91st BIRTHDAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 July 1937, Page 2

91st BIRTHDAY

MU J. VORBACH’S RECORD Born at Liverpool in 184 G. and still hale and hearty despite the fact that he entered the ranks of the nonogenarians a year ago. says the “Express,” Mr J Vorbuch. of Renwick, recently celebrated his 91st birthday with a family gathering at his home. The old gentleman has had a varied lifetime, and his tales of life on the goldfields in the early days, and his memories of conditions in the Dominion in the late 60's, rendered him an intensely interesting personality.

Mr Vorbach left England with his parents when a lad of ten on the old sailing ship Premonia, the vessel carrying 400 passengers on her maiden voyage, which was uneventful, although on the next trip the boat was wrecked off the American coast. The family settled temporarily at Smithdale, near Ballarat, where Mr Vorbach served his time as a blacksmith. In 1860 another move was decided upon and he crossed the Tasman, landing at Hokitika. News of discoveries of gold had attracted him. and for a time he worked a claim, but apparently without much success, for he next went on to Auckland. He had been there for only a short period when a report of gold at Thames sent him hurrying there. The year 1869 found him at Nelson, and in the same year he came through to B'enheim to try his luck at the Cockatoo gold mine at Bartlett's creek, making the journey on foot over the Maungatapu track. He next went to Havelock, and later to Picton, where he worked at his trade of blacksmithing. In 1872 he took up l.is residence at Renwick, establishing the well-known business which he carried on until 1930, remaining at the anvil until his 84th year. Mr Vorbach was married twice, his first wife being the widow of the late Mr Robert Watson, of Renwick. There was a family of three sons by this marriage. Messrs Harry Vorbach. of Langley Dale, Allen Vorbach, of Ward, and Phillip, whose death occurred about four years ago at Hamilton. His second wife was Miss H. Hammond, of Nelson, and five children were born—Mesdames S. Hawkins, of Havelock, R. Fraider, of Auckland, T. Williams, of Blenheim, F. Robinson, of Rapaura, and Mr Arthur Vorbach. of Blenheim. A clever tradesman Mr Vorbach has patented a number of inventions. Many years ago, after an acquaintance had paid £24 for a bicycle, he set to work and constructed his own machine which served him for a long period He recalls reading once that, for a wager, a Sydney blacksmith made 24 horse-shoes in an hour, and he is extremely proud of the fact that once he himself made 25 shoes in 55 minutes. Mr Vorbacn was one of the founders of the Working Men’s Club in Blenheim, and enjoys the distinction of being its oldest member. j