Feilding - Archives and Genealogy

22/03/2026

⛅ “The only dull thing about the town was the weather”!
— title card from 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 (1928)

Join us for an exploration of early New Zealand filmmaking and a cinematic romp through 1920s Feilding
Thursday 26 March, 1pm - Central Library, Mezzanine Floor

U3A New Zealand History Group coordinator Graham Slater explores the earliest aspects of film production and consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand, shining a light on the work of Rudall Hayward, a film pioneer who contributed much to the field in this country. He examines the era of ‘community comedy’ by looking at one of Hayward’s collaborators, a man named Lee Hill. Hill branched out on his own to make several local comedies including 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 (pictured below).

22/03/2026

More on the Whisker family

William Whisker: 1834 – 1911

(Researched by Allan Dodson)

William Whisker was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland c 1834 the son of Jane Henry (nee Stewart) and James Whisker.

William was the second of six children that reached maturity.

William may have gone to sea as a young man before moving to Victoria, Australia, potentially as a gold miner, he married Margaret Ann Murphy in Bendigo, Victoria, 15th October 1859. The couple’s son William was born in Inglewood, Victoria c1860. A second son was born and died in Eaglehawk, Victoria, 1862.

It appears that William, Margaret and William jnr moved from Australia to New Zealand to the new goldfield on the Arrow River. Daughter Margaret Ann Whisker was born in 1866 in Arrow, Otago.

William and his family then moved to the North Island in 1866 he was involved with his brother James were involved in the lease of land in Kawakawa, Manawatu.

James immigrated to New Zealand in the early 1860’s settling in Wellington, he married Catherine Hughey in Wellington in 1865. The Hughey family also originated in Londonderry and Catherine’s parents arrived in Wellington in 1840 on the Martha Ridgeway.

The two brothers were joined in Manawatu by their younger brother Thomas Frederick Whisker and sisters, Jane, Ellen and Mary. James and William are listed in the electoral roll as Settlers in Oroua, Manawatu. The area was adjacent to the newly establish Feilding.

William in 1878 advertised as William Whisker, Kowa Kowa, Feilding for a Ploughman, Bullock Driver and a Butcher.

In 1883 the Feilding Star carried advertisements from James and William. James Whisker was operating a General Farm Produce Store and Meat Market, Railway Square, Feilding. William Whisker advertised Wholesale and Retail Family Butcher, Kimbolton Road, Feilding. – Kills nothing but the Primest Stock, having always on hand his own breeding stock to choose from.

William had financial issues and was noted to be ‘examined’ as a bankrupt on 15th January 1887 . In Palmerston North Court the judge found the bankruptcy “was a bare-faced swindle, the debtor’s answers were most unsatisfactory, and that the assignment of property was palpably a fraud.” William was sentenced to three month hard labour to be served in Wellington .

It is likely that William had assigned property to his son William Whisker jnr as both are listed in a writ issued by the Supreme Court Palmerston North for the Sherriff of the District of Wanganui to sell, with no reserve, at the Feilding Sales Yard, on 25th May 1887, a large amount of farming equipment.

William Whisker Snr is described in the prisoners released from Wellington Goal in August 1887 as born in Ireland in 1835, a butcher, 5’ 5” fair hair and blue eyes. The 52 year old had an anchor tattooed on left hand and arm.

William returned to Feilding, in the 1893 Census he is listed simply as a farmer at Cheltenham. Cheltenham is located 13 Km Northeast of Feilding. Of interest William Whisker Jnr does not appear on the Electoral Roll.

It appears that by the early 1900’s William went into care, in Feilding, with early stages of dementia. His wife Margaret Ann Whisker moved to Auckland with her daughter Margaret Anne (nee Whiskey) D’Arcy, her son-in-law Herbert Henry D’Arcy and her grandchildren. Margaret Ann Whisker died in Auckland on 7th July 1909.

William Whisker was admitted to Porirua Asylum on 17th May 1910. The committal had been signed in Feilding. He was of ‘weak bodily health and suffering senile dementia. William remained in Porirua Asylum in early December 1911 he took to his bed and gradually declined dying on 31st December 1911 and was interred in the Non-Conformist Section, Porirua Cemetery, NC H 004.

The Coroner’s report noted ‘Never visited by friends or relatives.’

Notes
William’s son was a inmate in Porirua Asylum from 1895 to 1928
William’s sister Mary (nee Whisker) Hughey was an inmate 1916 – 1919.
Stories being prepared.

References
Ancestry.com
NZ Coroner’s Reports
Paperspast Online
NZ Electoral Rolls
NZ Police Gazette 1878 - 1945
Awahuri Forest Kitchener Park
Porirua Cemeteries Online

Photos
William Whisker grave: Porirua Cemeteries Online

22/03/2026

Early Feilding family. Arona may be a misspelling of Oroua. Some of this information appears in the book "Swamps sandflies and settlers" which is for sale at the Coach House Museum in Feilding.

Mary Jane (nee Whisker) Hughey 1852 - 1919

(Researched by Allan Dodson)

Mary Jane Whisker was born in Northern Ireland in 1852 the daughter of f Jane Henry (nee Stewart) and James Whisker.

Mary was the youngest of six children that reached maturity. Two of her older brothers immigrated to the Colonies, James to Wellington and William to Australia and then New Zealand.

James and William moved to land in Manawatu in the 1860’s where they were joined in the early 1870’s by their younger brother Thomas and sisters, Jane, Ellen and Mary.

Mary married, on 2nd November 1875, at Oroua, Manawatu, in the residence of her brother James, to John Hughey. James had married Catherine Hughey, John’s sister in Wellington in 1865.'

The Hughey family were also from Northern Ireland and had immigrated to Wellington, New Zealand in 1840.

John in 1875 was farming on 100 leased acres in Arona , Manawatu. John and Mary continued to farm increasing the lease to 190 acres at Oroua close to her two brothers James and William Whisker and their families.

John and Mary’s only son, William James Hughey was born in Feilding on 1st March 1877.

John and Mary continued to farm in the Feilding area in 1905-06 they are recorded as living at Aorangi No1, Cameron’s Line. Their son, a sawmiller, and his family were living at Kairanga. William James Hughey died in 1905 and is interred in Sandon Cemetery.

John, in his 70’s, and Mary, retired from farming and moved closer to Feilding in the early 1900’s. They were living in Ranfurly Road, Feilding when John died, in Feilding on 26th August 1915 and is interred in the Sandon Cemetery.

Mary Hughey was assessed in Palmerston North in early February 1916 and admitted to Porirua Asylum on 6th February 1916. Mary was suffering from delusional insanity.

On 7th June 1919 Mary suffered a heart attack and died at Porirua. The Coroner’s reported noted that, “deceased was 66 years of age and formerly resided at Palmerston North. She had never been visited by relatives or friends.

Her sister Mrs Ellera of Manaia was duly notified of her illness, but we were informed that his sister died 12 months ago. Also Mrs Bradbury of 15 Bourke Street, Palmerston North was notified of deceased illness but no reply.”

Mary Hughey was interred in Porirua Cemetery, on 10th June 1919 in the Non-conformist section NC E 009.

Notes:
It is likely that rather than sisters, the contacts were sister-in-laws.

Mary’s brother William Whisker Snr and nephew William Whisker Jnr are both interred in Porirua Cemetery.

References
Ancestry.com
NZ BDM
NZ Electoral Rolls
Coroners Reports
Porirua Cemeteries Online

Photos
Mary Jane Hughey, to the right of Alphin: Allan Dodson, March 2026

08/03/2026

We have just 41 days to go until the 1926 census for the Irish Free State (now Republic of Ireland) is released. If you're wondering how to prepare, I've got you covered. Here's an article I wrote last year (yes, I've been planning a long time for this) on what you might like to do in advance of 18th April. I've updated it with additional detail.

https://cbgenealogy.ie/preparing-for-the-1926-census-release/

06/03/2026

The text in this newspaper article from Feilding First newspaper on the 40th birthday of the Feilding Branch NZSG may not be big enough to read here but worth a try

23/02/2026

How to preserve a husband
Be careful in your selection; do not choose too young. When one is selected, give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them into hot water. This may make them sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with love, and seasoned with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity, keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared, they will keep for years.
[New Plymouth Genealogy newsletter of the 1990s]
Image below sourced from https://diaryofatomato.com/2013/04/03/how-to-preserve-a-husband-5-links/

19/02/2026

The next meeting of the Manawatū Legacy Users Group is at 7pm on 24 February in the Pātiki Onepū room, Manawatū Community Hub Libraries, Stafford Street, Feilding. John Carter is going to talk about using Sources in Legacy. To find out more about the Legacy software, look at some webinars.

16/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/17wCdJjixG/

The Collaborative Newspaper Digitisation Programme adds more newspapers to Papers Past, using the combined resources of community groups around New Zealand. Every year, we invite applications for new additions. Find out how it works and how to apply.

15/02/2026

NZSG are excited to announce the dates for the 2026 Auckland Family History Expo. This will be held 9-11 October 2026 - mark your diaries now! We have changed the dates to coincide with the Auckland Heritage Festival and to take advantage of the school holidays.

We are upgrading the venue to the historic King's College, which offers superior facilities, more on-site parking and is just a 400-metre walk from the Middlemore train station.

We look forward to seeing you there. This event is open to everyone.

06/02/2026

"The Grange". In 1874 when first surveyed, the section it sat on was 15 acres in size and bordered both West and North streets. The first owner was the surveyor, Fred Gillett. He had been employed on the team engaged to survey Manchester Block. He sold the property to Douglas and Mary Macarthur in 1879. Article by Marilyn Wightman published in the Back Issues section of the Manawatu Standard on 10 January 2026.

There has always been a fascination with old houses and discovering the stories of the people who owned them.

30/01/2026

Maria (nee Moore) and Frederick Towler arrived in New Zealand on the ship "Salisbury" on 19 January 1874 as settlers selected by the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation for settlement on the Manchester Block. According to Fred's obituary in the Manawatu Standard of 11 April 1916, they reached Feilding on 13 April 1874. This colourised photograph shared to Ancestry.com.au by
Brian Sowman was taken at the time of their golden wedding anniversary (50 years). A notice of the anniversary was published in the Feilding Star on 12 November 1914.

29/01/2026