Lindsey Re-Union - 1986

Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 31, September 1987

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When the descendants of Arthur and Minnie Lindsey held a family re-union in October 1986, over 140 attended the gathering in the Salvation Army Citadel. The weekend commenced with a cup of tea on Saturday afternoon followed by a visit to old family homes, graves, schools, etc. The re-union dinner at night featured a sing-along, a video and a concert by family members. A service was held on Sunday in the Citadel followed by lunch.

Arthur Lindsey was born in 1877 at Paparata and moved to Waihi in 1895 where he worked as a blacksmith at Waikino Battery. He married Minnie Williams in 1899 and settled first in a house in Slevin Street and then moved to a house in Victoria Street opposite the grounds on which the Waihi South School was to be built.

They had ten children and the two oldest boys, Bert and Alf, were some of the first day pupils at Waihi South School when it opened in 1909.

Two years later, Arthur was appointed manager of the borough farm at Waimata and the family moved to one of the houses on the farm. The children still attended South School and many tales were told about driving a horse and buggy to school.

There were at that time up to six houses and families living at the borough farm which was a busy place. A large number of horses was used by the borough council and oats and chaff had to be grown and cut. Also, each weekend the horses were taken out from Waihi to spell at the farm.

Arthur and Minnie attended the Salvation Army in Waihi and Arthur was the first convert after the Army commenced in 1895. When the band formed, Arthur played the violin and became bandmaster later when it became a brass band. Since then there has always been a Lindsey in the band with five Lindseys playing at the present time.

A brass band was also formed in those days with Arthur as bandmaster. The band was recorded on an old Edison recorder which was one of the first recordings round. An early well-known settler of Waimata, Syd Thompson, was announcer with the opening phrase of the recording being - "The Waimata brass band will now play the selection 'The Boys from the Dardenelles'".

One thing mentioned at the re-union was that the families living on the borough farm were mainly members of the Salvation Army and they formed their own Sunday School for the children.

The borough farm was not required to the same extent with the advent of cars and trucks so the family shifted again to a house at the south end of Victoria Street.

Arthur then started, work at the Martha Mine as carpenter and many work-mates spoke of his skill at handling the big sized timber required, for poppet legs used over mine shafts.

The children, all born in Waihi, were: Bert (dec), Alf, Nellie, Elsie, Fred (dec), Walter (dec), Ada (dec), Minnie (dec), Dave (dec) and Artie.

Apart for a couple of years up until 1981 there had always been a descendent of Arthur and Minnie Lindsey at South School with the name of Lindsey. Others have attended but not with the actual name of Lindsey.

Arthur and Minnie were amongst the early bach owners at Waihi Beach with their bach situated where the present tennis are. Later, with the aid of horses, it was shifted to its present site at the top of Pacific road where it is still owned by a member of the family, Elsie (Mrs. Fletcher).

Arthur Lindsey died in 1947 and Minnie in 1965.

Son, Dave, (a flying officer) was lost over the English Channel in 1944 during World War II.

Artie still resides in Waihi, Alf and Elsie in Hamilton and Nellie lives in Otahuhu. These four remaining children were able to attend the re-union.