Poetry Notes
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. Poetry Notes Winter 2011 Volume 2, Issue 2 ISSN 1179-7681 Quarterly Newsletter of PANZA of New Zealand Literature: being a List Inside this Issue Welcome of New Zealand Authors and their works with introductory essays and Hello and welcome to the sixth issue of verses, page 59: Gerard, Kate, with a Welcome Poetry Notes, the newsletter of PANZA, full list of her 13 books of poetry and 1 the newly formed Poetry Archive of page 55: Eyre, Ernest Leonard, with Niel Wright on two classic New Zealand Aotearoa. 1906 Future times and other rhymes, NZ poets: Kate Gerard and Poetry Notes will be published quarterly and 1918 In the bush and other verses Ernest L. Eyre and will include information about (2nd edition), but nothing else. goings on at the Archive, articles on Obituary: David Mitchell historical New Zealand poets of interest, occasional poems by invited poets and a KATE GERARD 3 record of recently received donations to Tributes to David Mitchell the Archive. by Michael O’Leary and The National Library on line catalogue 4 The newsletter will be available for free Ron Riddell credits her with 14 book publications, download from the Poetry Archive’s and gives her dates as 1855-1934, so Classic New Zealand website: she lived to 79. poetry by Rex Hunter There is no trace of any other forenames 6 http://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com American-born NZ busker for her than Kate. The name Kate and poet ‘Kenny’ dies Gerard does not appear in New Zealand 8 Biographies at the National Library, but Niel Wright on two Tapuhi has correspondence of hers in Comment on the Alistair various files. Te Ariki Campbell classic NZ poets: 9 Exhibition – Cook Islands Kate Gerard and Dunedin poet Larry Biography Matthews dies Ernest L. Eyre 10 Kate Gerard appears in the 1893 Donations of NZ poetry electoral roll for Fendalton with made to the Poetry Wellington poet/critic/publisher Niel occupation listed as domestic duties. Library, London The National Archives records CAHX- Wright reports on two classic poets of CH-171-17549 probate number 17549 Recently received New Zealand’s past, who seem to have file date 3 December 1934 identify a donations fallen through the cracks since 1940 12 Kate Gerard with occupation spinster, and yet the National Library and the Turnbull Library in Wellington have clearly enough by date of death and About the Poetry Archive substantial holdings of their works. location (CH = Christchurch) as the Fendalton resident above, and so as the Neither Kate Gerard nor E L Eyre come poet Kate Gerard, who is therefore a poet of Christchurch, where the PANZA up in any NZ poetry anthology we have been able to check, but they are both Waimairi Cemetery record of PO Box 6637 headstones gives ‘GERARD Kate b Marion Square listed in the book New Zealand Literature Authors’ Week 1936: Annals 1855, d 1934. Annie d 1944,’ again Wellington 6141 unquestionably the poet. Winter 2011 A Google search for New Zealand The Call of the Light: where there is no Ernest Leonard Eyre appears in the pages brings up references to Kate vision the people perish 10 pages 18cm 1960 North Shore electoral roll as Gerard. poems 1933 to be seen as ‘Book VIII’ retired living at Wicklow Road with In 1934 the property of Kate Gerard was (ie by Bagnall). Mabel Pearl Eyre. offered for purchase to form Fendalton Captain Oates of Scott’s Last In the 1938 Auckland East electoral roll Park, then a project, but was not chosen. Expedition to the Pole duplicated Ernest Leonard Eyre living at Wicklow In 1944 the rear end of the property at typewritten poem ‘April 1927’ 3 leaves Road with Mabel Pearl Eyre is 173 Fendalton Rd of Annie Gerard 33x21 cm 1927. described as author, but there is no trace (1862?-1944), sister of Kate Gerard, My Horse the King ‘In memory of Roy of him at that address in earlier electoral was purchased to extend Fendalton Stewart and other men who made the rolls that I can find. Park. Whichever of the sisters is meant, great sacrifice.’ 24 pages 18cm Poem Bagnall for Pen Pictures 1931 gives as lived where Willowbrook Place (off 1927. I might ask is this the Canterbury in print on the title page Ernest L Eyre, Fendalton Rd) was later formed. Mounted Rifles? Wicklow Road, Narrow Neck, Papers Past for Waiapu Gazette records My White Horse ‘In memory of Cyril Devonport, Auckland, N.Z. (author of that the Kate Gerard bequest made Gordon and other missionaries who 14 verse and prose publications). Total grants on 1 January 1939 for book have made the sacrifice.’ 36 pages 17cm sales 26,000. purchases. poems [1929]. Bagnall for Lips to kiss and hands to The Kate Gerard Boys’ Fund provided Nicodemus, the blind man 32 pages hold and other songs about days of old funds for the Anglican Diocese of 17cm poem [1929]. c1940 gives as in print on the title page Wellington to purchase books. Peter 59 pages 18cm poem [1930] Ernest L Eyre author of 17 verse and It is quite clear from the list of Kate Jacob, the destiny for all nations 35 prose publications; thirty thousand Gerard’s books that all are books of pages 1932. copies sold…and with folder (verse) poetry and that her poetry was religious. Stream of Living Waters 11 [1] pages ‘Souvenir from Auckland N.Z’, [4] I have the vaguest sense that at some 19cm poem [1934]. pages stapled in. time I have seen her 32 page book Bagnall for Camp-Fire Rhymes 1923 Nicodemus, the blind man [1929]. says it includes a biographical note Kate Gerard belongs to the same ERNEST LEONARD EYRE ‘Peripatetic Poets,’ by J Liddell Kelly generation as poet Mary E Richmond (who died 1925), reprinted from (1853-1949), and there are cultural and The National Library on line catalogue The Auckland Star, Supplement, sociological commonalities between credits him with 22 book publications, 5 November, 1921. them. and gives his dates as 1886-1968. He The National Library/Turnbull Library was in fact, as Rowan Gibbs notes, born copy of Pen Pictures (1931) includes a in December 1885 (according to Births, reprint tipped in ‘A much-travelled Her Books Deaths, & Marriages). So he lived to 82. bard.’ A Google search of New Zealand pages It’s clear from the Union Catalogue and brings up five Papers Past pieces and the National Library on line catalogue Biography two references to a book of his for sale. that her book The Call of the Light appeared in six volumes between 1916 His full name is confirmed by his only and 1922 as: entry in National Library’s Biographical His Books Volume 1 35 pages 14cm poem [1916]; Index (NZ Biographies 1968 v 3 page Volume 2 35 pages 14cm poems 13) as Ernest Leonard Eyre of The Union Catalogue lists two [1917]; Devonport 1886?-1968. publications by Ernest L Eyre not in the Volume 3 not listed poems [1918]; North Shore Times, 30 April 1968, National Library, and not located by Volume 4 55 pages 14cm [1919]; and ‘Obituary Mr E. L. Eyre’ deals solely Bagnall, viz: Volume 5 34 pages 14cm poems [1920] with E L Eyre’s connection with the 1. Mother Calls Her Children Home to all these with the author’s name as North Shore Rugby Club 1904-1967 as Tea, and Other Recollections Dear to ‘Kate Gerard’; and both player and official, life member Me: revived, for all to read, in poetry Volume 6 62 pages 14cm poems [1922] from 1910. He wrote his history of the [37] pages 22cm [193-?]. No further with the author ‘K.G.’ and a different club 40 years before. There is no information in the bibliographies. printer. mention of him as an author, but his full 2. Scarborough Baby-Killers and Other 14cm = octavo in old style description. name is given as Ernest Leonard Eyre of Recitations [2nd edition] Napier, Does poem [1916] = poems? Wicklow Road, Devonport. He was 82. Venables 24 pages 21cm 1920. Behold the Light 31 pages 26x11cm He was survived by a son and daughter Bagnall besides the two above also lists 1925 described as ‘Book VII’, and and five grandchildren. I take it that as not located McDonald and includes ‘The Song of the Land’, 1886? for his date of birth is an O’Flannerty and other verses. ‘Joshua and Paul’ and ‘Gallipoli’. inference from age 82 given here. 2 . Poetry Archive The 25 publications listed in the Future Times and Other Rhymes some or magazines, and he appears to have National Library on line catalogue of poems previously published 78 pages ceased publishing poetry in book form Eyre, Ernest L plus the four above cover 18cm 1906. in 1940, aged 55. 19 titles. The Road to Maoriland and Other Only one of E L Eyre’s books of poems The earliest date of publication is 1906, Verses all poems previously published goes to 100 pages, Camp-Fire Rhymes the next 1912, the latest 193-?, 1938, 55 pages 20x13cm 1912. 1923 and only the first of all in 1906 1939, [1939 or 1940] and [1973], the Cuttin’ Flax and Other Verses 48 pages comes near it at 78 pages. Thereafter he rest fall between 1915 and 1931. 18cm 1918. Nothing in the settled for booklets of 20-40 pages, but At least three of Eyre’s books are bibliographies to indicate previous could enlarge them for later editions to wholly prose, C’mon Shore! [1973] and publications. 50-60 pages. A Fortnight’s Cruise on the Hauraki Camp-Fire Rhymes all poems But he is clearly to be seen as a popular Gulf, Auckland (1921), both throughout previously published 1st ed.