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Mavis Barnett's reminiscences of early Dunsandel
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TitleMavis Barnett's reminiscences of early Dunsandel
DescriptionMavis Barnett (née Sheat) lived near Dunsandel School and her first, most vivid, memory occurred in February 1936 when she watched the three classrooms of the school burn down while perched on her father’s shoulders.
Mavis’s cousin, Nancy Sheat, who is older than Mavis, had to watch the fire from her house, 3km down SH1. The popular theory was that a bird had taken a burning twig from a nearby rubbish fire onto the school roof.
When Mavis started school, her father built a stile over the water race that separated the Sheat property from the school. The journey took so little time that she had to come home every day for lunch. Mavis resented not being able to bring lunch to school like most of the other pupils.
After WW2 had started, labour was in short supply and Mavis and her fellow classmates had to sweep the classroom floors after school. One incident that Mavis recalls was Mervyn Barnett being an idiot with a broom. Mavis hit him with her broom and they eventually married.
Soon troops were occupying the domain and the whole district embraced the men. Dances were held every Friday night. Just as had occurred during WW1 the soldiers and others who headed overseas were fare-welled and welcomed-home with functions in the hall that were attended by everyone including children.
At Bertie Dillimore’s farewell, Mavis can remember him saying “I just hope when I see that Hitler fella that I have an ammer in my and”.
All Mavis’s uncles served overseas but her father, who was not in the best of health, stayed behind and looked after everybody else’s farm. This did not improve his health.
The post office was in the station and Nancy Sheat sorted mail that was collected and delivered by train. The platform was thus the social hub of the village, and even soldiers used to pace up and down the platform waiting for the mail.
The way that the engines collected the tablets at the end of the station was a source of fascination for youngsters.
The 1945 snowstorm was a momentous occurrence in Dunsandel as the snow was so deep that there was no train for about a week and so no bread. When it was rumoured that a train was finally due, all the tractors dragging carts loaded with children headed for the station. Mavis remembers her father walking through the snow after milking with buckets of milk, having to hold his arms outright so the buckets were above snow level. Of course there was no school for that week and the children enjoyed throwing snow at one of the teachers who was outside the house where she boarded.
Of the businesses that operated in Dunsandel, Mrs Glen had a butchers shop at one end and a bakery at the other. She and her hard-working staff were the caterers of choice for every girl who was married in Dunsandel.
Peter Bell and his wife operated the petrol station.
Hugh Brown’s shop stocked groceries and hardware.
There were two establishments where billiards could be played, but Mavis claims that she never entered either and so cannot say what when on. The first was in what is now the Dunsandel Store and the second was near Ower’s store, which was one of the first shops in Dunsandel.
Mavis Barnett
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date29 September 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandel
DescriptionMavis Barnett (née Sheat) lived near Dunsandel School and her first, most vivid, memory occurred in February 1936 when she watched the three classrooms of the school burn down while perched on her father’s shoulders. Mavis’s cousin, Nancy Sheat, who is older than Mavis, had to watch the fire from her house, 3km down SH1. The popular theory was that a bird had taken a burning twig from a nearby rubbish fire onto the school roof.
When Mavis started school, her father built a stile over the water race that separated the Sheat property from the school. The journey took so little time that she had to come home every day for lunch. Mavis resented not being able to bring lunch to school like most of the other pupils.
After WW2 had started, labour was in short supply and Mavis and her fellow classmates had to sweep the classroom floors after school. One incident that Mavis recalls was Mervyn Barnett being an idiot with a broom. Mavis hit him with her broom and they eventually married.
Soon troops were occupying the domain and the whole district embraced the men. Dances were held every Friday night. Just as had occurred during WW1 the soldiers and others who headed overseas were fare-welled and welcomed-home with functions in the hall that were attended by everyone including children.
At Bertie Dillimore’s farewell, Mavis can remember him saying “I just hope when I see that Hitler fella that I have an ammer in my and”.
All Mavis’s uncles served overseas but her father, who was not in the best of health, stayed behind and looked after everybody else’s farm. This did not improve his health.
The post office was in the station and Nancy Sheat sorted mail that was collected and delivered by train. The platform was thus the social hub of the village, and even soldiers used to pace up and down the platform waiting for the mail.
The way that the engines collected the tablets at the end of the station was a source of fascination for youngsters.
The 1945 snowstorm was a momentous occurrence in Dunsandel as the snow was so deep that there was no train for about a week and so no bread. When it was rumoured that a train was finally due, all the tractors dragging carts loaded with children headed for the station. Mavis remembers her father walking through the snow after milking with buckets of milk, having to hold his arms outright so the buckets were above snow level. Of course there was no school for that week and the children enjoyed throwing snow at one of the teachers who was outside the house where she boarded.
Of the businesses that operated in Dunsandel, Mrs Glen had a butchers shop at one end and a bakery at the other. She and her hard-working staff were the caterers of choice for every girl who was married in Dunsandel.
Peter Bell and his wife operated the petrol station.
Hugh Brown’s shop stocked groceries and hardware.
There were two establishments where billiards could be played, but Mavis claims that she never entered either and so cannot say what when on. The first was in what is now the Dunsandel Store and the second was near Ower’s store, which was one of the first shops in Dunsandel.
Mavis Barnett
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date29 September 2022SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandelImage
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CollectionHistory of DunsandelPersonMavis Barnett (née Sheat) QSMOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary Dunsandel
PersonMavis Barnett (née Sheat) QSMOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary DunsandelAttribution
Researched ByMavis Barnett nee SheatWritten ByMike Noonan
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Mavis Barnett's reminiscences of early Dunsandel (29 September 2022). Selwyn Stories, accessed 27/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5240