Obituary : The death has occured in Auckland of Mr Alfred Clark, a pioneer telephgraphist and postmaster in New Zealand, in his 83rd year. My Clarke came to New Zealand as a boy in 1859 in the ship Mystery, which had a tragic history and was eventually lost at sea.Mr Clark took passage in the Mystery on her first voyage to the Antipodes and he often recalled the story of her eventful voyage from Tilbury Docks to Lyttleton. No fresh meat or milk was carried and the ship did not call at a single port in the whole five months she was on the voyage. Illness broke out amongst the passengers, and eighteen children died. On reaching Christchurch the passengers rushed to the barracks to secure work. Employment was to be obtained in abundance , harvesting absorbing most of the men. Mr Clark remembered Cathedral Square when it was a swamp, covered with flax and gorse (NB probably toitoi and not gorse), and he saw the foundation stone of of Christchurch Cathedral being laid. Some of his earliest recollections were of the Lyttleton Hills, before they were pierced by the tunnel. At the age of 14 he became a newsboy.

In 1870 he entered the Post and Telegraph Department as a messenger at Kaiapoi, and in 1875 was in the telegraph room at Napier. These were the pioneering days of telegraphy in New Zealand. The Maoris saw in the mysterious wires crossing the bush clad ravines and hills a particularly evil token of pakeha power, and gave the bush linesmen endless trouble. Sometimes it happened that a new section of line had only just been opened for a few days when it was pulled down by belligerent tribes, and it was during Mr Clark's term at Napier that several surveyors were murdered in the Waikato.

Everyone's nerves were on edge and every time the Morse buzzed the operators expected to hear further bad news from the "shifting camps" as the outpost parties of linesmen were known. Mr Clark used used to sleep in those days with a bell beside his bed so that he could be awakened in an emergency. Communication with the outside world was expensive. It cost 1/- to send a letter to England via San Francisco and 1/6d via Suez.

When the telegraph line from Auckland to Russell was opened in 1874, Mr Clark went to Auckland. He opened the Waipu Post Office in 1875, was relieving postmaster at Whangarei and Warkwork, and from 1877 to 1886 he was postmaster at Waiuku. He was then transferred to Rakaia in the South Island and was postmaster at Otaki for three years and at Lawrence, Otago Central for six years. He retired in 1911.

Children of Alfred and Sarah:

1 George William Alfred Clark b: 07 Sep 1866 in Christchurch d: 11 Jan 1951 in North River, Waipu, New Zealand - occupation telephonist. He married Helen Signal on 26 Apr 1901 in Wesleyan Church, Wanganui Helen was born 12 Dec 1876 to parents  James Signal  and Emily Ann nee Constaut Their sons were Alfred James and Howard George Clark

.... 2 Leonard John Clark b: 07 Sep 1879 d: 17 Aug 1937 in Wellington He was manager Singer Sewing Machine Co. His wife Margaret Louisa Evans Wilkins was born Abt. 1881 Father: Percy Reginald PARIS Mother: Violet Rosetta CLARK. They married 05 Jan 1904 in St. John's Methodist Church, Hardy Street, Nelson Burial: Karori Cemetery: Two children - Elsie Margaret and Thomas Burton Clark.

.... 3 Rupert Frederick Barnard Clark b: 02 Aug 1876 and died 27 Nov 1906 the result of an accident docking a ship at Calliope Dock, Devonport, Auckland Burial: 30 Nov 1906 O'Neils Point

.... 4 Wilfred Barnard Clark b: 23 Apr 1885 in Awhitu, Auckland d: 04 Feb 1953 in 90 Kingston Avenue, Haberfield, Sydney, He married Agnes Henderson Elder and their two children born in China were Geoffrey and Hugh Miller Elder Clark. Wilfred worked as manager for the Mukden Railways in Manchuria

 

.... 5 Amy Sarah Clark b: 26 Nov 1882 in Waiuku was a chemist - she died 10 Nov 1971 in At home, 134 Britomart Street, Wellington Burial: 13 Nov 1971 Cremated at Karori Cemetery Her husband, accountant George Stanley* Chisholm was born 05 Jul 1873 in Wellington. They married 18 Aug 1908 in Presbyterian Church, Lawrence his Father: Joseph Wilson Chisholm Mother: Elizabeth Gell.  Stanley died 26 Jul 1973 in Brentwood Hospital, Wellington. Their family -  Joyce Amy, Allan and  Robert (Bob) Stanley Chisholm.

.... 6 Nellie Jane Clark b: 16 Apr 1889 in Rakaia d: 17 May 1990 in Porirua;  Cremated at Whena Tapu 21 May 1990. Nellie married James Alexander Norrie in 1912 at Wellington. He was born 1887 in Gore - his Father: John Norrie Mother: Catherine Fisher. A solicitor, he died 27 Jul 1966 in Lower Hutt Cremated at Karori Cemetery 30 Jul 1966. Their daughter was Wynne Nance Norrie