Robert Stevens/Seale

[BettyBoops]

G'day, I've been on a search for my Dad's beginnings and they have been elusive back from 1922.
I have had the help of some brilliant people from Rootschat Australia, and have posted the link below regarding the trail it has taken us.

 http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=764635.0 (Be warned. It's a long read!

From 1922-23 my father (work reference referring to him as Robert W Stevens) worked on the temporary power house constructed to assist with the building of the main Power Station at Mangahao Dam. I would like to trace his movements prior to working for the Power Station construction and immediately after, when I know he went to Gosford, Sydney (work reference). What ships did he travel on? Where from upon his arrival? And absolutely any other little gems that you may happen upon.
With no proof at this stage, but we believe him to have been born Robert (middle name uncertain, possibly Henry) SEALE. Year of birth was supposed to be 1895. As there has been no baptism records for him (or a younger female in the family), we're not definite. It is based on oral history.
Many thanks, Betty

[spades]

Hi Betty, and welcome to the New Zealand board.

It might be a bit much to ask everyone to read through the forty-three pages of your other topic.

Could you please give us a precis of what you discovered so we know where to start and what you already know?

Spades

[majm]

Hi there,

I am one of the many RChatters involved in Betty's Australian quest.  Her dad was in his 40s when he married her mum, and both are no longer living.   There's no need to go back through the 40 plus pages on the Australia thread.     You are of course all most welcome to, particularly to spot any oversights, or loose strings etc.

Her dad was known in Australia as Robert Henry STEVENS and was born in the 1890s, either in NSW (don't search the online index, no record found there) or in India (yes, possible birth found there). 

He served in WWI  (but we are not certain under what name, perhaps in the U.K. forces, as SEALE - we have found possibles there), not found him in the AIF records. 

Betty's oral history has him in New Zealand post WWI and NO LATER THAN 1924, (back in NSW 1923)  So it is a small time frame.   Betty's opening post here in the NZ board effectively asks for help with any sightings in NZ for her late dad within that small time frame. 

G'day, I've been on a search for my Dad's beginnings and they have been elusive back from 1922.
I have had the help of some brilliant people from Rootschat Australia, and have posted the link below regarding the trail it has taken us.

....


  From 1922-23 my father (work reference referring to him as Robert W Stevens) worked on the temporary power house constructed to assist with the building of the main Power Station at Mangahao Dam.
  I would like to trace his movements prior to working for the Power Station construction and immediately after, when I know he went to Gosford, Sydney (work reference). (JM Notes Betty has this/these written references in her family papers.

  What ships did he travel on?
  Where from upon his arrival?

     And absolutely any other little gems that you may happen upon.


   With no proof at this stage, but we believe him to have been born Robert (middle name uncertain, possibly Henry) SEALE. 
  Year of birth was supposed to be 1895. As there has been no baptism records for him (or a younger female in the family), we're not definite. It is based on oral history.


Many thanks, Betty

.   

I hope this précis is sufficient.

JM (edited to sort out some poor JM grammar)

[Fresh Fields]

Hello.

Of note during that employment period at the Manhagao Power station tunnelling, a disaster struck on July 4th 1922, claiming two tunneller's and five rescuers, who lost their lives.

PapersPast searches of STEVENS and Mangahao OR Heyne did not reveal anything of interest to me, for persons whom may have been associates, but I note that a Mr STEVENS was the Distribution Engineer at the Lake Coleridge Hydro, at that period.

One would wonder why a young man would travel to a NZ engineering project, if he did not have some expertise, or have associates in the area whom were prepared to host, and advised of a work opportunity. I know that the workers lived in camps for such projects, but in my years of research have found that the majority who arrived here after the first wave, had contacts in NZ prior to their arrival.

Alan.

[sparrett]

Hi All
Alan, Betty will be very pleased to hear your thoughts.
This has been a long and at times difficult and confronting,  search for her father's real identity and earlier life.
She will, I am sure welcome your ideas and very valuable local knowledge.

And yes, we know the Australian thread is in the 'record league' for length and number of reads.

The point  is that Robert appears to have undergone a name change between his (probable) army service as Robert Henry SEALE and his arrival in NZ at the Mangahao development in about Feb 1922 as Robert STEVENS.

We can only conclude he had something to conceal.

Alan would there have been an overseas recruitment campaign for the Mangahao scheme?
worldwide newspapers and so on?

Sue


 

[BettyBoops]

It was a very interesting read, and many thanks for the information Alan.
I just don't want to end up in the Guiness Book of Records, but the way my query has been going, ....!
Dad/Robert, was employed at Shannon for 15 months, described as being energetic and conscientious and in the last 6 months was a "Donkey man". . What would have been the duties of a Donkey man, Alan (or any one else)?    Many thanks, Betty

[Johnf04]

A donkey man would have been someone running and looking after some sort of engine.

[Johnf04]

Donkeyman is covered in this thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=354258.9

[Fresh Fields]

Hello again, Betty and Sue.

Just back in from a very busy day, and see there has been contributions to this thread.

QUOTE: Reply 4 ……..
We can only conclude he had something to conceal. 

Alan would there have been an overseas recruitment campaign for the Mangahao scheme? worldwide newspapers and so on?

END OF QUOTE.

Sorry I have no specific knowledge of such advertising, but I presume so.

What I found interesting, in a quick flick through some PapersPast hits was the reference to WWI Tunnelling Corps soldiers finding work at the dam projects. And another where there was movement to and from Queensland by workers at this dam project.

Also note that this was not the only dam project on the go in NZ at that time, so that also raises the question as to why it was this project he came to from Australia.



https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19231203.2.100?query=Tunneller's Mangahao

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT19210804.2.50?query=Tunneller's Mangahao