5
by Peggy Butterfield
April 2018
Historical Happenings
Great Characters of the East.
Ernest Handel Vincent Jones DADDY JONES
Ernest was a returned serviceman from Burma. He owned a property in Avonside, but
in later years he lived in a hut about 2km north of Waimairi Beach. The hut was built
beside a well and was surrounded by a thick high wall of bracken and branches for
protection from the wind and sand. In those days it was all sand dunes with very little
vegetation. He stayed there for 10 years, including the depression years.
Most people in North Beach had either seen or knew of him, and everyone knew him as
“Daddy Jones” He spent most of his days
painting scenes of the sea and surrounding
area and some of his paintings are still in
existence. He had a swim in the sea every day,
shot rabbits to supplement his diet, and
reloaded his own ammunition. He would walk
to North Beach to Thomson’s Store to get his
supplies, a round trip of 5 kilometres.
He was an accomplished trombone player and
made himself a crystal set which he invited his
visitors to listen to. His grandsons, Derek and
Maurice, would visit him and listen to the
crystal set. He was a pleasant man, and only
too pleased to make visitors a cup of tea with
condensed milk and show them his paintings.
He died in Nazareth House on February 8 th
1940 aged 74.
MONDAY MOVIES at the Museum
2nd
African Queen
1951 Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hep burn. Adventure 1hr 45min
9th That Night in Rio
1941 Carmen Miranda, Don Ameche Comedy Musical 1hr 35min
16th West of Zanzibar
1954 Anthony Steel, Sheila Sim, British Adventure 1hr 24min
23 rd The Great Waltz
1938 Luise Rainer, Fernard Gravet, Musical Drama 1hr 44min
30 th Steptoe and Son Ride Again
1973 Wilfrid Brambell, Harry H Corbett. Drama Comedy 1hr 39min