Reference No. 1

 

My name is Bruce Rugby Whiteside and I am 75 years old. Born in Invercargill I spent 30 years in Christchurch. From 1935-45 and again from 1958-79. Between 1945 and 1958. my formative years were spent in the Bay of Plenty, namely Whakatane and Tauranga. I met my wife Iris of 33 years at Mt Cook. I was a painter and paperhanger. In 1979 I came to Australia and have lived on the Gold Coast since Jan 1 1981

My grandfather William Henry was a baker in Greymouth at the turn of the 20th century. He married a Phoebe Priscilla BODDY. William Henry was born in Tapanui. His father Samuel James came out from County Antrim, born in 1838

William Henry and Phoebe had four children William Richard, Victor Samuel, Myrtle and Myra Phoebe. William Richard was my father,  Generally the families lived in Christchurch and Whakatane. Some though not all were at one time involved with the Salvation Army. William Richard (Bill) was for a great part of his working life a painter and paperhanger. At 50 he became a newspaper correspondent and then went to work for Leicester Spring at the Whakatane (then Bay of Plenty) Beacon. He went on to become Sub editor, opting to turn down the editorship to train younger men. By a strange twist of fate my son Leslie Robert bought a newspaper from a man that my father trained. Leslie Robert, JoAnne Rosemary and Brent William were children by my first marriage Leslie has owned five newspaper. Today he is owner of the Blenheim Sun. His son lives in Rangiora Jamie. Jamie and Rebecca (nee Stinson) have three children Caleb, Abby and Connor.

Sadly both my Mother Garcia and my youngest son died under tragic circumstances. Of my siblings Dawn Mabon(72) passed away last June. Beverley Ryan 70 still lives in Whakatane whilst brother Craig (55) is a carpet-laying contractor in Tauranga.

 

Family Photographs

 

     

Phoebe Whiteside                Four Generations 1935           Jean & Brent 1966, Bruce's first wife

 

   

Bill and Garcia and family 1953  - Umpire Bill (30 years)- Bruce and Dawn 1937

 

          

 

Bill and Iris (1977)                                         32 Bridge St, Whakatane

 

   

William Henry and family 1937                    Bruce Whiteside, being interviewed by Japan's leading newspaper Asahi Shimbun

 

                                                                   

 

Foreign Ownership Meeting Miami, 1988. 1500 people attended.               Bob and Bev Ryan 1961. (Beverley Whiteside)

 

 

The Brogdens. Myrtle Whiteside, daughter of William Henry Whiteside .     Sienna Hayston , Bruce's Great-Grand-daughter    2 years on ..Rebecca (Bekky) and Sienna

 Harry came from Barrow -on-Furness              

               

Iris and Bruce, Mt Tamborine. Wed. Ann., 33 years      Bruce, Jean #1 wife Garcia and Bill Whiteside's

     

 This is the result of giving cricket away! 1966.          Bill Whiteside, Riccarton, Chch 1925  *     Bruce, Whakatane United 1954*

*Bill  was a hard hitting middle order batsman, median pace and leg spin bowler and captain of Riccarton, Chch 3rd grade. Later he renewed his interest, when son Bruce also developed a keen interest at the age of 12. Countless hours Bill spent bowling to his son, who at the age of 12 pestered the life out of a local club to 'give him a game'. Bruce game the game away at 21 to get married. He played for the old P & T club, Whakatane United, Whakatane reps, Bay of Plenty and was a Northern District trialist  and then retired. He ended his brief career topping the local competition batting averages. Fifteen years later he played a one off game for St Albans in Christchurch, batting at no 11 on the first day and when his team collapsed to be all out for 49, 236 runs behind on the first innings, he asked to open the 2nd innings. He batted first drop  and five hours later collapsed on taking a second run and was run out. Batting on a real turf wicket for the first and last time he made 94. Bill always believed his son would play at Lords, so it must have been a disappointment that he abandoned the game he loved. For the next forty years Bill was cricket writer, umpire, selector, President and highly thought of by the wider cricketing fraternity. Perhaps Bill imbued in his son a greater passion, that of politics. That is his son at the lectern in front of an international world press and 1500 on Australia's Gold Coast in 1988. (see http://rugbywhiteside.tripod.com)

 

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