Lasting Legacy
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Chapters
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Overview
A departure from my usual writing, my Aunt Lorna Patterson sent me a suitcase full of memorabilia of her father, my grandfather, life’s work. It was a dry as dust collection of the awards, certificates and newspaper clippings collected over the years by the family.
On digging deeping into the life of grandfather I never knew I asked what made one man stand out from the rest? What makes a man a great leader? Was it Victor Hartley’s business acumen or his single-minded determination? Was it his ability to see opportunity and a gap in the market, or all three that made him respected among his peers?
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Lasting Legacy
Introduction – The Measure of the man
Victor lived by his motto: ‘It’s better to wear out than rust.’ A man of integrity and sound business principles and a giant-slayer in the boardroom, he was born in Winton, christened Albert Victor, one of eight children and the second son of Albert Hartley and Katherine Nash.
In his formative years, Victor was educated in Gore, first at East Gore School then at Gore High School. He was an avid reader with an alert mind and a quick wit. When he left school he worked as an apprentice with his father Albert, a skilled carpenter, who built many significant buildings in and around Gore and Invercargill. However, although he worked for his father as a builder for several years, Victor quickly realised building was not his forte, so he became an apprentice at the local dairy company instead. In his element there, he loved his new position and learnt all there was to know about cheesemaking and the dairy industry, quickly escalating up the ranks to management.
Victor met his wife Emma in Gore at the local minister’s house. One of ten children, Emma had left school at an early age and was working as a domestic for the minister in order to send funds home to assist her large family. On 27 August 1912, at the age of 24, Albert Victor Hartley married Emma Jane Charlotte McLellan. Always immaculately dressed, Emma was an asset on Victor’s hard-working arm.
REVIEWS
Happy Readers
Youngest Daughter of Victor Hartley
What do you do with a case of letters, paper cuttings and cards from important people? I had a talk with granddaughter Michelle Kelly (Shelley Hartley to us Southlanders), and she was willing to put together a journal so we have a record of Dad’s life, so here it is. With the help of her sister Pam, who sorted photos, this is Shelley’s work, and our thanks go to her.
21, July 2017
Amazon – Kindle
As a New Zealander who has spent time in the Skipper’s Canyon, where this book is set, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a real authenticity to this historical novel and it is peopled by believable characters. Set during the gold rush it is awash with all manner of miners and settlers from England, Scotland and Ireland and a few Maoris too. I highly recommend this book if you like historical adventures, sagas and a bit of romance too.
14, September 2016
Amazon – Kindle
Good read. Story of a family in the gold mining days. Loved how real the characters became and the challenges they faced. Looking forward to the next one!
17, Jan 2015
