Genealogists celebrate family history milestone

By YVONNE AIREY

Hutt News | Tuesday, 1 April 2003, p65

Local News

The Hutt Valley Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists celebrated a milestone in their own "family history" recently - their 20th birthday.

From the keen group of 55 who attended the inaugural meeting on February 8, 1983, at Chilton St James school library, the branch has grown to the current 217 members and ranks as one of the largest in the country.

Even on the stormiest night of the year attendance can be up to 80 or more on meeting nights - no mean feat for any club these days.

The inaugural committee were Hylton Tuckett (chair), Robyn Tuckett (secretary/treasurer), Pauline Rowe, Dawn Penehio, Howard Potter, George Allwright, Rev Stafford Cull and Heather Webber.

Belonging to a club with the name "Genealogy" in it is not always easy.  The dictionary definition of genealogy describes it as a line of descent traced continually from an ancestor, the account of that and the study of it.

But down the years the meeting has been mistaken for a "family planning meeting" and members have been chastised for being part of the fraternity that "drops bricks and stones everywhere" (geology).

Then people become confused whether it is an "allergy" or an "ology".  It is definitely "allergy" - once you get the disease there is no cure!

Of course they do undertake some unusual duties.

In 1984, armed with "lunch, a hot drink, chalk and a hard brush" keen volunteers began the mammoth undertaking to transcribe cemetery headstones in the Hutt Valley.  Initially under the direction of Heather Webber and the first chairperson Hylton Tuckett, Taita Cemetery was "invaded" by members bearing clipboards (the chalk was for making lettering legible and the brush for cleaning off the moss) work began.  Now all are transcribed and recorded on microfiche for all researchers throughout the world to use.

As they grew, the group moved on to St James Church Hall, then to the ex-nurses home Pilmuir House and now the branch has a home with a large permanent research library at the Hutt Bridge Club in Park Avenue.  That's a big change from earlier times when the group's "library" could be wheeled out in a pram!

The club has produced two national presidents - Heather Webber and the current president Graeme Constable and other national committee members, including sitting member Jim Dempsey.

Birthday celebrations included an evening where all five chairpersons Hylton Tuckett, Peggy Crawford, Graeme Constable, Mike Guest and Sandra Greig (current) spoke.

A day meeting followed with talks from foundation members Betty Pyne, Iris Fraser, Rev Stafford Cull and Jim Dempsey.  Apologies were received from foundation member Myrtle Brown, who fell shortly after her 90th birthday in January and is currently in Hutt Hospital.

  The club has regular evening, day and research meetings monthly.  For further information contact Sandra Greig on 586 0847.