Community Contributed
Herbert Donald Richards 1906 - 2008
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T17:03:18+00:00| Date of birth | 4 th May 1906 |
| Date of death | January 2008 |
Herbert Donald Richards was born On May 4 1906 in Rangiora in North Canterbury. His father was James Richards, who at seventeen, moved to New Zealand from Somerset in England bringing with him a family farming tradition. Herbert's mother, Janet Brock was born in New Zealand of Scottish descent.
When Bert was a year old, his parents moved to the Horowhenua. He attended school at Ohau for eighteen months, then the family moved to Koputaroa, where he received the rest of his primary education at Koputaroa School.At this time Koputaroa school had only 60 or 70 pupils. He had a good schoolmaster who he said was not particularly strict. Bert studied at Pamerston North High secondary school for eighteen months, cut short when his father suffered a heart attack and requiring Bert to return and help on the farm. The 160 acres farm was in Ihakara and had been purchased in 1913 used for the running of 300 sheep and also keeping 40 cows.
At the age of sixteen, word got around that in Shannon a powerhouse was being built, so on weekends he used to bike up and see how far they had got. They had to make tunnels so the Mangahou River could come out at Shannon, where all the dams were being built. This was the first real electric power in Horowhenua, so it was a huge step for the community. His fathers’ farm was one of the first country properties to be supplied with electricity.
In 1924 at the age of 18 Bert moved to Levin and got a job at Lunn & Henley working as an apprentice electrician. With this firm Bert wired houses in Waikanae, Tokomaru and Levin. when Bert first arrived in Levin the Municipal buildings were just being built and during 1925/6 the firm he was working for did all the wiring.
After working for six years with this firm, the great depression of the 1930s’ set in and he found himself out of a job. In 1931 after the Napier earthquake they needed tradesmen, so he went to work there until Napier and Hastings were largely rebuilt. When he came back to Levin he had no work for two to three weeks until he started his own electrical contracting business in Shannon which was successful.
In 1935, the firm in Levin he had originally worked for went into liquidation and he bought up their shares and took over the business under the name of H.D. Richards Ltd. He remained in business with the retail shop until 1958-59, when he gave the shop up and went back as an electrical contracting business in Levin which was successful. His retail shop was located in the Central Buildings on the corner of Oxford and Bath Streets. The Central Buildings were demolished to make way for the New World car park. Bert built a new workshop at his home in Cambridge Street, Levin and continued to run his contracting bussiness from there. During his time in bussiness he trained more than eight apprentists who qualified as electricians.
Herbert Donald Richards 1980
He has three children, a doctor, an accountant and an engineer respectively and his nephew William Ashley Bradfield was a foundation pupil at Horowhenua College.
was a foundation memebr of the Levin-Waiopehu Tramping Club and was a Life Member and president for a number of years of the Levin Golf Club. He was chairman of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board for 21 years, so he has been very interested in present 
developments. One thing that he does not think is good for Levin:
28th February 2006 the New Zealand Freemason Society presented Mr. Herbert Donald Richards, United Horowhenua
Lodge with an Award for more than seventy years of service to the community.
( NZ Freemason Issue 1,2006 Vol. 34)
"The Power Board building is gone and the Power Board will
just be a sub-office centred in Paraparaumu and that to me is
a retrograde step as far as Levin is concerned."
Members of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board 1980 - 1983 as shown in the Photo on left.
Left to Right - Back Row: F.J. Cowgill, J.S. Blenkhorn, C.N. Kenward, L.R. Burnell, K.J. Farrell, B.J. Mansell, M.G. Clunie and D.N. Finlay (Assistant Secretary – Accountant).
Front Row: N.J. Hartley (Chief Engineer), A.J.H. Allen, H.D. Richards (Chairman), C.A. Hercus (Deputy Chairman) and D.A. Reid (Secretary-Manager). Inset: K.L. Paterson.
Herbert Donald Richards chairman of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board for twenty three years.
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| 4 Mr N.C. Willis 5 Mrs Bet Thompson 6 Mr. Barnes Thompson All Horowhenua Electric Power Board members at a function during a national Power Board conference held in Nelson, New Zealand 1973 | |
1 Mr Bert Richards 2 Mrs Rita Richards 3 Mrs N. C. Willis
Following are some Photographs of Berts interests during his life.
| Bert Richards in his cycling days during 1920s
Bert was a very sports minded teenager in his younger days, he was an enthusiastic cyclist and loved the outdoor pursuits. He was a foundation member of the Tramping club and spent many days tramping in the Tararua ranges behind Levin and Otaki. Latter days he joined the Golf Club, really enjoyed his golf, helped in many ways to Develop "The Levin Golf Club", a passion that lasted throughout his life. | Herbert Donald Richards on his 21st Birthday 1929 by henryphillips
At This time Bert was serving his Electrical apprenticeship with Lunn and Henly Electrical Contractors in Levin. |
| Bert with his Tramping friends in the hills behind Levin. Late 1920s
Bert is no 3 in the center. | Herberts Parents and brothers and sisters 1940s
1 Janet Richards ( Mother) 2 James Richards (father) 3 Anna Bradfield (sister) 4 Bill Bradfield (nephew) 5 Ernest Brazier (Brother inlaw) 6 Flora Brazier (sister) 7 Lou Bradford (Brother inlaw) 8 Trudie Black (sister) 9 Bert Richards. |
| Building the first Waiopehu Tramping Club Hut in the hills behind Levin, during 1927 and 1928 | Levin Trampers on top of the peak above Mill tramline at Makakita in hills behind Levin 1929- 1930
5 Bert Richards, 14 Berts sister Trudie Richards, 12 Mr. Wattie Watson ( a Levin Yorkshire Insurance agent) for many years. Quite a well known character. by henryphillips |
| Trampers from Levin on top of mount Waiopehu behind Levin 1927-1928
1 Bert Richards, 2 Mrs. G. Vickers 3 Miss ( School Teacher ) 4 Mr. Petersen, 5 Miss Berg 6 Mr. G.Gapper 7 Mrs Mrs Wallace 8 T. Pedersen | Bert Richards playing golf at the Cheslyn Rise, Queen Street ( East ) Golf Course in Levin1949
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| Levin Golf Club Members on the Cheslyn Rise Golf Course, Queen Street East, Levin. On an open day in 1949
1 Mr. Pat Stewart. 2 Mr. Stock Baigent (corrected spelling), 3 Mr. Bert Richards 4 Mr. Noel Thomson. | Mrs Rita Richards wife of Bert Richards
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| Levin Golf Club Ladies with one man
1 Rita Richards 2 Betty Clark 2A (Gentleman Jim Lynch) 4 May Thompson 5 Min Okkinson | Bert and Rita Richards on their Golden Wedding Day 5 February 1983 |
| When the Levin Golf Lady members held a Tournament the male members clubbed together to carry out catering duties and look after the women folk.
| When the Levin Golf Lady members held a Tournament the male members clubbed together to carry out catering duties and look after the women folk.
1 Darcy Henderson, 2 Stuart Glehill, 3 Bruce Hudson, 4 Hugh Walker, 5 Logan Hazelwood, 6 Alec Creighton, 7 Keith Kircaldie, 8 Ces Hosie, 9 Bert Richards. 10 Harry McShane, 11Keith Hansby 12 John Tomlinson. by henryphillips |
| The Horowhenua Electric Power Board Building, were Bert was Chairman of the Board for more than 21 Years. |
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| Central Buildings on the corner of Oxford and Bath Streets, Levin. For many years Bert had his Electrical Shop in this building, " H.D. Richards Ltd" on this corner of Oxford and Queen Streets, Levin. New Zealand. I Henry Phillips started my Electrical apprenticeship working from this building in 1954. Other Electricians employed by Bert Richards during that time were, Bruce Hudson, Tony Hurliman, Marco Robinson, George Renton, Ray Allot, Dean Richards ( Bert's son ) and later Bill Pink. by henryphillips |
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- Herbert Donald Richards
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Bert and Rita Richards on their golden wedding anniversary 1980