Stories
Your stories - and stories
from the Fletcher archives
A steel year in 1960
Our Steel Correspondent writes:
"1960 has been a busy year at Nelson Street, Auckland.
"We started off with a bang with Alcan's structural contract involving some 800 tons. This job was fabricated in four months - quite a considerable performance.
"We then swung to the Maraetai Power-house structural steel, involving approximately 500 tons, and this job is now well under way.
"In June we were awarded the contract to deliver the steel work associated with Tasman's second newsprint machine. Most of the 2,000 tons of steel for this have arrived and fabrication commenced.
"In addition to these three major contracts, we are sharing the fabrication of Pacific Steel's structures with other firms in Auckland, and work on this job will start early in the New Year.
"Wendell Phillips and his boys in the Reinforcing department have not been left behind and output there has been at a high level. Major reinforcing steel work has been done for: Middlemore Hospital, National Women's Hospital, National Airways Corp., Alcan Industries, Thames Hospital, Victoria Car Park Piles, Seddon Technical College, and Auckland Transport Board."
Staff visit to Kawerau
On Sunday, 26th September, a party of the Penrose staff went to Kawerau for the day. This is an excerpt from a description of the visit made by Miss June Irvine, a recent arrival to the company following her emigration to New Zealand from Scotland.
"The bus left Auckland at 6 a.m. in dull weather but as we climbed over the Pokeno Hills we saw the Waikato River far below us bathed in warm spring sunshine. We drove through Hamilton and Cambridge and stopped at Rotorua for morning tea. This was my first glimpse of the beautiful lakes and the magnificent bush scenery which lines the road for mile after mile.
On arrival at Kawerau soon after 12 we were met by Mr Jack Smith who first showed us round the new township which is to house the mill employees and their families. It is a lovely setting for a town with Mt. Edgecombe towering on one side and the rolling wooded hills on the other. And it was so warm! I don't think I've ever felt so hot before. We had a very nice lunch at the Hostel and then inspected the new mill. It is remarkable how quickly these enormous buildings have been put up. Mr Smith explained that only a year ago the site was just being cleared for the foundations. Already they are starting to install some of the machinery which is to produce 24 feet wide rolls. The administrative offices are a dream. I envy the girls who are going to work there."
Christmas poem
At Christmas in the Fletcher Group
The underdog is cock-a-hoop;
The whips and knouts are put away.
And all the trumps are kind and gay.
"How are you Bill? you're looking swell,"
Not the usual "What the hell!"
Is heard at gatherings near and far
From Southland up through Ngongotaha
Auckland
The yard is full of joyous singers
Phil Cook is dancing on the stringers,
Jim Meikle does an Irish jig, while Malcolm turns the suckling pig.
Bert Brown is handing round the tea
At smoko on the M.L.C.
Slim Avery and Jimmy Hill
Go halves with a reducing pill
Wellington
While Bill is grinding down the 'subs',
Lloyd leads the crawl around the pubs.
The Porirua plumber's mate
Is eating all the aggregate
Bluey's handing round the eats
On Jimmy Dawson's eave soffits
While in a corner J.J.Craig
Is gently sipping Haig & Haig
Christchurch
Bill Weight brings on the festive tidings
Engraved on two asbestos sidings,
And puts the billy on to boil
With Hydroseal and linseed oil.
And down at Plyco all the buyers
Are putting salesmen through the driers
Bill Meaclem's settled things at home
By cutting off the telephone.
Deep South
Jack Booten wants to lend a hand
To lead the boilermaker's band,
And pipe aboard the 'Anatina'
Jack Lennox and the office cleaner.
The boys from Gore and Invercargill
Have knocked off work to have a gargle;
Above the din a sound is heard-
It's Ramsey eating mutton bird.
To put an end to this baloney
A speech is read by H. Moloney-
"To chippies, typists, estimators,
Duroid, Durock, plywood makers,
To concrete hands and shipping clerks,
To salesmen slick and office narks,
To men on buildings big and small-
A Happy Christmas to you all."