Cashmere Bay has a real history for our family; for the Kemps (well, from Leslie Robert Kemp and down) for the Hills (from Albert Victor and down) for the Abbotts - moved there from Manakau way back in 1910 (ish) and for some of the Colvilles. The Colvilles and the Abbotts must have had connections before Grandad Abbott moved down to Te Kinga with his wife and young children back in 1910. I...

The biggest challenge to tracking the family tree has been the missing link of Joseph Alfred Abbott's beginnings. From when I was first encouraged to get on the trail, that has been the single most challenging barrier. When I was working in Wellington back in the nineties, I discovered a record of his gravestone in the Bolton Street cemetery and then subsequently his death certificate etc and ...

I have placed a few pictures on my Facebook page, freely available  for everyone to view, copy and use. I have also put them on my west.coast.recollects page here Please feel free to send me any that you may have, so that we can build up a collection that all of our whanau and other interested people may see them. They are absolutely no good to any one locked away in a suitcase at the...

Cashmere Bay is central to my branch of the family tree as it is there at Tekinga that both my paternal and maternal lines merge.My father, Leslie Robert Kemp, at one stage worked at Tekinga as did my Grandfather, Albert Victor "Bluey" Hill, my Great Grandfather Joseph Abbott, as well as a few uncles and great uncles,many in the employ of the Tekinga Land and Timber Company.Not to understate the ...