108117
Ledger book of William John Kennedy, 1946-1950
Date1946-1950Reference NumberAms 505/3DescriptionSeries comprises 1 ledger book of William John Kennedy, showing farming income and costs from August 1946 through to December 1950.
Notes from R.M. Catran, 11 February 2024:
"Bill Kennedy returned from World War Two in 1945, slightly early because his father had asked that one of his four sons, who were in the defence forces, come home to help on the farm. (Two sons stayed home because of serious health issues). Bill had been ill while in the Middle East so was the obvious choice. (Incidentally he was awarded the Military medal for a heroic act while in the Libyan desert). He came home and in 1946 was able to acquire one fourth of his father’s property as his own farm. The other three quarters were acquired by three of his brothers when they returned from the war.
While in Syria Bill had met the New Zealand nurse Myrtle Shepherd, who was with the British Queen Alexandra Nursing Corps, and they had married in Egypt in 1943. Each then continued their war work, Bill in North Africa and the Middle East, and Myrtle in Italy. Once Bill was back in New Zealand he was able to arrange that his wife be discharged and return to New Zealand.
At the start of his farming after the war Bill had dairy cows, pigs and sheep. The dairy cows provided butterfat, the sheep provided wool, and the pigs provided meat.
First entries show the different payments for “finest” butterfat and “first grade” butterfat.
There is a wages page which shows payments in June and July 1947 to Bill’s brother Don at one pound per day. Don ultimately owned his own farm next door.
Further on there is a page that lists loans for a milking shed, a piggery, fencing, water supply and stock. He lists the specific costs for the milking shed.
The last twelve pages list all farm expenses in detail, month by month from August 1946 through to April 1949. Here I recognise names of Bill’s brothers Sam Kennedy and Don Kennedy. I also recognise the names of neighbouring farmers, such as Bill Collett, J Sygnall, E Lowe, T Keenan, H Taylor, A Rowe, M Winters, G Merriman, S Gasson, Hynds and H Merrick. These farmers helped each other out by providing machinery for specific jobs, with hay making, and probably other tasks. It seems they paid each other. Other names appear frequently who may have been neighbouring farmers also but I don’t recognise them.
Geoff Garrett was a local farmer who transported cream cans to the dairy factory each day. Otto Lutz lived in town but was a painter and paper hanger, and a friend.
MM Kennedy was his wife, my mother.
Guinness Brothers was an appliance store. Mountfort and Co was a hardware store. There are several other businesses named but I don’t know what they were, except for the obvious such as Hillsdene Motors.
In later years Bill moved to town milk supply which meant milking 365 days a year, morning and night. He ceased farming pigs but kept a small flock of sheep for meat. He was Chair of the Town Milk Supply board for several years. He was on a number of committees and boards and always seemed to be the chair or president. He retired at the age of fifty two, having milked cows since he was a young boy, apart from the six years in the army. He and Myrtle moved to Tauranga City, first in Brierley Street, then to Bethlehem, and lastly to Pillans Point. Bill was voted on to the Tauranga City Council for one term, then spent his last years establishing the Ngatuhoa Lodge in the Kaimai bush and the McLaren Falls Park arboretum. He was chair of the Tauranga Tree Society for a number of years. He had his own native tree nursery at Pillans Point.
Bill died at the age of 83, on the 12 of March 1994."CreatorKennedy, William JohnLevelSeriesExtent1 ledgerSystem of ArrangementThe original order of the collection has been maintained and arranged into three series which reflect the major activities of the creator over the years.LanguageEnglish
Notes from R.M. Catran, 11 February 2024:
"Bill Kennedy returned from World War Two in 1945, slightly early because his father had asked that one of his four sons, who were in the defence forces, come home to help on the farm. (Two sons stayed home because of serious health issues). Bill had been ill while in the Middle East so was the obvious choice. (Incidentally he was awarded the Military medal for a heroic act while in the Libyan desert). He came home and in 1946 was able to acquire one fourth of his father’s property as his own farm. The other three quarters were acquired by three of his brothers when they returned from the war.
While in Syria Bill had met the New Zealand nurse Myrtle Shepherd, who was with the British Queen Alexandra Nursing Corps, and they had married in Egypt in 1943. Each then continued their war work, Bill in North Africa and the Middle East, and Myrtle in Italy. Once Bill was back in New Zealand he was able to arrange that his wife be discharged and return to New Zealand.
At the start of his farming after the war Bill had dairy cows, pigs and sheep. The dairy cows provided butterfat, the sheep provided wool, and the pigs provided meat.
First entries show the different payments for “finest” butterfat and “first grade” butterfat.
There is a wages page which shows payments in June and July 1947 to Bill’s brother Don at one pound per day. Don ultimately owned his own farm next door.
Further on there is a page that lists loans for a milking shed, a piggery, fencing, water supply and stock. He lists the specific costs for the milking shed.
The last twelve pages list all farm expenses in detail, month by month from August 1946 through to April 1949. Here I recognise names of Bill’s brothers Sam Kennedy and Don Kennedy. I also recognise the names of neighbouring farmers, such as Bill Collett, J Sygnall, E Lowe, T Keenan, H Taylor, A Rowe, M Winters, G Merriman, S Gasson, Hynds and H Merrick. These farmers helped each other out by providing machinery for specific jobs, with hay making, and probably other tasks. It seems they paid each other. Other names appear frequently who may have been neighbouring farmers also but I don’t recognise them.
Geoff Garrett was a local farmer who transported cream cans to the dairy factory each day. Otto Lutz lived in town but was a painter and paper hanger, and a friend.
MM Kennedy was his wife, my mother.
Guinness Brothers was an appliance store. Mountfort and Co was a hardware store. There are several other businesses named but I don’t know what they were, except for the obvious such as Hillsdene Motors.
In later years Bill moved to town milk supply which meant milking 365 days a year, morning and night. He ceased farming pigs but kept a small flock of sheep for meat. He was Chair of the Town Milk Supply board for several years. He was on a number of committees and boards and always seemed to be the chair or president. He retired at the age of fifty two, having milked cows since he was a young boy, apart from the six years in the army. He and Myrtle moved to Tauranga City, first in Brierley Street, then to Bethlehem, and lastly to Pillans Point. Bill was voted on to the Tauranga City Council for one term, then spent his last years establishing the Ngatuhoa Lodge in the Kaimai bush and the McLaren Falls Park arboretum. He was chair of the Tauranga Tree Society for a number of years. He had his own native tree nursery at Pillans Point.
Bill died at the age of 83, on the 12 of March 1994."CreatorKennedy, William JohnLevelSeriesExtent1 ledgerSystem of ArrangementThe original order of the collection has been maintained and arranged into three series which reflect the major activities of the creator over the years.LanguageEnglish
Asset Location
RoomClimate controlled room - offsite
Usage
Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our heritage resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted within.Access ConditionsNo access restrictions apply to this series.AcknowledgementTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Ams 505/3
Admin
Source of ContributionLibrary collection
Kennedy, William John, Ledger book of William John Kennedy, 1946-1950 (1946-1950). Pae Korokī, accessed 13/10/2024, https://paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz/nodes/view/108117
