My Home Town – Hokitika - eBooks.
A Fifth Generation Coaster Reflects By Rosalie May Reynolds-Sugrue
This heartfelt memoir vividly captures the social fabric, family heritage, and resilient spirit of life in Hokitika through the eyes of a fifth generation West Coaster.
NB: We recommend that you download and view this large 110mb, A4, PDF eBook on a desktop computer, laptop or large tablet/iPad (10 "), rather than your phone or a small tablet.
This book will help you:
- Understand the personal impact of New Zealand’s social and cultural evolution from the 1940s onward
- Discover the rich history of Hokitika and its pioneering families
- Gain insights into life before, during, and after World War Two in small-town New Zealand
- Reflect on the value of family legacy and intergenerational storytelling
- Appreciate the unique voice of a woman shaped by post-war values and Christian faith
- Explore how faith, love, and identity intersect in personal history
- Be inspired to preserve your own family stories for future generations Features
- Richly detailed memoir spanning early childhood to adulthood
- Extensive family history interwoven with West Coast heritage
- Dozens of vintage and personal colour and black & white photographs from the author’s collection
- Reflections on gender roles, faith, war, and cultural change
- Honest, deeply personal narrative with social commentary
- Includes family trees, original letters, and vivid anecdotes
You are buying a 311pp, A4, colour PDF format eBook.
ISBN 9781067125219
Philip Garside Publishing Ltd (2026)
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Note that there is no print edition of this book, just the PDF eBook.
A love letter to a place and a generation, this deeply personal memoir from Rosalie May Reynolds-Sugrue is a rich tapestry of life in Hokitika, a remote coastal town on New Zealand’s South Island.
As a fifth generation “Coaster," Reynolds-Sugrue reflects on her family’s legacy, beginning with European settlers who braved the goldfields and forged a future along the rugged West Coast.
With warmth and wisdom, she brings to life a bygone era where faith, frugality, and community shaped every aspect of daily life.
From anecdotes of childhood escapades and long-gone schools to wartime family separations and the social norms of the mid-20th century, this memoir offers more than just memories – it serves as a valuable record of regional history.
Alongside poignant personal stories, the book includes rare photographs, family trees, and detailed recollections that transport readers into the heart of Hokitika society.
Written with future generations in mind, it’s both a keepsake for descendants and a cultural treasure for anyone curious about West Coast life.
Whether you’re a fellow New Zealander or a reader drawn to local histories and heartfelt memoirs, this book offers an intimate look into the life of a woman shaped by time, place, and purpose. Are you, your relatives or friends in this book?
Click here to download the People Index PDF About the Author
Rosalie May Reynolds-Sugrue is a fifth generation West Coaster, teacher, writer, and social historian. As the daughter of Winston Reynolds, former Mayor of Hokitika, and Elva Reynolds (née Stoop), QSM recipient and West Coast Woman of the Year, Rosalie carries forward a deep legacy of civic and community service. Her passion for preserving social history shines through in this moving memoir that blends the personal with the historical. Contents
Prologue – 5
1 – An Octogenarian Reflects – 5
2 – My Father’s Background – 11
3 – My Mother’s Background – 13
4 – Hokitika Birth – 17
5 – My Christening – 22
6 – Uncles and Aunts – 27
7 – Westland Hospital – 33
8 – Back with the Family – 36
9 – Reynolds Farm, Waitaha – 40
10 – When We Were Very Young – 46
11 – 241 Hampden Street – 51
12 – Livingstone Street – 56
13 – A School Girl – 59
14 – Neighbourhood Life – 66
15 – Young Child Memories – 69
16 – Hokitika Town – 74
17 – Middle Childhood – 78
18 – The Secret Six Society – 83
19 – Our Parents – 86
20 – Family Life – 91
21 – Form One – 97
22 – Diane Stapleton – 100
23 – Form Two – 102 DOUBLE