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Life, times of Stanley Blackmore Stanley James Blackmore 1900 - 1983

Lyn Williams Perry Rice

While I maintain that everybody has an interesting story to tell, some people do lead more remarkable lives. Stanley Blackmore is one such, so much so that his whole life story will be presented in two instalments.

Stanley Blackmore was born in Pirongia, the son of Mary (nee Stanley) and Alfred Blackmore, well-known families in Te Aroha, Hamilton and Horsham Downs.

Blackmore got his driver’s licence in 1919.

By 1924 he was a garage proprietor in Bryce St, Hamilton, at first in partnership with Philip Williams as ‘‘Blackmore’s Garage’’ but later by himself with new premises on the Victoria-London St corner.

It was a good time to be running a garage – for repairs, fuel sales and selling vehicles.

The New Zealand Herald, on November 29 1924, noted that the number of vehicle sales was increasing, in spite of the general financial depression.

The total number of vehicles registered in Hamilton from November 1 1923 to October 31 1924 was 1174: 852 cars, 110 lorries or trucks, 208 motorcycles and five ‘‘other’’.

One of Blackmore’s adverts read: ‘‘Motorists! Pull Up at Blackmore’s Garage/ Benzine, Oils, Tyres, All Accessories/ Dodge Brothers and Nash Cars, Graham Brothers Trucks’’. He sold both new and used cars, as well as motor bikes and outboard motors.

Blackmore was doing well; however, he was often in trouble. In 1926 he drove a lorry round a corner too fast, and knocked over a boy sitting on his bicycle.

Other charges he faced were driving an unregistered car, driving with no rear number plate, driving an unlighted vehicle at night. He was also in court regarding car sales undertaken just on a handshake – the judge recommended having written contracts in future.

Blackmore was also in the news as a sort of ‘‘by the way’’: he sold the car involved in the crash at Horotiu in April 1925 that killed Hector and Winifred Graham, and the murdersuicide of Molly Moore and Carl Olsen. Blackmore gave evidence as to the condition of the Dodge Special that

TOlsen had bought just hours before the Horotiu crash. He was a bit young to be a founder of the Hamilton Motor Cycle Club, but by 1920 he was participating in their events. In 1923 he was described as one of the country’s most noted performers.

Blackmore also took part in motor boat racing – clearly he was into speed. At the Ngaruawahia Regatta in 1930, driving his outboard speedster ‘‘Miss Hamilton’’, he had to take evasive action to avoid another craft and went over a hurdle nearly vertically, but he regained control ‘‘and raced on after an astonishing escape’’; Blackmore’s driving was applauded, but he was unplaced in that event.

But by then, Blackmore was ‘‘swept up in the enthusiasm of New Zealand’s earliest aviators’’ and the ‘‘glamorous world of aviation’’ as the Daily Post wrote in his obituary ( March 30 1983). When Hamilton Airways Limited was set up in April 1929, Blackmore was one of the shareholders. He bought his first plane even before he learnt to fly. Another Hamilton aviator, Ray Money, was his instructor.

On July 14 1930 the Waikato Times reported: ‘‘The first solo flight of a locally-trained pupil took place at Mr A.J. Steele’s Aerodrome, Rukuhia. Mr S. Blackmore, a well-known Hamilton businessman, made his first solo flight in his Blackburn Bluebird light plane and made four perfect landings. Mr Blackmore has had less than four hours’ tuition.’’

Just a few weeks after that first solo flight he flew his Bluebird to the Mangere aerodrome, and in September to New Plymouth: two hours against a heavy wind and 40 minutes on the return leg. The newspapers documented these beginnings of his aviation career, events that included escorting (in the air) international aviators Oscar Garden and Guy Menzies into the Rukuhia airfield.

Blackmore gave up his garage, but his familiarity with car engines stood him in good stead on the many times he had to do repairs on his planes. Aviation changed Blackmore’s life − but that’s another part of his story.

Many thanks to the Heritage teams of Hamilton Libraries and Rotorua Library.

You knew summer was here when the A & P Show was under way. This is what a show looked like in the 1920s – probably about 1924/25. Two elderly ladies leave the grounds as a brass band starts to play. Farmers and stock handlers parade two rows of bulls in the arena while a large number of show-goers look on from the safe side of the rail. In the distance you can see some large marquees and canopies, two signs are legible in a hi-res image: Atkin Ltd and J. Pomeroy & Co. Ltd. All the other signs are flapping in the breeze and consequently blurred. Some of the tents look like hospitality venues while Pomeroy’s has cars parked in front of it. Pomeroy & Co were motor vehicle dealers for many years selling such long-gone marques as Willys, Overland and later Morris and Wolseley. This may not have a summer look – people still had a dress code – suits, hats, and long dresses for the ladies. In the day, it was a great outing.

Contributed by Perry Rice, Heritage Librarian – Photographs, Hamilton Central Library. If you have any information you would like to pass on or would like to buy an electronic copy of the photo, please e-mail heritage@hcc.govt.nz quoting: HCL_02261

Neither the judiciary nor the print media were to prove up to the challenge.

History

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2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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