Chapter 1: Barbara A Mackenzie, In the Beginning

Originally posted by Ron Easthope in 2016

Porangahau is a small coastal town 119 kilometers southwest from Napier. Along with its river it was an important site of Maori settlements in pre-European times. The first European run holders arrived in the early 1850s. The government founded the Porangahau Township in 1860.

Barbara Ann Mackenzie was born in Porangahau on 20 July 1891. She was one of the seven children of James and Ann Mackenzie, and was known by family and friends as “Tot”.¹

Her mother Ann had travelled as a toddler to New Zealand from Kirkton of Glen Isla, County Angus in 1864, along with her parents Peter and Christina Brough and older sister Mary.² They embarked on the SS Rangoon in London on 26 November 1863 and arrived in Napier on 23 July 1864.³ The Brough family settled in Porangahau, the newly-established township. Peter obtained a Crown Grant of 40 acres and established a livestock farm which in time grew to 100 acres.⁴

Barbara’s father James Mackenzie was born on 7 May 1856 in Kildonan House, Little Loch Broom near Ullapool, Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland. He was the son of James of the Glen and Barbara of Kildonan. James and five of his six brothers would emigrate to New Zealand.⁵

James travelled to New Zealand as a 20 year-old on the SS Fernglen, arriving in Napier on 20 March 1877. On arrival, he was accommodated in the Immigration Barracks, Napier, and promptly advertised for work as a Shepherd, citing experience and good references.⁶ He soon obtained work on the St Hill family sheep farm. His brother Donald followed James to New Zealand, arriving in 1878, and another brother Kenneth followed soon after. Older brothers William and Alexander also came to New Zealand.

In 1882 James Mackenzie and Ann Brough were married.

James’s brother Donald would go on to marry Ann’s sister Jayne in 1885.⁷

In 1886 James acquired the license to run the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Porangahau, and in 1891 he bought the hotel from the previous owner, G H Swan.⁸ Whilst there he became known as “The Duke”.⁹

Early in 1894 James retired from hotel keeping to become a sheep farmer in the Weber district, where he had acquired a few thousand acres.¹⁰ He and his family remained there until 1904 when they moved to a new home and farm at Mangatoro, which they called ‘Green Hills’. On the eve of that move, disaster struck with the burning down of the Weber house.¹¹ Fortunately there were no people in the house that night and James was staying with neighbours, but many of the Mackenzie’s records and possessions were lost in the fire.

Green Hills was a large farm, remote and self-contained. Growing up in that environment Barbara developed a love of horse riding, and a fearlessness and resourcefulness, qualities that would serve her well into adult life. Her parents ensured that a strong Christian faith was instilled in Barbara and her siblings, although a church was never seen in childhood. The occasional visits of the Church of Scotland minister left a lifelong impression.¹²
Barbara was for a time home tutored by Olive Gwendolyn Todd, daughter of a local medical practitioner. She did not attend a secondary school.¹³ James Mackenzie had wanted his daughter Barbara to study medicine but she was determined to become a nurse.¹⁴

James and Ann would later farm in the Wairarapa with their son Bill, and their daughter Isabella Robbins with husband Alexander and their three daughters. The property was known as ‘Poi Poi’ and was situated off Western Lake Road, Featherston.¹⁵ James died there in 1920 but Ann survived until 1936.