The Pickhandle - A brief history and 2014 result

The Huntley Pick-handle Match

In 1928 the Huntley cricket coach Mr Sprat Sherriff asked Mr Ken Marshall to select and captain a team of Rangitikei Old Boys to play the Huntley 1^st XI. They decided that the Old Boys would make as many runs as they could --- but they had to bat with pick-handles. The innovation was a great success and the game has been played every year except for 1938 (too wet), 1948 (polio) and 1965 (too wet). The most regular players are given first refusal of a game each year. Dan Godfrey played in 54 pick-handle matches, Gordon Hare 50, Aubone Fullerton-Smith 47, John Openshaw 42, Bruce Tidy 41, Philson Sherriff 41 and Bill Simpson 39. After the Prep School matches this game is still the highlight of the Huntley cricket year.

In 1955, after twenty eight years, Ken Marshall retired and John Openshaw took over captaining the Old Boys. John Openshaw played his last game in 1975 and for the next five years Aubone Fullerton-Smith was captain. In 1980 Philson Sherriff became the captain and selector. Twenty years later he retired and Dick Fullerton-Smith, who was also the chairman of the Huntley Board, became the organiser. Today Philson’s son Edward Sherriff captains and selects the Huntley Rangitikei Old Boys pick-handle team.

The annual Pickhandle match was played recently with a win to the Huntley 1^st XI. This is the first time the Huntley 1^st XI has won since 2007.

Huntley                203 all out

                Levi Woolston 48, Jack Gibbs 35, Kelvin Brown 28, Geordie Ellis 26

                Paul McLean – 4 wickets for 8 runs, Dan Gordon 3 wickets for 14 runs

Pickhandle          193 all out

                Mark Godfrey 73, Dan Gordon 34, Paul McLean 27

                Ben Strang – 3 wickets for 26 runs, Hadleigh O’Leary 3 wickets for 32 runs

Norman Cameron (1944-1950)

Norman’s first schooling was by correspondence and even though there was a governess who acted as teacher he would not learn. His parents decided that he would be better at boarding school, so at the tender age of six and a half years old Norman joined Brian at Huntley School in Marton. He spent the next seven years there, before going onto Wanganui Collegiate School in 1951. As Huntley was 150 miles away his parents hardly ever visited and Norman looked forward to the holidays where he rode Shetland ponies which loved to dislodge the rider, also shooting rabbits and playing cards with the staff.

Norman passed School Certificate and his father decided he would be better employed at home so he left Collegiate at the end of the first term in 1954. Norman worked as a shepherd on many around the Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay over the next few years.

When Norman’s grandfather died the farm was split between his daughters. They drew straws to decide who got which block. Rae Cameron (One of the sisters) drew the middle block which she called “Kiriwai” and she asked Norman to manage it. He accepted the offer and moved on to the farm at the start of 1960. Kiriwai was an undeveloped block of 2,000 acres with about 150 acres of broken- in land, the rest being swamps and bush. It carried 700 sheep and 100 cattle. The next 32 years saw Norman finish up grazing 1200 acres and the carrying capacity increased to 2500 sheep and 400 cattle.

Norman married twice. His first wife had a son, John, who Norman adopted. They were married for 10 years and then divorced.

 Norman married his present wife Gillian (Jill) Crawford on the 20^th of February 1987 and they lived on the farm. In 1992 Norman & Jill sold “Kiriwai” to Peter Walton from Southland and moved to a 90acre fattening unit near Carterton. Norman found running a fattening farm wasn’t his cup of tea so in 1995 they sold the farm to the neighbours and moved to Waiheke Island. For the next twelve years Norman worked on Goldman’s farm until he reached seventy when he retired. At present is on the Clan Cameron Auckland Branch Committee, working on family genealogy and collecting old family photos.

Over the years he served on a Vestry, Wellington Acclimatisation Council, enjoyed clay bird shooting, duck shooting and tramping with the Kaumutua Club. Norman joined Rotary on Waiheke Island and was President 2009/2010, he also is a member of the local Probus Club where he is a past president as is Jill who was the first president.

(Extracts from Norman Charles Cameron’s autobiography)

Tom Davies (1981-83)

I went on to Wanganui Collegiate, Lincoln University and then to the Rural/National Bank.
I am currently an Investment Adviser and Director of Craigs Investment Partners and have been with Craigs since 2000.  I am based in our Rotorua Office, married to Melanie, with 3 children Charlie 1 ½ , George 3 ½, Emily 5 ½. 
I am keen to see any other old boys if they are passing through Rotorua.

Ian McKelvie (1962-1965)

Ian spent four years of his early life at Huntley School and as one of only six standard three boys to start school in 1962, got to know the old buildings very well. He also spent a couple of terms in the new dormitory block before moving on to Wanganui Collegiate, and then onto Massey University, before returning to Pukemarama to farm in the lower Rangitikei in the Manawatu.

Whilst at Huntley, Ian played for the 1^st XV in 1964-65 and also the 1^st X1 in 1964-65, the second as captain. He also played in Matt Guerins 1^st X1 Football team which was very much a fledgling sport in a School where Cricket and Rugby were totally dominant.

Sport also dominated School life at Wanganui with a year in the 1^st xv and much time spent on the cricket field.

On leaving school Polo took over and took Ian too many parts of the world including time in England, Ireland, Africa and also Australia where he represented New Zealand. An interest in horse racing and cycling followed.     

Thirty years farming led to other things, firstly as a company director in the commercial world, a stint as President of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand (1998-2001), Chairman of Special Olympics New Zealand (2010 – current) and then as Mayor of the Manawatu District (2002-11), and more recently as the Member of Parliament for Rangitikei (2011 - current).

Ian married Sue Feildes in 1974 and they have three children together, Diana, Cam and Angus - the boys both attended Huntley School.  Ian & Sue now have 6 grandchildren.         

Whitney Griffiths 1954-1957

After leaving Nelson College in 1964 I spent 19 years with the Royal Air Force flying fighter jets all over Europe and the Middle East. For the last 26 years I have been an Airline Captain with various Companies flying most of the big Boeings and all the Airbus Aircraft. Currently I am teaching in the Airbus Simulator in the UK and overseas.

I have a small farm in Martinborough where I run a few sheep and cattle and we spend 5 months of the year in the lovely Wairarapa.

Chris Holdaway (Dr) (1964-1968)

I went on to Nelson College as a 3rd Former, and boarded there in Rutherford House until the end of my 6th Form (1972). Then attended Freyberg High School in Palmerston North as a 7th Former.
I attended Massey University in 1974 where I completed my "intermediate year" and was fortunate enough to gain entrance into Medical School at Otago Uni and also Vet School at Massey - I chose Medicine.
I completed my undergrad years at Dunedin and Wellington.
I was then a House Surgeon for 2 years in Whangarei Hospital.
I started Surgical Training in Auckland in 1982 and completed my specialist training in General Surgery in 1986.
I spent 2 post Fellowship Years in UK and returned to NZ in 1988 where I embarked on superspecialty training in the new surgical discipline of Vascular Surgery.
I was appointed a Vascular Surgical Consultant at Waikato Hospital where I have been ever since, except for brief sabbatical leave periods.

I am now Head of Surgery at Waikato DHB.

I have also had a shadow career in the NZ Army. I joined OUMC as an Officer cadet in 1975 and received my commission in 1977. I have spent time attached to 2nd Field Hospital (Wellington), 1st Field Ambulance (Auckland), reached the rank of Lt Col and commanded the 1st Med Bn. I served several periods in the Regular Force including being the Medical officer for NZ Bat 3 in Bosnia and have had 2 tours of Duty leading my Field Surgical team in Timor, where we performed a number of major surgical procedures on the traumatized civilians. I currently act in an advisory role to NZ Army and RNZAMC.

I am currently the Senior Vascular Surgeon in the Waikato and Midland Region, spending most time at Waikato hospital; but also have a busy Private Practice. I am Head of Surgery at WDHB which involves leading a 90 strong team of surgeons across 9 surgical specialties.

I have been blessed with 4 daughters and 1 son.

This is a very abbreviated version of my Life - needless to say it has been a very interesting journey.

Kyall Green (1979-1981)

 
After Huntley, I went on to Palmerston North Boys High School from 1982-1986.
I am currently working for Alliance Group as a Livestock Agent covering the central north island and live in Wanganui. I am married to Lisa and we have two girls Georgina and Molly aged 12 & 10. I am the chairman of my local rugby club (Kaierau) and have been a board member of the Wanganui Rugby Union for the last few years.