1. A well-kept secret – The Unfolding Story

This is a parallel story to the tale of the Moyles’ move to New Zealand. It is also referred to in Jan McLaren’s writing in the New Zealand section.

.Ben McLaren was actually Ben Howie not Ben McLaren.

The story jumps to the 1902

He and Aunty Charlie had chosen to be McLarens when they shifted together to New Zealand.

Aunty Aileen was aware of this and had kept it a secret for decades.

 Unexpectedly in the 1970s, the McLaren family asked Aunty Aileen if she would kindly visit the Adelaide Registry Office and search in the Births and deaths register in order to get a copy of Ben’s birth certificate. 

He was about to turn 100 and they wanted him to receive a telegram from the Queen. (Aunty Charlie had died in 1955 aged 79. Walter Lindo had died in 1940).

I remember my mother feeling very concerned for Aunty Aileen.

What was she to do?

Aunty Aileen spoke with Colin – her son and a grand child of Walter.

 It was decided to carefully tell the NZ family the truth.  I recall it as being in the early 70s. Colin fulfilled this difficult task. He communicated with Pat McLaren, a grand daughter aged about 40 at the time. She was quite shocked. She was also grateful for hearing the truth explained as sensitively as possible)

It was of course a great shock to the McLaren family, but only some of the family were told.

After some years, in August 2005, after the last of the McLaren siblings and spouses had all passes on, the current New Zealand family – genealogists Jan McLaren and Michele Gregg – organised a Family Reunion and all the McLarens were told the full truth.

It has sometimes become an amazing love story with elements of tragedy. But in all ways it is an incredible story of love, endurance, patience, persistence and success.

2. A letter from Aunty Charlie

My dear Aileen

            I received your card at Xmas time, for which kind greetings many thanks those good wishes were reciprocated Ailie tho’ you didn’t get any word to that effect. Your letter card set moving such a flood of recollections and longings, memories of old days and longing to see you all and to hear everything about everyone of you, how you are all doing and WHAT and if you have all grown up strong and as well as  I’m thankful to say, my family have.

Les is away holidaying at Tauranga with ‘the girl’ at present. They motored through a week ago. He is well but has to work hard and worries a good lot over his work. He is just the same quiet old thing.  Alan drives a lorry (a Benzine tanker).  He is the Moyle of the family…has a squeaky old voice, is short and thick in build, and is a….what shall I say without shirking Ailie (as the boys say), anyhow he reminds me so much of your Dad and Thinks and Talks as he used to at Alan’s age.

Ken is just the build of your Dad…tall and thin –taller a lot than Dad and the other boys.  He also drives a lorry though he was only 16 last month.  He is the only smoker in the family.  Alan and Ken are just wrapped p in their bikes.  Whenever they have any spare time (which isn’t often) it is out in on their bikes.  Don still goes to school.  He is going to be a big fellow too. He has just had his tonsils and adenoids removed.  Beryl is working at the photography business still.  She gets 2 pounds 10 shillings a week now. Her time is so taken up with her work, tennis, swimming baths and basketball that we don’t see a great deal of her.  She is very quiet. She and the other 2 girls have had their hair cut. It’s just a mop of curly, frizzy hair.  Nearly everyone has their hair cut – old women as well as young.  I think it is nice for young people but hideous for old.  Eileen and Dorry keep very well .  Eileen is just recovering from an appendix operation.  Their babies are getting quite big.  They will be two years old in May or June I forget which. But there is only 3 weeks between them. Little Beryl is fair like Middy was and Gwen is dark. They are always here – one or other of them.  Dorry and Fred have gone up to Helensville to see Auntie Al today.  They have a three seater Buick.  Fred is already in constant work. Eileen doesn’t have quite such a good time as they are buying a home and don’t have any money to pool away.

We all went camping at Muriwai at Xmas for 10 days…girls and their husbands and all. We are going away again at Easter.  It seems to be the only kind of a holiday that the whole family can get together. This family are real homers. Somehow Ailie I’m always telling them that I thought when they were married, Dad and I would be able to go and loaf on them sometimes but they always get in first and just come home.

Alan. Ken and Beryl play the mandolin and steel guitar and they can play together now so they have some good times in the evenings but there isn’t a singer in the bunch. Unless it is Ken. None of them dance.

Dad and I keep just about the same.  We have our good and bad days.  Dad can’t stand hard work and worry now, nor can I.  Dad has just imported 2 ‘Bean’ trucks from England and I wish he had not, and I think he does too. They have to build them and make the tops and the cabs themselves and it means Sunday working for weeks -which worries me. They have 6 trucks now but 2 of them are for sale.

We still live in the old house and have the same old things as when you were here Ailie….tho’ I haven’t the big yard.  It is nearly all garage now.  The same neighbours live on either side of us and altogether new Bond St hasn’t altered much.

I still use the white enamel teapot which you left here.

Auckland itself has grown so in every direction. You wouldn’t know it. It has grown more beautiful.  The parks and public gardens are a picture just now.  They have a town-beautifying scheme which is a great success.  We have had wonderfully mild summer – practically no hot weather and it is too late to expect it now.

The bush fires over there (in Aust) must have been terrible.  New Zealanders don’t realize how bad they can really be.  They think the newspapers overdo it.

The Auckland trams are up against the ‘Passenger bus’ proposition as I see they are in  the big cities over there and in most other countries. There are hundreds of buses running here in competition with the trams and some fares.  They are getting a good hearing too but I’m thankful we are not in the line.  We don’t take passengers any more. The bus stops haven’t been on this year. Now that is enough about Auckland and the McLs.

 Let’s try Helensville. You will be sorry to hear that Mrs W Bradly Sen died about 3 weeks ago. Poor old soul has been ill a long time and suffered very much. Mrs BT Bradly still gets around as usual.  Hilda drives the Buick everywhere and our boys think she is a poor driver.  We happened to be just behind them going to the Murwai Motor Sports and first Alan then the old Dodge nearby got a smack. 

Hilda was nervous in the traffic. Jack Savage still goes up to see her at weekends as he has been doing for the past 14 years.

Tess has 2 children, little girls.  She is home on holiday now. Russell’s wife has 4 now I think.

Emma Verco (Mrs Harry Hart) has 4 and Mabel Verco (I foget her name) has a dear little girl.

Bertha V lives at one of the springs boarding houses. There are 5 boarding houses there. Mrs Will Rimmer runs one of them. They are continually improving and adding to them.  They are always full.  They run Sunday and weekend excursions from town to Helensville. 

When we were at Muriwai at Xmas, Dan Verco & BH and some friends drove down in their car. (Yes after an awful lot of talk and barracking old Jimmie let Doris get a car, a Ford, but he keeps it locked up all day so they can’t waste their time with it….so when the children want it, Mum enters into the game and sends Dad off down to Wood Hill to see how Emma is.  The others can then go for a drive the other way, or vice versa.  Well they came down to Muriwai and Doris ran into Mr Hill  (schoolmaster)’s car and had to get Smith to take them home and someone to tow the car home. Poor old Bertha thought that would be the end of the story and the car, but I think they still have it.

Lou (?) Smith works in the Auckland fire brigade.  Jack works on the farm with this Dad. They are all well. Barbs (?) works in an office in town now. Alice McCarthy is THE lady of the district round about. She plays and teaches music.

We saw Alfie Barnes getting round on his crutches. He is such a nice looking boy…is stout not very tall and very popular.  Old Mr Barnes looks just the same.  I believe he wears the same suit as when he lived in Helensville.

Nell has her hair cut.  They live at Pukekohe.

Now the Days.  Jean is nearly as tall as our Dorry.  She is a nice girl and nice looking too.  I’m always so sorry for those girls.  Doris is a fine girl too but at such a disadvantage with her lame leg.  She has the best disposition of the family and is still her Dad’s girl.  She is a great mother.  She and Jean can both bake and cook like their mother.  Aunty Emma’s baby girl is two years old now and a fine little girl.  The children help Uncle Ed in the shed now but they always seem to be up against it somehow. They are well.

Min McArthur married again and lives in Auckland as does Aileen Russell (they lost their only child some time ago)

Aunty Emma had a goitre cut out about 6 months ago and has been a long time picking up but is getting along alright now.

Henry was in the Auckland hospital for another operation on his eye…a rupture…He is better now.

Now The Bradly’s Uncle Jack is just about the same. Auntie Al keeps pretty well and she has plenty to do.  She goes to the shed now after about 2 years away from it.

The children are the skinniest I ever saw but then Auntie Alice was like that herself as a child so they might improve too.  Jim is smart at school. Lindsay had pneumonia a while back and is a little slow.  He is a nice little chap.

Auntie has so much more comfort since they has their house altered a while back.

Whenever I get homesick or very miserable I just go over to see Auntie Al for the day.  It’s just about time to do it again.  They have the telephone on now so I ring her occasionally.  Whenever we see one another we always say “have you heard anything from the other side?”

How is Auntie Rose? I wish she would write to Ed or Alice.

Now Ailie I think this is all.  It’s the first letter I’ve written since you got one over 18 months ago.  I expect I’ve told you a lot you already know and a lot you didn’t want to know.

Give our love to dear old Dad and everyone of the other boys and girls and accept the same yourself.

From your loving aunt and family.

Send some snaps when you write Ailie.