History Blog: 2016

St Columba's Presbyterian Church and manse was the first church built in Havelock North. It was built in 1871 at the site where the National bank is today. The first minister was Rev. Alexander Shepherd and he lived in a house in what is now Exmoor Street. A new church, designed by Robert Lamb was erected in 1894 on donated land adjacent to the domain (formerly occupied by the Havelock North Hotel). The gum tree, a significant landmark is reported to have been planted in the mid 1860's. The current church was finished in 1971 (ref Havelock Village information online).

Dispite the 1860's date above, no known history of the tree is recorded but the book by S.W. Grant ‘Havelock North, from village to borough, 1860-1952' makes reference to the tree on page 25.
'The second St Columbas built in 1893, dignified by it’s graceful, shingle covered spire which could be seen from many parts of Havelock North, was also blessed by having in the corner of it’s grounds a huge blue gum tree, a giant still happily surviving. Surmise about the identity of the planter has already been discussed; whoever it was, assuredly he or she erected a monument”

“Some must have watched the growth of the giant blue gum tree, which now dominates it’s surroundings. It is not known who planted the tree. Perhaps it was John Chambers, the head of a family who were notable tree planters, or perhaps it was Boswell Danvers who in the 1860’s advertised blue gum saplings for sale.”

The tree was formerly identified in error as a Eucalyptus regans and included in a 1970 national survey of Historic and Notable trees of New Zealand by SW Burstall. E. globulus subsp. globulus was confirmed at SCION on 24 June 2010. National Forestry Herbarium voucher number reference: NZFRI 28197.

Today the tree is a landmark which can be seen from several kms away from each of the 4 main roads (N S E & W) leading into Havelock North. The tree is visible towering over the church roof and the village CBD. The tree is recorded in many early photos of the area. JMK 2010

George Thompson Pritchard
1878-1962

Born in Havelock North Hawkes Bay New Zealand. 11th April 1878

Died in Reseda California America 26th February 1962.

Havelock North was extremely lucky to be gifted a sizeable number of George Thompson Pritchard paintings by the artist himself. Duart was chosen to display and look after the valuable paintings and has slowly been restoring these beautiful oil paintings as funding permits. As we are a non profit organization we rely heavily on the generosity of donations and welcome any assistance toward the costly restoration procedure.

Son of Alfred & Emily (Huggins) Pritchard. His father was English, one of the pioneer cattle farmers in New Zealand. George Thompson Pritchard received his early education in local schools and later studied art and sculpture in Wellington and Auckland

He continued his studies at the Academy of fine Arts in Melbourne, Australia. In 1901 at the Julian Academy in Paris, France and the Vandertheldt Academy in Amsterdam, Holland from 1911 to 1914. Just before the outbreak of the First World War he went to England, where he completed his studies under Sir Alfred East, a member of the Royal Academy. As a schoolboy he designed and built boats for Maori in this way earning pocket money. Gifted both as musician and artist, Pritchard in his early years wanted to be a violinist, but the loss of his left forearm while still a young man ended any thought of a career in music, and he turned his full attention to art, especially painting.

While studying in Australia he worked for newspapers in Melbourne and later was political editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. In 1906 he immigrated to the United States. He arrived in San Francisco, while that city was still smoking ruins from the disastrous earthquake and fire. He remained there however, for nearly three years and produced many works of art before moving to Milwaukee. In this city he established an art school, which he maintained until going abroad for further study in 1911.

During the first World War he stayed in England and, temporally abandoning his art career. Worked as production manager of a munitions factory. Following the war, he lived for a time in Canada and then spent a period in New York City. From 1925 to 1931 he was a resident of the Richmond area in Virginia, delivering lectures and exhibiting at universities and colleges in the South, many purchasing his paintings at the time. He later returned to California in 1935 until his death.

After maintaining a studio in Glendale he opened a studio in Santa Monica where he continued to paint and to teach until 1946. George Thompson Pritchard was primarily a painter of landscapes, seascapes and other aspects of nature. Apart from the works produced under his own name he used various pseudonyms including: • L.Huntley for flower paintings painted in England. • Hewitt for North African watercolour scenes. • Van der Hoek for his paintings of Dutch scenes. His paintings were purchased for permanent exhibitions in various universities and public and private collections in the United States, England, Australia and New Zealand. He was the recipient of a number of awards both in America and other Countries.

Following his retirement in 1946 he devoted all of his time to painting and writing for his own pleasure, never again offering any of his work for sale. One of his paintings in this later period “ Signing of the Bill of Rights” was donated to the New Zealand House of Parliament Shortly before his death he completed a book on world economics entitled “Whom the Gods Destroy”.

George Thompson Pritchard was a member of the Masonic Order, the Glendale and Santa Monica art associations and of numerous art and literary organisations in New Zealand, Australia, Holland and the United States. In religion he was Episcopalian. He was married in London September 25th 1915 to Valerie Lucy, daughter of Francis Woods of Brentwood, Essex, England, a horticulturist and had four children: • Paul Thompson Pritchard • Valerie Thompson Pritchard married Werner Hans Geroen • Gabrielle Thompson Pritchard marries Brendan Lennon • Vashti Thompson Pritchard married Count Michael Gaszyn The above information is from National Cyclopaedia of America Information from correspondence held at Hastings District Council Archives.

Paintings offered to Havelock North Town Board in 1950 - letter from George Thompson Pritchard, he wanted a Gallery set up around his paintings and others he was prepared to give to the people of Havelock North. It was stated in a letter that the paintings where for the people of Havelock. Committee set up to look at fundraising for a Gallery in Havelock North. • William J Rush • Mrs Gwen W. Malden (Miss Nelson) • Miss D. Turner • Mrs D Carne • Mrs F Miller • Mr K W H Elliott • Mr H W Malden • Mr Bernard Chambers • Mr W A G Penlington The Town Board offered a possible site for Gallery, through lack of funds a Gallery was never built. George Thompson Pritchard donated paintings to: • Havelock Town Board - these paintings as there was no where suitable to hang them, where lent to well known people in the area. Some of these paintings has gone missing There are 19 paintings in Havelock North at present. • New Zealand Parliament (Beehive) has 1 Signing of the Bill of Rights • National Gallery Wellington > 3 In Harbour > Men must work & Women must Weep > Unnamed • Bishop Suter Gallery - Nelson > 1 October Snow • Hawkes Bay Museum > 1 Street in Peking • 20 paintings held iat Duart House. Clearly there was something about Havelock North that never left George Thomson Pritchard. A letter written to Mr N T Smith the Havelock North Town Board Clerk in 1949, intimated that he had a desire to be buried in his birthplace, but it was a wish he hadn’t broached with his wife.