Open/Close Toolbox
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License
Format: Image
Linked To
CollectionPlace
Map
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand LicenseThis licence lets you remix, tweak, and build upon our work noncommercially and although your new works must also acknowledge us and be noncommercial, you do not have to license the derivative works on the same terms.
Menu
Konstantin Dokukin, Brookside Librarian
Description
TitleKonstantin Dokukin, Brookside Librarian
DescriptionKonstantin, known as Cordy, was a Russian gentleman who spent most of his life in the Ellesmere area, especially Brookside.
He was born in Metzensk, 30km south of Moscow, in 1882.
His father’s occupation was Engineer of the Ways of Communication (a Government Department). Cordy had a commission in the Imperial Russian Army.
Following the revolution of 1905, parts of Russia were very unsettled.
After the wedding ceremony when Cordy and his wife were emerging from the church, his bride was shot dead.
Cordy escaped and records show he obtained a passport at Helsinki, Finland, in May 1908.
We know that he was in St. Kilda, Melbourne in 1909 because he received a postcard from a friend in Odessa dated 2nd March 1909.
In October of that year he arrived in Dunedin and made his way up the South Island, getting work where he could.
A partnership of Cairns and Dokukin, trading as Southbridge Timber Company, is recorded in 1915.
They were engaged to mill trees at Beachcroft , Little Rakaia; planted by the original settler, Edward Jollie, Cordy remained in the area after the partnership was dissolved in 1916, working on the land.
He played bowls for Southbridge and was a committee member.
In 1917 he registered as an alien at the Southbridge police station, then in February 1925, he became a naturalised New Zealander.
By 1926 he was in Brookside.
He worked for Cridge’s threshing plant, firstly as a water joey, then as the cook, feeding nine men. Cordy lived in a whare, on Bert Cridge’s property on the corner of Brookside / Irwell Road and Hanmer Road.
When the mill was not operating Cordy worked chaff cutting, sawing wood and gardening.
His mode of transport was a bicycle.
When the Cridge property was sold in 1955, Cordy and his whare moved to land where Don and Jean Heslop later built their house. Mr and Mrs S Heslop helped him where necessary.
He was very fond of reading, and was a member of the Brookside Library from 1927.
He was the librarian for many years and kept tidy records.
He enjoyed the visits of the Country Library Service van.
Two of his Russian books remain in the library. He could read and write English very well, but found more difficulty speaking it.
His last request for a book from the Country Library Service was dated 12 April, 1956.
He was a kind, shy man, who was fond of animals.
He died in May 1956 and is buried in the Ellesmere Cemetery.
By Lynette West
Photo: Konstantin Dokukin
Date28 September 2017SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationBrookside
DescriptionKonstantin, known as Cordy, was a Russian gentleman who spent most of his life in the Ellesmere area, especially Brookside.He was born in Metzensk, 30km south of Moscow, in 1882.
His father’s occupation was Engineer of the Ways of Communication (a Government Department). Cordy had a commission in the Imperial Russian Army.
Following the revolution of 1905, parts of Russia were very unsettled.
After the wedding ceremony when Cordy and his wife were emerging from the church, his bride was shot dead.
Cordy escaped and records show he obtained a passport at Helsinki, Finland, in May 1908.
We know that he was in St. Kilda, Melbourne in 1909 because he received a postcard from a friend in Odessa dated 2nd March 1909.
In October of that year he arrived in Dunedin and made his way up the South Island, getting work where he could.
A partnership of Cairns and Dokukin, trading as Southbridge Timber Company, is recorded in 1915.
They were engaged to mill trees at Beachcroft , Little Rakaia; planted by the original settler, Edward Jollie, Cordy remained in the area after the partnership was dissolved in 1916, working on the land.
He played bowls for Southbridge and was a committee member.
In 1917 he registered as an alien at the Southbridge police station, then in February 1925, he became a naturalised New Zealander.
By 1926 he was in Brookside.
He worked for Cridge’s threshing plant, firstly as a water joey, then as the cook, feeding nine men. Cordy lived in a whare, on Bert Cridge’s property on the corner of Brookside / Irwell Road and Hanmer Road.
When the mill was not operating Cordy worked chaff cutting, sawing wood and gardening.
His mode of transport was a bicycle.
When the Cridge property was sold in 1955, Cordy and his whare moved to land where Don and Jean Heslop later built their house. Mr and Mrs S Heslop helped him where necessary.
He was very fond of reading, and was a member of the Brookside Library from 1927.
He was the librarian for many years and kept tidy records.
He enjoyed the visits of the Country Library Service van.
Two of his Russian books remain in the library. He could read and write English very well, but found more difficulty speaking it.
His last request for a book from the Country Library Service was dated 12 April, 1956.
He was a kind, shy man, who was fond of animals.
He died in May 1956 and is buried in the Ellesmere Cemetery.
By Lynette West
Photo: Konstantin Dokukin
Date28 September 2017SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationBrooksideClick on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
loading google map....
Konstantin Dokukin, Brookside Librarian (28 September 2017). Selwyn Stories, accessed 16/10/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5366