige homes, was in those times a happy hunting ground of an adventurous schoolboy.
Two well-
In spite of it all, with some of the local boys and visiting schoolmates, we found time to harass the local rabbits with ferrets and nets; and taking part in seasonal work such as haymaking and harvesting.
I well remember the Storey property being ploughed and cultivated by horse teams.
Mr John Livingstone's property (now the Air Force Station)was planted in oats and
harvested for horse-