Oswald Roy
Born at the family home 'Bellevue" Waiuku on February 1905. Roy as he was known to one and all, started at Waiuku Primary school with his sister, Jean on 5th February 1912, the beginning of a new school year, numbers 836 and 835 respectively on the school register. Roy then went onto enter Auckland Boys Grammar in 1919, joining a number of his cousins. Roy held a commission in the Territorial Army attaining the rank of Lieutenant. During the Second World War he was a sergeant in the mounted troops of the "Home Guard" the "Mounted Rifles". Roy married Mabel Priest in January 1933, with them going onto part of the original Mellsop property at Te Toro (Ossie's farm). During this time four children were born, Gwen, Margaret, Peter and Ian. In 1947 they gave up farming, moving to Rotorua to buy a milk run. Roy also worked in a survey gang, and with NZ Loan & Mercantile farm supplies, once they had sold the milk run, before they went to Golden Springs where they owned a general store and delivery. Farming again at Mareretu in the North, Roy built a "Bach" at One Tree Point on the Whangarei Harbour. After selling it they shifted to Whangarei, then built another "Bach" at Marsden Bay. In Whangarei they owned a dairy and Roy later became a Land Agent. The next
move was to buy a caravan and tour the South Island for several months. Eventually they bought a "Bach" in Taupo, which Roy built into a house as he had done with their original home in Te Toro.
Before retiring to concentrate on trout fishing he worked at Smith & Brown. Mabel had been tying trout flies for fifteen years for Kilwell before taking up art instead. Roy became the framer for Mabel's works of art. Te Puru on the Thames coast was their next move and once again Roy took up the hammer to build another home, this was to be his last.
While Mabel spent her time painting. Salt water fishing took over from trout fishing. Finally they went back to Whangarei to be near the family
and to a house that Roy did not build. As they became less mobile, they moved into a unit in Sutton Close - Selwyn Park in Manu, where Roy
died in 1990 and Mabel in 1994.
move was to buy a caravan and tour the South Island for several months. Eventually they bought a "Bach" in Taupo, which Roy built into a house as he had done with their original home in Te Toro.
Before retiring to concentrate on trout fishing he worked at Smith & Brown. Mabel had been tying trout flies for fifteen years for Kilwell before taking up art instead. Roy became the framer for Mabel's works of art. Te Puru on the Thames coast was their next move and once again Roy took up the hammer to build another home, this was to be his last.
While Mabel spent her time painting. Salt water fishing took over from trout fishing. Finally they went back to Whangarei to be near the family
and to a house that Roy did not build. As they became less mobile, they moved into a unit in Sutton Close - Selwyn Park in Manu, where Roy
died in 1990 and Mabel in 1994.
Gwen Worthington. The Mellsop Family (page 134 - 135)