Ohinemuri - Charles Tunnard Mettam

Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 39, September 1995

AN EARLY PAEROA RESIDENT

(Editors Note: Three photographs of Mr Mettam, an early Paeroa resident were donated to the Paeroa Museum and the following information was obtained from an obituary which accompanied the photograph. Recently Mr Mettam's granddaughter, Mrs Kay Bustard, wrote to the Society supplying further information. Excerpts from her letter are also published here. Mrs Bustard resides in Sydney.)

Charles Tunnard Mettam was born on 1 August 1879 at Wanganui and later attended the Hamilton Primary School. On leaving school he became a joiner, working for Mr James McAndrew of Paeroa from 1895 and later for Messrs Le Manquais Lamb & Co., being the factory manager for this firm.

He took a keen interest in the Masonic Lodge and was secretary of the Ohinemuri Royal Arch Chapter for many years. He was a chairman of the Paeroa District High School Committee and president of the Paeroa Bowling Club.

Keenly interested in music, he was a member of the Paeroa Municipal Band for over 20 years and did much to foster interest in music in Paeroa. He was interested in sport generally, especially in athletics and football. He was a member of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club.

Excerpts from Mrs Kay Bustard's letter:

My grandfather, Mr Charles Tunnard Mettam was born on 1 August 1881 at Wanganui and died on the 5 November 1945. He had seven sisters and two brothers, one who died at a very young age. The sisters were Leah, Clara, Florrie, Jane, Kate, Vi and Ethel and his brother was Edwin.

The "Tunnard" in my grandfather's name came from his grandmother's maiden name, Jane Tunnard. She married John Mettam in 1849 in York, England. The Tunnard name has been handed down to the males in each generation. My father's name was Leslie Tunnard Mettam, my eldest brother, Kenneth Charles Tunnard Mettam and his son, Gregory Paul Tunnard Mettam.

My grandfather went to Australia to see one of his sisters, Kate, who was married to a "Aussie" and while there met my grandmother, Lillian Beatrice Clausen, who was boarding with Kate and Arthur. Lillian was born in Emmaville, Australia, a little place on the border of N.S.W. and Queensland but moved to Woonoona, N.S.W. to work. They married on the 22 April 1912 at the residence of Kate and Arthur Fletchers. They went back to Paeroa to live where my father, Leslie, was born. Other children were Thomas Lawrence and Lorna (twins). Sadly they died of whooping cough at four months of age. My grandmother was heartbroken and they returned to Australia for a while before settling in New Zealand.