Rahiri, the house at 24 Clifton Rd, sat across 2 sections with a
tennis court beside it and rosegardens, orchard, vegetable
gardens and henhouse behind it. As outbuildings there were
a dairy, a woodshed and garage. Next door at 22 Clifton Rd
(Te Kopua, named after the mission station which Thomas
Buddle helped to establish) was a smaller house which was
originally the Arthur family holiday home.
T.B Arthur's mother, his brother and 2 sisters lived here.
The colour painting, done by Aunty Joan, shows the house
as it was in about 1930.














This photo shows the 2 houses when No. 24 was first built,
before the rockery was built in front. Number 22 is in the
background and Arthur Cres now runs down where
the lawn was that separated the 2 houses.



The view
from the
aunts' house
below shows
the lawn
where Arthur
Cres is today
and shows
the bedroom which was added to the side of the house when Nancy was a small child.

Family group early 1920s. Frank, T.B.Arthur, Barbara,
Nancy, Julia, Ethelwyn.

The Arthur family home was a small farm where they had 3 cows,
ducks and hens and a pet sheep, which occasionally escaped
through the hedge and chased people down the road. On Sunday
mornings Nancy woke to the sound of racehorses being exercised
on Takapuna Beach and a herd of cows would sometimes be driven
down Clifton Rd to the beach, trampling lawns and flower beds as
they went if the residents didn’t shut their gates in time. The
houses and streets were lit by gas and Nancy remembered the
lamp lighter coming at dusk to turn on the street-lights.
The pet sheep belonged to Barbara and was eventually eaten.
She steadfastly refused to eat a single bite of it.

Barbara with her sheep.

Nancy also remembered being terrified of the tar-boiler which was used to repair the roads.

She would cross the road to give it a wide berth. Another fear was going upstairs in the dark and having to go right into the middle of the square upstairs hall to light the gaslight. She would try and persuade Barb to go up with her and she, exercising the power of the younger sister, would refuse.

Christening and early childhood

Nancy was baptised when she was a few months old, wearing the gown which her father had worn. She was baptised at home and her mother was not very impressed to find a pudding basin being used as the christening font. Victorian christening gowns were very elaborate, long with lots of embroidery, and long tight sleeves with a frill at the shoulder. Nancy was Above: Nancy at about 15 months either older than her father when baptised or a chubbier baby as the sleeves were too tight for her and had to be taken out, which probably made life a lot easier for those of us who manouevered our babies into this gown in later years. Apparently the gown wouldn't meet at the back either and she kept trying to sit up and exposing the gap so had to wear a cardigan. There aren't any photos of Nancy's christening day but the gown features in lots of other photos later on.



Barbara was born almost 2 years after Nancy, just before Christmas 1916. She was named Matys Buddle as her father was determined to get Buddle in even though it wasn't another son and her mother had read Matys in a book and liked it. However, they soon got sick of people saying "Matys! Don't you mean Clematis?" and began calling her Barbara. They didn't change it legally so Matys Buddle remained her real name.

Barbara with her mother aged 12 months


Below: Nancy 4 1/2 and Barbara 2 1/2 yrs

Thomas married Julia Tetley, (Clarice Julia) and had the house in Clifton Rd built for her. She was overseas and Thomas decided he couldn't wait any longer so went to Sydney to meet her and they were married there. Apparently she thought the new house was very small compared with houses she had seen while she was away which does seem rather ungrateful! That's the story gran told me anyway.
Thomas was also reluctant to have more children as he was worried he would lose Julia but if he did he have more children he really wanted another son and to call him Thomas Buddle Arthur. However he had another 3 daughters, Nancy being the first.
Nancy Lois Arthur was born 5 January, 1915 at 5.00 in the morning and was immediately put out on the upstairs balcony so one assumes it was a fine sunny day. Her arrival saved her father from going to war as men with 3 children were not required to go.

This is the earliest photo I can find. Mum/gran with her mother aged about 6 months?