M!ss M. M.Lambley Born I Oruru in 1865

Northern Advocate, 7 May 1949, Page 4

M!ss M. M.Lambley Born I Oruru in 1865

OBITUARY .

The death occurred at the Whangarei District Hospital on Thursday of Miss Madoline Mary Lambly, who was in her 84th year.

Her associations go back to the very early days of white settlement in Mangonui. Her father, the late Mr John William Lambly, son of an English squire, arrived at Auckland aboard the sailing vessel Whirlwind, in 1859. Fellow-passengers were the Rev. C. B. Dunn, formerly personal chaplain to Queen Victoria, and his family. A shipboard romance sprang up between .Lambly, then 21 years of age, and, Lavina Ada, Mr Dunn’s eldest daughter. MARATHON COURTSHIP Mr Lambly took over the managership of Captain Butler’s estate at Oruru. Continuing the courtship, he tramped each week 25 miles over pig tracks through the bush, and swam rivers to see his betrothed at Kaitaia.

They married in 1862 and Miss Madoline Lambly, their eldest daughter, was born at Oruru in 1865.. She well remembered as a girl herds of semi-wild cattle-from the family’s property near Kaitaia being driven to Mangonui, where, from the small bay near the present police station, they were hauled by an endless rope attached to their horns, to waiting cutters. Once brought to the ship’s side, they were hoisted aboard by hand-manipulated windlass.

On arrival at the Auckland market, the fattest beasts made £3 net. KID GLOVES Quite unaccustomed to colonial conditions and manual work, her father created somewhat of a sensation upon first taking up the Oruru property by donning kid gloves preparatory to putting in a play pulling docks. While the family was residing at Bellevue, on the Pukepoto Road, near Kaitaia, Miss Lambly attended Mr Ephraim Shannon's private school at Kaitaia. *

After eight years at Bellevue, her father purchased a property and general store at Oruru. Here Miss Lambly conducted the store, post office and dressmaking establishment. She’ was an accomplished horsewoman and tennis player. Miss Lambly assisted in establishment of the Oruru-Peria Agricultural and Pastoral Society and won many awards for needlework, preserves, cooking and flowers.

GARDEN HOBBY Upon her retirement to Whangarei in 1922 she made her garden her chief hobby and continued to tend her beautiful blooms until her first serious illness a month ago.

She was a most regular attender at Christ Church, Whangarei. The funeral service yesterday was conducted by Archdeacon A. H. Johnson and the Rev. K. J. Mackie. A sister, Mrs H. F. Chandler, of Powhiri Avenue, Whangarei, is the last surviving member of the original family of four.