This is the place

I'm a descendant of Henry and Eleanor Morey, who came to New Zealand in 1864 aboard the ship "Talbot", and settled at Parua Bay. Of their 10 children, several settled the area from Coromandel to Parua Bay and up the Tutukaka Coast.

My great grandmother, (Selina) Louisa Morey, married Charles Augustus Munro in 1884. They took over Charles' fathers (David Munro) farm in Parua Bay, but later sold the farm and lived at several locations, including Ngunguru. They sharemilked for a relative, Edgar Clements, and Charles also worked at the Ngunguru Sawmill. Louisa became a midwife and would sometimes come out to Ngunguru to deliver a baby. Transport was often by horse and buggy (or sledge) and launch, and babies were delivered by candlelight, as there was no electricity at Ngunguru then.

Selina had 12 children, including my grandmother, Daisy Euphemia Munro, and Charles Kenroy (Ken) Munro. Daisy married Elliot Thomas Armstrong in 1889 and they had 5 children. They settled on a 152ha piece of land on Waiotoi Road, Ngunguru, which Elliot toiled on to turn the bush into viable farmland. Their first house had an earthen floor and the walls were built of palings. Grand-dad Elliot was a man of many talents, working the farm by himself, draining swamps, creating bricks, and even building a flying fox to get water from the river. While at Ngunguru, Elliot was heavily involved in community projects, and was instrumental into getting a road through from Whangarei. He also served on the Ngunguru School Board.

Elliot and Daisy farmed at Ngunguru until 1939 when their eldest son, Albert Edward Armstrong, took over the property.

Ken Munro was a well-known businessman and was the Kiripaka representative on the Whangarei County Council for many years. He lived at Ngunguru, where Munro Place is named after him. That street is part of an old racecourse.

Another daughter of Louisa and Charles, Hazel Isobel Munro, was on the RMS Niagara when it hit a mine on 19 June 1940, near the Poor Knights Islands. En-route to a nursing position in Fiji, Hazel lost all her possessions, including her highly prized nursing medal, but her life was saved.

Selwyn Elliot Armstrong, my father, was born in 1920. He and his brother and sisters attended Ngunguru School. Despite having his leg amputated at a young age, Selwyn rode his horse to school. Elliot fashioned an artificial leg for Selwyn, since nothing else was available.

Elliot and Daisy moved into Whangarei after they passed on the farm to Albert, and Albert also eventually sold the farm. That might have been the end of our connection with Ngunguru, but I'm pleased to say, I've come back!

I'm Lesley Armstrong-Jennings, and together with my husband, George, and our eldest daughter, Montana, we returned to Ngunguru in 1996 and purchased a house in Shoebridge Crescent. Dad told us that this is where old Captain Shoebridge grew peanuts, so George intends trying to grow some himself this year. In 1997 we had triplet girls, Sophie, Zoe, and Libby, and in 1998 I started my own home-based business. Shopenzed.com is an internet gift store which has "grown like topsy" since 1998. We serve the local community as well as people from around the world.

We have so many Morey relatives along the Coast - the Clements, Timperleys, Munros, Snells, Davis', Wracks, Pullmans, to name but a few. It's a great feeling to be back here on the Tutukaka Coast, in the midst of such wonderful history.