The fourth child of Bertie & Flossie (nee Hamlin) was born at Otaua. His father was farming while his mother apart from attend her growing small family was the local Postmistress at Otaua and later Waiuku. The Post Office was a small room at the end of their home. Eric's schooling started in Waiuku where the family moved to when he was about 4 years old, onto Papatoetoe Primary School when the family moved to Wallace Rd, secondary schooling was at Auckland Boys Grammar, travelling daily by train. Eric matriculated in 1917. On leaving school he joined the staff of Wright Stephenson (Wrightsons) (cnr Sturdee & Lower Hobson St, Auckland) where he experienced a number of positions. Weekends and holidays saw him join his Uncle Harold on the 1500 hectare Motutapu Island Now a reserve in the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park). There was also a call up for the Home Guard, with short stays at the Trentham Military Camp. However there had always be a desire for the outdoors, and after a few years he bought a small dairy farm at Horotiu. Eric had his mothers' sister, Rene Hamlin keep house for the bachelor for several years. Socially they attended a lot of the districts functions meeting friends who are still in regular contact sixty odd years later. After a few years, in 1931 the Horotiu farm was sold for a larger farm of 114 acres (26.69 hectares) at Parawera, 10 miles south east of Te Awamutu. The larger farm
enabled him to have both sheep and dairy cows. There was plenty of work to be done, with bringing the farm into production, he was able to
employ a man to help out. Lou Billington was with Eric for some time, but once the second World War was declared, all able bodied men were encourage to volunteer to sign up for their country, Eric was back to working the farm on his own, once again.
Over the next forty-eight years he continued to introduce new ideas and concepts to farming. One being the first irrigation plant to be used on a dairy farm in the Waikato. The Owairaka Stream was the back boundary of the farm, so he was able to draw water from the stream.
Experimenting in the promotion of baby beef for export in the sixties. These calves a (Friesian/l lereford cross) were born in June-July and slaughtered in late Autumn for the USA market. He continued to buy up small tracts of land, breaking it in with tractor, and heavy giant discs, a far cry from the horse and plough of his earlier years!
Eric's life was not all work, he was very involved with St Johns Church in Te Awamutu, being a great mate of Rev Martin Sullivan, who
was at that stage minister of the church. There were regular trips to Hamilton to court his future wife, Jessie Henry, and when not visiting her,
there were constant phone calls, and in those days one had to ring the local exchange to be connected to the number requested, there again a
great rapport with the man in the exchange, another life long friend. Jessie & Eric were married on 2nd November 1940 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hamilton.
Three children were born to Jessie & Eric, Rosalie-Ann, Leonora and Deryck Henry (Peter). When Peter was born the Sister at the Hospital in
Te Awamutu, phoned Eric to say he had a son, he could not believe he had a son after two daughters, so he promptly phoned the Doctor to
check that the Sister had got it correct! His family was complete. Apart from raising a family, public affairs, held a great interest for Eric, becoming a director of the Te Awamutu Co-operative Dairy Company in 1951 a position he was to hold for twenty-three years, 11 years as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Also deputy chairman of the South Auckland Dairy Association. Eric also took an active part in the formation of the dairy
producers consortium, becoming a foundation director. Among his community involvements, he was Chairman of the Parawera Hall Committee,
raising the funds to build the hall. Chairman for a term of the new Kihikihi Primary School was reopened in 1952, after previous beingburntto
the ground twelve years earlier. On retiring from the school committee he became the district representative for Ward 3 (Te Awamutu-Raglan)
on the South Auckland Education Board a position he held for eight years, retiring due to pressure of his farming interest, the farm having
a increased to 328 acres. Peter took over part of the farm, continuing to farm it for the next forty odd years. Peter preferred the dairy cows, so the sheep gradually disappeared. In 1979 they sold the remaining farm and retired to East Tamaki Heights, Howick on five acres.
Eric still had several sheep to look over, checking that they were still there each morning! Once a farmer always a farmer!
Leisure time pursuits included fishing and boating on the Waikato Lakes with annual family holidays to Mt Maunganui. Eric & Jessie were
members of the Hamilton Cruising Club taking them on weekend jaunts with boat in tow along with like minded club members. They had seven
years living a semi-retired life in Auckland. Eric & Jessie did not quite celebrate forty-six years Of married life both dying four months apart in
1986.
Eric's dates: Born 20 Sept 1903 Otaua, Waiuku, Died 21 Dec 1986 Otahuhu
enabled him to have both sheep and dairy cows. There was plenty of work to be done, with bringing the farm into production, he was able to
employ a man to help out. Lou Billington was with Eric for some time, but once the second World War was declared, all able bodied men were encourage to volunteer to sign up for their country, Eric was back to working the farm on his own, once again.
Over the next forty-eight years he continued to introduce new ideas and concepts to farming. One being the first irrigation plant to be used on a dairy farm in the Waikato. The Owairaka Stream was the back boundary of the farm, so he was able to draw water from the stream.
Experimenting in the promotion of baby beef for export in the sixties. These calves a (Friesian/l lereford cross) were born in June-July and slaughtered in late Autumn for the USA market. He continued to buy up small tracts of land, breaking it in with tractor, and heavy giant discs, a far cry from the horse and plough of his earlier years!
Eric's life was not all work, he was very involved with St Johns Church in Te Awamutu, being a great mate of Rev Martin Sullivan, who
was at that stage minister of the church. There were regular trips to Hamilton to court his future wife, Jessie Henry, and when not visiting her,
there were constant phone calls, and in those days one had to ring the local exchange to be connected to the number requested, there again a
great rapport with the man in the exchange, another life long friend. Jessie & Eric were married on 2nd November 1940 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hamilton.
Three children were born to Jessie & Eric, Rosalie-Ann, Leonora and Deryck Henry (Peter). When Peter was born the Sister at the Hospital in
Te Awamutu, phoned Eric to say he had a son, he could not believe he had a son after two daughters, so he promptly phoned the Doctor to
check that the Sister had got it correct! His family was complete. Apart from raising a family, public affairs, held a great interest for Eric, becoming a director of the Te Awamutu Co-operative Dairy Company in 1951 a position he was to hold for twenty-three years, 11 years as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Also deputy chairman of the South Auckland Dairy Association. Eric also took an active part in the formation of the dairy
producers consortium, becoming a foundation director. Among his community involvements, he was Chairman of the Parawera Hall Committee,
raising the funds to build the hall. Chairman for a term of the new Kihikihi Primary School was reopened in 1952, after previous beingburntto
the ground twelve years earlier. On retiring from the school committee he became the district representative for Ward 3 (Te Awamutu-Raglan)
on the South Auckland Education Board a position he held for eight years, retiring due to pressure of his farming interest, the farm having
a increased to 328 acres. Peter took over part of the farm, continuing to farm it for the next forty odd years. Peter preferred the dairy cows, so the sheep gradually disappeared. In 1979 they sold the remaining farm and retired to East Tamaki Heights, Howick on five acres.
Eric still had several sheep to look over, checking that they were still there each morning! Once a farmer always a farmer!
Leisure time pursuits included fishing and boating on the Waikato Lakes with annual family holidays to Mt Maunganui. Eric & Jessie were
members of the Hamilton Cruising Club taking them on weekend jaunts with boat in tow along with like minded club members. They had seven
years living a semi-retired life in Auckland. Eric & Jessie did not quite celebrate forty-six years Of married life both dying four months apart in
1986.
Eric's dates: Born 20 Sept 1903 Otaua, Waiuku, Died 21 Dec 1986 Otahuhu