Bill and Gretta Patterson's life together

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Bill and Gretta Patterson's life together
Bill Patterson, whose ancestry was virtually all Scottish and whose parents had emigrated to Dunedin, met Gretta Harrison, who was about half English and half Scottish if her grandparents' birthplaces were considered, around the time when she was teaching at Clifton Terrace in Wellington and living nearby on the eastern side of The Terrace. Bill sent his oldest sister, Grace, a photo of Gretta saying that Grace would be hearing more of Gretta. the photo is now possibly with their great-niece Cathy Allan, who is planning a biography of Grace.

Fiji and Wanganui
They were married on 1 September 1939. Best man was Bill's cousin on his mother's side, Rob (or Robert or Robin) Wood (who later had a celebrated escape from Italy and much later - in 2014 - celebrated his 100th birthday in Queensland). The newlyweds spent a little time together teaching in Fiji, getting to know the country/colony quite well. Gretta used her knowledge of Fiji to explain to Robin many years later that Fiji couldn't hold the Empire Games because Fiji had a colour bar.

Back to Wanganui in time for Robin's birth in December 1940. Home was at 19 Kawakawa Street in Wanganui East. Robin (then known as "Bobs") remembers nothing about the property itself except one occasion when he looked at a plane flying above the eastern hill and asked whether that could be a Japanese plane, receiving reassurance from Mother that it couldn't. His other few memories of the suburb include going to the shops and watching the progress of a house construction over the road (annoying the builder by "improving" some new concrete and seeing and hearing an older child get injured playing on the floor joists). There were also visits to Grandpa Harrison in Gonville Avenue, where Robin annoyed Grandpa with some irregular lawnmowing.

Memorable friends who lived quite close were the Nielsen-Vold family, who were said to be so poor that the children could have either butter or jam on their bread but not both. Children were Barbie (later resident in Mosgiel married to Bob MacAnally - spg??) and Noni, and others whom Robin doesn't remember. Another family of friends were the Robertsons, who much later lived in Upper Hutt; a birthday party at their place featured pear slices shaped like fish.

World War II took Bill to Bourail in New Caledonia with the Medical Corps. Robin remembers him going off, jumping into the back of an army truck to join his mates. That may have been after a homecoming rather than his first departure. Dates could doubtless be obtained from his army records. Bill was chief mosquito-catcher (for research, you understand!) because he seemed to be immune to whatever their bites inflicted on ordinary people.

Dunedin North and Waitahuna
Bill decided to train for the Presbyterian Ministry, so in 1945 a move to Dunedin was made, for him to attend Knox College Theological Hall. First address was 442b King Street (later Great King Street). It was down a lane beside a dairy, where Robin committed his first crime (if you don't count the wilful damage at Kawakawa Street) by sneaking in and helping himself to an ice cream. There was a tree with a swing near the south-west boundary. Bad news came one day - the death of Grandpa Harrison. The winter was one of Dunedin's snowiest. The 4-year-old from Wanganui had never experienced snow and was distressed to see boys along the road throwing things at each other until Mother explained that they were snowballs and didn't hurt. Robin did a bit of wandering (as an only child is perhaps more prone to do); one day he had to be brought home from somewhere near the quarry (past Logan Park).

Over Summer 1945-46, Bill was posted to Waitahuna in South/West/Central Otago as a fill-in trainee minister. The large property that came with the manse was ideal for Robin to wander over! He didn't drown in the river. The only Waitahuna family Robin remembers was the McCorkindales.

Hereford Street and Orawia
Soon the family moved to Roslyn: 17 Hereford Street, a big 2-storey house on the western corner of Anne Street, within smelling distance of Laurenson's bakery (yum!) when the wind was right. There were huge laurel hedges and a big lawn. The family owned that house for several years, welcoming baby Ian shortly before Robin's 6th birthday. Robin had had a year at Kaikorai School, making a few local friends, including Diane Taylor, whose Anne Street house was close to the bakery and had access also to Highgate, and whose rocking-horse he fell off (permanently scarring the inside of his lower lip).

A 2-year posting to Orawia, in Western Southland, from around February 1947, gave Bill more of a challenge. He was "Home Missionary" (another term for "trainee minister") - and Gretta was the organist. Another big property for Robin to explore, with the creek not too dangerous but a little frightening when a team of workers widened it and threw eels onto the bank near the older son of the manse. There was a cow in residence. Robin discovered cowpats. Ian probably did too. The aforementioned Auntie Grace was in residence briefly as a housekeeper while Mother was in hospital (for what Robin much later learned was a hysterectomy).


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