LADY MAE (Antipodes)
photo & details ex Evening Post (paperspast) via Peter Loughlin
The above press clipping shows Lady Mae moored at Port Nicholson just after her arrival from Auckland in late November 1939. She was purchased by a Mr L Boielle, who renamed her Antipodes. At the time of her trip from Auckland to Wellington, under the command of Auckland yachtsman Mr D Wellington, she probably set a record for the passage for a craft of her size. Powered by a 38h.p. Ailsa Craig diesel engine, she did the journey in 76 hours. In my eyes a very pretty & sensible launch.
Anyone able to enlighten us on what became of her in Wellington & later years. And if she is still around today?
Harold Kidd Update
I don’t know her origins (yet) but she was owned by Herbert Walker in Auckland in 1938 as LADY MAE, obviously then a recent rename. Walker sold her to Boielle of Wellington and he commissioned Dick Wellington to deliver her to Wellington. Dick had just got back from a Pacific cruise in his ketch SEAWARD and was waiting to go into the RNZAF. He was later killed on operations over Germany.
Boielle renamed her ANTIPODES but sold her to the Police in 1941 for use by the waterfront police at Lyttelton and sailed down in November. In 1943 she was chartered to the RNZN for boom defence work at Wellington . After WW2 she was retained by the Gorvernment, renamed ROTOMAHANA and used as by the Tourist Dept on Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera.
She was 34’x9’6″.
PS Herbert Walker was a well-known dentist in Auckland. With his brother J.M. Walker, Herbert owned several launches including the 27ft DRAYTON built for them in late 1912 by H.N. Burgess of Judges Bay and the second 35ft DRAYTON built in 1916. In 1939, Herbert Walker was Commodore of the NZ Power Boat Ass which changed its name that year to the Auckland Motor Yacht Club.
I still can’t figure out the builder of LADY MAE, but she did have that name as early as 1935.
I suspect that LADY MAE is involved in the complex swapping and renaming of launches between the Walkers, with their DRAYTONs, David Teed, with his MAUDE T’s, W A Wilkinson, with his SPEEDWELLs and H.D. Heather, with his ROTHESAYs which is a nightmare.
Herbert Walker married Mary May Henderson in 1927. Just maybe she’s named after her?
Work in progress…..
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Nathan is 100% right. J.M. Wilson sells WIRIHANA/LADY GAY to Herbert Walker in July 1935 after extensive alterations in 1933 (by Lanes?) which probably included altering her quirky cabin top and lengthening. As LADY MAE she is out on the water again in November 1935. When Walker sells her to Wellington in November 1939 and she’s renamed ANTIPODES she still has the 4 cylinder Ailsa Craig diesel installed in 1933. In 1941 the Police Dept acquire her and she is used for boom defence work in Port Nicholson. Subsequently she is renamed ROTOMAHANA and used by the Tourist Dept on Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera. Later fate unknown. Any ideas?
While on the subject of Herbert Walker, can anyone shed more light on his next launch, ELLEMAR, a 36 footer built by Joe Wheeler at Bayswater in December 1937 for H. Roper of Mt. Eden? She was in NAPS at Auckland 1942-3 as Z28 qwith Walker as skipper for some of the time. An ELLEMAR turns up in 1955 owned in Invercargill and being converted by Miller & Tunnage to twin screw with two Austin Skippers? Same boat?
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Wirihana> Lady gay was ’32ft’ easily confused with 34’6″ or possibly extended when altered by Lanes in ’33.
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Too small
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I am fairly confident that this is the Wirihana>Lady Gay
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PS Herbert Walker was a well-known dentist in Auckland. With his brother J.M. Walker, Herbert owned several launches including the 27ft DRAYTON built for them in late 1912 by H.N. Burgess of Judges Bay and the second 35ft DRAYTON built in 1916. In 1939, Herbert Walker was Commodore of the NZ Power Boat Ass which changed its name that year to the Auckland Motor Yacht Club.
I still can’t figure out the builder of LADY MAE, but she did have that name as early as 1935.
I suspect that LADY MAE is involved in the complex swapping and renaming of launches between the Walkers, with their DRAYTONs, David Teed, with his MAUDE T’s, W A Wilkinson, with his SPEEDWELLs and H.D. Heather, with his ROTHESAYs which is a nightmare.
Herbert Walker married Mary May Henderson in 1927. Just maybe she’s named after her?
Work in progress…..
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For’ard half reminds one of Winsome 11
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I don’t know her origins (yet) but she was owned by Herbert Walker in Auckland in 1938 as LADY MAE, obviously then a recent rename. Walker sold her to Boielle of Wellington and he commissioned Dick Wellington to deliver her to Wellington. Dick had just got back from a Pacific cruise in his ketch SEAWARD and was waiting to go into the RNZAF. He was later killed on operations over Germany.
Boielle renamed her ANTIPODES but sold her to the Police in 1941 for use by the waterfront police at Lyttelton and sailed down in November. In 1943 she was chartered to the RNZN for boom defence work at Wellington . After WW2 she was retained by the Gorvernment, renamed ROTOMAHANA and used as by the Tourist Dept on Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera.
She was 34’x9’6″.
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