Charles Gray and W.H. Field MP

Charles Gray had the ability to get on with well-known people including Sir Maui Pomare, Sir Ernest Shackleton [Link to Charles Gray and Sir Ernest Shackleton] and members of Parliament. When the Rt Hon Bob Semple was Minister of Public Works he would often call in to visit Charles Gray while Centennial Highway was being built. “This of course was a pet project of Bob Semple’s and Gray told me what a pain in the neck Bob Semple became because he came out a lot to look at the place, and every time he came he’d always call in to help demolish a bottle of whiskey, but it suited them because they were able to get adjustments in what was going to suit their own farming needs.” (Roy Johnson, as told to Hugh Young)

Gray had a long-time and beneficial friendship with fellow sheep farmer and Member of Parliament William Henry Field, known as Willie. It began in 1902 when Field was asked to be the patron of the Horokiwi Valley Tennis Club which Gray was instrumental in forming. Field could not attend the formal opening of the Club which was opened by his wife. On Monday 28 August 1905 Gray was secretary of the committee hosting a Parliamentary party visiting Pāuatahanui. Gray and others met the group including Field, the Minister for Lands and four other members of Parliament, when they arrived at Paremata by the morning train. After lunch the party was shown around historic sites in the area and in the evening there was a social gathering in honour of Field in the Pāuatahanui Assembly Hall. Speeches referred to the efforts Field had made for the district particularly in the matter of roading. The evening concluded with dancing and songs. Three cheers were given to the committee with Gray mentioned as secretary. (New Zealand Mail, 30 July 1902, p 33, Evening Post, 29 August 1905, p5, New Zealand Times, 30 August 1905, p2) Soon after this Field asked in the House of Representatives for a rail siding at Pukerua and accompanied Gray to a meeting with the Minister of Railways and a further meeting with the Minister six months later. A siding was eventually provided. In June 1922 Field wrote to the Minister of Justice nominating Charles Gray, farmer of Pukerua as a Justice of the Peace.

In 1922 the Pukerua Bay Tennis Club formed by Gray on Gray’s land elected Field as Patron. Mr. and Mrs. Field attended the opening day. Later that year Gray was one of many who nominated Field for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. Field was an active adjudicator between the Gray faction and the Mulhern faction in the long running debate over the position of a rail crossing at Pukerua Bay.

In 1926 Mr and Mrs Field, along with the Prime Minister the Rt Hon J. G. Coates, attended the opening of the new roads ceremony at Pukerua Bay. In his speech Field referred to the big part Mr. Gray had played in improving the district, that Gray had presented a fine site for a school site, and also sufficient area to provide for all the sports facilities that were likely to be required by Pukerua. The distinguished guests had lunch at the Gray homestead. (Evening Post, 22 March 1926, p11)

At the ceremony in 1927 marking the introduction of electricity to Pukerua Bay Mr Field, in his speech outlining the history of Pukerua Bay, “spoke in the highest terms of Mr. Gray, through whose efforts the township had gone ahead in leaps and bounds.” (Dominion, 3 October 1927, p12)

No progress was made in providing an official rail crossing at Pukerua Bay and in 1929 Gray wrote a formal letter to Field pointing out the absence of a crossing and requesting Field to put before the Minister of Railways the need for a temporary measure until an overbridge was erected. The Minister for Railways, the Minister for Public Works, Field and other MPs with their officials visited Pukerua Bay. Pukerua residents contributed to a £200 cheque which Field presented to the General Manager of Railways paving the way for an overbridge. (Pukerua Bay: Road Crossings 1909 – 1982. R23932454. Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.)

Both Gray and Field spoke in favour of woolgrowers at the Wellington Town Hall in 1930 when an auction was cancelled after members of the Wool Buyers’ Association did not turn up. Farmers were withholding wool because of low prices. (Evening Star, 21 February 1930, p2) In January 1935 at a Plunket fundraising carnival Field expressed pleasure at being present at such an event and welcomed back Mr and Mrs Gray who had recently returned from a trip to England. Later that year Field approached the Minister of Public Works for funding to prevent the “grave damage threatened at any moment” by the flooding of the Otaki River. The chairman of the River Board was advised by Field to meet with the Minister as soon as possible and that “Mr. Charles Gray, of Pukerua Bay, who recently visited the locality, would be glad to assist the deputation as an independent and practical observer.” (Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 April 193,5 p2) Both Gray and Field were part of a deputation representing residents and ratepayers of Paekākāriki, Pukerua, Plimmerton, Paremata, Pāuatahanui, Porirua, Titahi Bay, and Tawa Flat urging the Minister of Finance to grant more money to complete the Tawa Flat rail deviation as soon as possible. (Evening Post, 28 May 1935, p9)

By Ashley Blair