Acknowledgement

This website, the eBook and the subsequent Newsletters would not have been possible without the effort of  all who contributed to the project.  But a very special thanks must go to the  few who were instrumental in getting me started and keeping me on track and to those whose prior work has contributed so much to this document.

To Mr. Alistair McLachlan of the Wallace Early Settlers Association in Riverton for his time, patience and willingness to answer all my questions; to Mr. J. Nigel Overton* for his excellent account of early life in Otapiri and Lora Gorge and his permission to use excerpts from the book; to Louise Croot, Mrs. Charles Leslie Croot, for the Croot Family Album and her assistance in contacting other members of the family; to my life partner, Martin Catterall, for his patience, technological expertise and assistance; and to my uncle Ernest Stevens and my mother, Shirley Morait , for all their research, for their stories and memories and the photos and keepsakes that proved so valuable in the end.

 To you all, thank you.

In Memory of…

 Copyright © Lesley Catterall 2006-2009. All rights reserved. This is a free website and no part of it can be reproduced or sold without the prior permission of the author.

Our New Zealand Heritage

The History and Heritage of the Stevens, Lydiard, Eveleigh, Croot, and Day Families (and any others entangled therein)

Les and Elsie Stevens with their five children on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary—24 June 1984.

About the Family

This website and the supporting eLetters have come about from a desire to preserve the history and heritage of the families of Les and Elsie Stevens.

Since the passing of Les (1989) and Elsie (1992), the family has grown, branched out and has spread to the four corners of the globe. There is a risk that unless we can capture the memories of those who knew Les and Elsie—their children, grandchildren, cousins, and friends—the stories of the past will be lost to time.

But this story is not just about one family, it is about all the families that have made ours over the last century and a half.

This is also a story of a land; a land that is home to us all—regardless of where we may now live— a home made possible by the work of our ancestors who carved a life out of the swamps of Murihiki. Through the efforts of Les Stevens’ father, grandfather and great grandfather, through the determination of Elsie Stevens’ mother and grandmothers, opportunities were created that have enabled much more than one family to survive.

Les and Elsie Stevens were my grandparents; I knew them well.  I had the privilege of knowing all of their five children, their two daughters-in-law, their three sons-in-law and all of the other eighteen grandchildren. I look back on those years and I know they were good years worthy of being remembered. But time and families of our own have caused us to drift far from the roots of our family. I want to remember those times, and more importantly, I want the memories to live on so my son and his children can read about those who have gone before and look back on these well lived lives and know that the story is continuing.

This is a story with many beginnings and is a story that has no end… and that is how all good stories should be.

Lesley Catterall
2009

On 17 Nov 2008, Mr. James Nigel Overton passed away.  He was 94 years of age. As the author of “The Birth of a District” in 1984  he will be remembered for his contribution to the communities of Otipiri and Lora Gorge through his most detailed account of early life there.

 

History of this Website

Phase 1 of this project was to establish a family network and to make available the History and Heritage of Our Family as it stands today both in web form and in eBook form. That task proved both challenging and cumbersome and while the first edition of the eBook was published in December 2006, it soon became apparent that a more manageable medium was needed to communicate, update and collate family information.

Phase 2 saw a more streamlined approach, the creation of — Our NZ Heritage and Family History eLetter. Each issue is dedicated to a single member of the family and includes Stories, Photographs, the Family Tree for that member as well as printable trees of their lineage, and other relevant family news, views and contact information. The eLetter is distributed bimonthly that will automatically be sent to any registered member of the family.

In Remembrance…