Tokirima History - Return to Home page
My
father, Charles Frederick William Blank came originally from Oxford in the South
Island. My mother Edith Sophia, and father first came to the King Country about
1918 (from Auckland) and spent three years in Tokirima before returning to Auckland.
By 1922/3 we'd come back to live on Trig Road out of Ohura.
My first memories are of us living in that house. My father had a wagon, with
six horses, and carried goods between Tokirima Garage.
Whilst at Marekowhai Dad did ploughing, but was mainly employed with his carrying
business - wagon and horses.
Just before Christmas 1924, when I was five years old, we shifted to the farm opposite Old's swing bridge. These 200 acres had originally belonged to Bashfords, but before we moved in it was leased by a man called Jim Fraser.
The original house had burnt down and the new house - higher up the hill - built by Mr H. Craven, was unfinished.
I vividly remember walking from the houses near Tibby's - we all had to carry
something - and approaching our new home, having to walk along a narrow track
cut through thistles four foot high.
The path to the cow shed was just the same. The shed itself was built along
English lines, but rugged. In fact, quite unsafe, yet we kids managed to do
the milking for up to 35 cows in later years.
Dad was busy with the carrying business. His last wagon with four horses, he used to take to Turoto Road (now Mangatarata Stream Road) to meet the carrier from Ohura. Unfortunately a run-away broke the dray and so about 1930 Dad bought his first Chevrolet truck for cream carrying and general use. Other vehicles followed, an Internation1932/33, Chevrolet '35, Chevrolet '38
.
Click on
the photos for larger image 
Our family consisted of 10 children, five girls then five boys, so I think Mum
had her hands full looking after us.
Mum and Dad stayed on the farm till about 1950 retiring to Bowentown and then Waihi Beach.
Jim took over the farm and later Cliff took over the carrying business.