Short stories

The Hudson Super 6 nine-seater at Mt Cook: David Thomas Cloake's 1920s visit to New Zealand. This same vehicle, operated by Bennett's Garage, transported rural children to Timaru schools.

The 1920s and early 1930s in South Canterbury were years of contrasts - between prosperity and poverty, hope and hardship, motor cars and bare feet. Two families navigating this world would later be joined through marriage, but their children's school days told very different stories about rural life during the Depression years.

Rural children in the Washdyke, Rosewill, Springbrook, and Pareora districts faced daily journeys through dusty summer tracks and muddy winter roads to reach their small, often single-teacher schools. Yes, children regularly rode horses to school, and rural primary schools maintained dedicated horse paddocks where up to 15-20 horses grazed during school hours. For secondary school in Timaru, rural students relied on the Fairlie Flyer steam train from Washdyke station, boarding in town, or daily motor car transport for the fortunate few whose families could afford it.

Bertie Cloake’s Photographic Record (c. 1900–1922)

I. The Cornish Genesis and the Artisan Mindset

Long before he stood in the vast, unformed landscapes of the South Island high country, Bertie Thomas Cloake was exploring the intricate mechanics of photographic capture as a teenager in Cornwall. Raised in a culture defined by precise traditional trades and the rigorous methodologies of structural insurance work, Bertie did not approach photography as a casual, mid-Edwardian amusement. To him, it was a disciplined craft that demanded absolute technical accountability.

School days for Harry and Dawn

Rural school transport 1920-30s

Bertie's Photographer Eye

Bertie Cloake’s Photographic Record (c. 1900–1922)

I. The Cornish Genesis and the Artisan Mindset