Verna Fraser (Bailey) Collection

Record Group

Identifier: A0683

Staff Only

Overview

This collection contains photographs and documents from the Bailey family of Bluff, as well as related families Fraser and Evans. It includes WWI and WWII service records, as well as images of Bluff, Stewart Island, Ocean Beach Freezing Works, and class photos from Bluff and Invercargill schools.

Dates

Majority of material found within c.1910s - c.1950s

Biographical / Historical

This collection originated from Verna Fraser (nee Bailey), daughter of Herbert Bailey and Bessie Bailey (nee Sutton), and sister of Leon Herbert Bailey. Verna married Gordon Cornelius Fraser, whose parents were Cornelius Whiting Fraser and Gwendoline Alwyn Evans. Gwendoline was the daughter of Rev. Evan George Evans and Williamina Mary McLeod.

Herbert Bailey - 15 Oct 1894 - 27 Feb 1980

Born in Invercargill. Married Bessie Sutton on 1 December 1920 at the Methodist Church in Invercargill. They had two children Leon Bailey and Verna Fraser (nee Bailey). Herbert worked at Ocean Beach Freezing Works for 45 years. Additionally he did up houses so they shifted between Invercargill and Bluff.

Bessie Bailey (nee Sutton) - 1896 - 10 Sep 1971

Was born in Bluff.

Leon Herbert Bailey - 1921 - 2012

WWII RNZAF L.A.C. 431748

Known as Leon to family. He went to Infants Bluff School, Invercargill South School, and Southland Technical College. He served in the airforce during World War II, and was based in Fiji. He suffered so badly from dysentery there that he lost his hair.

Verna Fraser (nee Bailey) - 30 Apr 1922 - 19 Dec 2017

Born in Bluff and died in Invercargill. She went to Infants Bluff School and South School. Was married to Gordon Cornelius Fraser (8 Oct 1925 - 6 Feb 2004). The wedding took place at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Invercargill.

Cornelius Whiting Fraser - 1898 - 1972

WWI 37799 WWII 470665

Cornelius was born in Rata, Manawatu-Wanganui and died in Invercargill. He fought in WWI and was in the home guard in WWII.He married Gwendoline Alwyn Evans. They had two sons, John Evan Fraser and Gordon Cornelius Fraser.

Rev. Evan George Evans - 1872 - 1935

Born in Riverton and died in Fortrose. He married Williamina Mary McLeod (Born in 1872, Roslyn Dunedin and died in 1948 Fortrose, Southland) in 1900. Four children - Gwendoline Alwyn Evans, Lyndsay Roy Evans, Ina Kathleen Evans and Owen Llewellyn. Evan George Evans used money he had earned from mining in his father's (John Evans) goldmine in Orepuki to send himself to university and later the presbyterian ministry.

Other members of the Bailey family included in the collection are -

Melony (Lal) Elizabeth Bailey, husband Walter Robert Ebenezer (Robert) Johnson and children - Charlie, Thelma, Ronald, Percy, Eva.

Daisy Bailey and her husband Evan Hamilton McLean.

Frederick Percy Bailey and Elizabeth Cunnack Bailey. They had eleven children, nine grew to adulthood and had large families.

Dorothy (Dolly) Bailey, husband William (Bill ) Fanning and two children Marion and Nola. They lived at 30 Parrett Street, Bluff [The last Baileys to live there?]. Dorothy was the youngest child of Frederick and Bessie.

William (Bill ) Booth Bailey - 19 Oct 1888, Invercargill - 22 Jan 1954, Stewart Island. His occupation was a fisherman and owned a boat named "The Digger".

Ivy Bailey, husband Carl Haberfield and child Joan Haberfield. Carl Haberfield was the nephew of William Issac Haberfield.

Caroline Mouru (Bubba) Haberfield and sister Koa Gladys Haberfield, daughters of Frances (Fan) Mercy Bailey and William Issac Haberfield.

Doreen Bailey, Arnot Bailey, Una Bailey, Esme Bailey.