A family well known Martinborough and Greytown will be getting together on 23rd, 24th and 25th May to celebrate the marriage of John and Mary Bonis 115 years ago. Nearly a hundred will gather from around New Zealand, especially the Nelson area, and even one from U.S.A. The oldest eighty four and the youngest six months.
John and Mary, who were married at Nireaha, had eleven children: Dorothy, Lila, John, Jenny, Bill, Thomas, Alice, Olive Philip, Mary and Mervyn. Only Olive is still with us today, now ninety nine she live in New Plymouth and sadly not able to make the journey.
They spent time in many parts of New Zealand either in forestry (owning a bullock team in the King Country) farming or gold mining. DOC has a wonderful notice board on the Wangapeka track with photographs of John and Mary from around the 1930s. The town was called Gladstone, during the depression years two hundred people lived there mining for gold Nothing remains today.
Bill and Alice are the family members best know locally although Johnnie and Mervyn spent time in Martinborough. Alice at one time worked in the Martinborough Hotel, she married Biff Hayman son of Tom and Isabella (nee Garrity).
Martinborough’s older generation will remember Bill who variously held the licence at Morison’s Bush Hotel, was a Rural mail deliverer, worked fro the Featherston County Council. He was later the proprietor of the Martiborough Hotel – renamed the Pukemanu Hotel. It was during Bill and Alma’s time at the Pukemanu that the TV series was made, there are photographs on the Pukemanu walls.
Barbara, a daughter Bill’s sister Alice, married Brian Love. Brian Love, was Bar manager for Bill. Brian still says that it was one of the best job he ever had, the experience of the friendly folk , and he sure appreciated Alma and Mrs Gray’s cooking. In James McNeish’s book ‘Tavern in the town’ Brian is quotes as saying how after ten o’clock closing was introduced it was noticeable that more women joined their partners in the hotel.
Bill and Alma’s family attended Martinborough School and Kuranui College. Only Roa still lives in the area as do two of her and Noel Svenson’s girls – Joanne at Pain and Kershaws and Karen (Gain) in Featherston
Other family members who at one time lived in Martinborough are niece Florence Bailey who looked after the Martins twins. Johnnie and Kath Bonis who lived in Kitchener Street after retiring from Karamea. The family had lived on Moroa Road (Bidwill’s cutting), hence the association with Greytown.
The weekend commences with nibbles at the Pukemanu. Saturday they will visit Martinborough and Greytown cemeteries to hold Remembrance and Thanks Service to be taken by Gillian another daughter of Alice Bonis. There will be a winery visit in the evening and a celebration dinner at the Working Mens Club. Sunday will be a casual day at the Svensons.
Barbara Love – daughter of Alice (nee Bonis) and Biff Hayman
