McGrath, George Francis, -1963

Date: 17 Jan-19 Dec 1926

From: Tyndale-Biscoe family: Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-11956-02

Description: Contains outward correspondence relating to Eric Tyndale-Biscoe's time as a master at Wanganui Collegiate School and travels in New Zealand. Work life at Wanganui Collegiate features. Tyndale-Biscoe describes school politics, colleagues, headmaster Rev C F Pierce (particularly the effect of a stroke on his performance at work), problems with prefects, bullying of new boys (including on school picnic), school trips (to the beach with boarders, to freezing works with agriculture class, and to Maori Pageant at Opera House), punishment of a boy caught smoking, rugby (match against Te Aute College), cricket, school dances, performance of 'Box and Cox' play at Harvey House (including annotated programme). Relates talks he has given about Kashmir (with lantern slides) in Wanganui, at Nga Tawa School, and in Christchurch as well donations of money at these talks (and politics surrounding this). Includes a printed program for "East & West Missionary Exhibition" at Drill Hall. Other topics include family matters, events in Kashmir and Britain, and education philosophy. Also discusses Nga Tawa headmistress Frances McCall and female teachers at Nga Tawa and social events (including beach visit and attendant scandal); Phyllis Long (later Tyndale-Biscoe's wife) is mentioned a number of times. Numerous mentions are made of Mr Frank McGrath his wife Elizabeth (including her mental breakdown), and Hugh and Vera Austin. Other names noted include D K Leather, George Harris, Marjorie Dalrymple, and Miss Downing. Describes holidays taken around the North Island in the school holidays. These include: fishing, camping, visit to a cheese factory, poultry, pig, and cattle farming [Gordon's? Waikato]; Kai Iwi Beach holidays; trip to Paihia (including map of route and descriptions of Auckland Zoo and stone store (Kerikeri); a number of trips to the Hawkes Bay with the Reeves Family and Mrs Williams; staying with The Gilbertson family at 'Clairinch" sheep station (owned by Mrs Williams) during docking; staying with the Maclean family in Napier; bathing in the Tukituki River with the Reeves boys; travelling to Wellington and going to the opera as well as trip back (including car accident); skiing at Whakapapa ski field (on "Waimana House, Waimarino " letterhead). Also relates preparation for an automobile tour (buying a car and fitting it with a caravan) as well as planning for job chaperoning Mrs Williams' son Bruce around Europe. Tyndale-Biscoe's correspondence also relates New Zealanders' impressions of missionaries, a trip to see the Don Cossack Choir, a woodchopping event, flooding in Wanganui on 26 July 1926, and a description of the Bishop of Wellington. Also includes a letter from Vera Austin to Mrs Blanche Tyndale-Biscoe thanking her for "Xmas toys" sent for her children, a letter from Mr Austin to Mr Cecil Tydale-Biscoe and another from Frank McGrath describing the esteem in which his son is held, and a holograph copy of Pierce's letter of commendation for Tyndale-Biscoe upon his departure from New Zealand. Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Mss, printed matter Letters also include Tyndale-Biscoe's hand drawn pen illustrations of events he describes in his letters. These include a lamb in a docking cradle, a diagram of the yards and movements of sheep during docking at "Clairinch" station, a diagram showing a near car accident coming back from Wellington, and a map showing motorcycle trips taken in the Wanganui area.

Date: 16 Sep 1923-14 Jul 1925

From: Tyndale-Biscoe family: Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-11956-05

Description: Contains correspondence from Phyllis Long to her family back in England. Letters relate to voyage to New Zealand, including trip through Panama Canal and life and people on board the ship. Describes Panama and the coaling station in great detail as well as activities and events on board the ship such as the ceremony crossing the equator, a cricket match, a tennis tournament, and a dress up party. Describes her impressions of Wellington, Nga Tawa school and the surrounding area, her colleagues, her accomodation, horses kept at the college, and food in New Zealand. Also includes a description of the 1924 fire at Nga Tawa. Letters also relate a number of holiday trips Long took. Tramping, skiing, and climbing around Central Plateau (two trips) including one with her future husband Eric Tyndale-Biscoe feature. Long also describes the Ruby Lounge in Palmerston North and methods of transport including train travel and taxis. People mentioned in the correspondence include Nga Tawa headmistress Frances McCall and colleagues Miss Cooper-Evans, Miss Rowe, Miss Halstead, Miss Kingsford, Miss Rickards, Miss [Lane?], Miss Page, Miss Hinton, Miss Dudding, and friend Sylvia Lysaght. Also travelling companions Frank McGrath, Mr Baines, Mr McLean, and Eric Tyndale-Biscoe. Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Mss Includes hand drawn map of Panama Canal

Date: 1925-1926

From: Tyndale-Biscoe family: Photographs

Reference: PA1-q-1296

Description: Loose pages of photograph album mainly featuring central North Island holiday scenes, 1925 to 1926. Compiled by Eric Tyndale-Biscoe with photographs possibly taken by Tyndale-Biscoe and Phyllis Long as well as others unidentified photographers. Some photographs are captioned by Tyndale-Biscoe. Tyndale-Biscoe appears in a number of images. Teachers from Nga Tawa School and Wanganui Collegiate also feature, in particular Phyllis Long. The horse Ngaio is also photographed. A camping trip to Kai Iwi Beach with the McGrath and Austin families in January 1926 shows children Mary, Hugh, and Joan McGrath on horseback as well as camp site images and beach and coastal scenes. A further trip to Kai Iwi in September 1926 with the McGraths, Sylvia Lysaght, and Else J. Rowe shows similar scenes. A January 1926 camping trip at Lake Taupo includes informal group portraits of the party, camp site scenes (eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing, tents), a geyser at Tokaanu, and lakeside scenes (swimming, swimming with horses, and posing on rocks). Also contains photographs of an excursion to Turakina Beach. Album contains photographs of two Central Plateau excursions based out of Whakapapa Village in July-September 1925 and September 1926. Images of the first trip show members of the party (Tyndale-Biscoe, C. N. Maclean, Miss Preuter, Miss Pease, Miss Harvey, Phyllis Long, Miss Dudding, N. A . Baines, and Miss Lisaght [sic]), the huts in which they stayed, Long and Tyndale-Biscoe on the summit of Ruapehu, Ruapehu crater lake, and snow scenes. The second trip shows members of the party (Frank McGrath, Elizabeth McGrath, Else J. Rowe, G. Downing, and T. Adams), the huts in which they stayed, tramping, mountaineering, roads in the area, and scenic images (Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Little Tama Lake). Tyndale-Biscoe is also photographed with his motorbike at Mokoia and repairing a wheel on the roadside of Wangaehu Hill. Some images include passengers in sidecar and on the pillion. Another set of images, possibly of a Wanganui Collegiate excursion, show the clearing a pathway in the snow and hut interior scenes: [students?] Dennis Young, Aubrey Fullterton-Smith, and Tom Latham are photographed by a fire and another image shows [teachers?] N. A. Baines and F. H. Latham playing cards in hut. Also contains a large formal group portrait of Wanganui Collegiate students and teachers in front of school building. Quantity: 1 album(s) containing 120 prints. Physical Description: Four loose card album pages, 25.2 x 37.6 cm Processing information: Item re-allocated to a different Unit id after being boxed in August 2018.

Date: 1923-1926

From: Tyndale-Biscoe family: Photographs

By: Radcliffe, Frederick George, 1863-1923

Reference: PA1-o-1946

Description: Photograph album, mainly of holidays, compiled by Phyllis Long during her time in New Zealand, 1923 to 1926. Some photographs are likely taken by Long but other photographers are unidentified. Album features horse treks and horse riding. Two treks with Sylvia Lysaght are covered; one in Taranaki and Waikato Regions in January-February 1925, and the other from Wanganui to Lake Taupo, December 1925-January 1926. Includes images of Long and Lysaght on their horses Ngaio and Ladybird, places they stayed (camp sites, houses, huts), people they stayed with, and scenic images (bush, mountains, rivers, farmland, and coast). Images from the second trek feature the party of colleagues and friends Long and Lysaght joined (including Eric Tyndale-Biscoe and [Hugh Austin?]) and the Lake Taupo site at which they camped and as well as an unidentified Maori whanau with whom the duo stayed on their return journey. Tramping and mountaineering trips also feature in the album. One set shows a holiday to the Central Plateau, with the party staying in a hut at Whakapapa Village. Photographs include excursions to the summit of Mount Ruapehu, Tama Lakes, Whakapapa Falls, and Taranaki Falls as well as some skiing images. Another set of images is taken on a trip to the Taranaki Region. Mount Egmont (Mount Taranaki) features with Long and a female companion pictured on the summit. There are also a number of images of Dawson Falls, including some swimming and bush scenes, and scenic images of the mountain and surrounding area, with Doreen Ross pictured in one image. Other places visited by Long include Wanganui and at a farm with an unidentified family [Ross or Lysaght?]. Photographs from the farm show various people (including children), a chicken coop, lambs being fed, dogs, and horses. Another set of photographs show a motoring, camping, and picnicking excursions in a Model TT Ford covered truck. In addition to Tyndale-Biscoe, Frank and Elizabeth McGrath and their children Mary, Joan, [and Hugh?] appear in numerous photographs. McGrath family images include informal as well as a set of formal studio portraits of both groups and individual members. The family in captured motoring, in beach scenes [Kai Iwi camping trip?], on horseback, riding bikes, reading, and at a Mokoia farmhouse, with Long and Tyndale-Biscoe often appearing in photographs with them. Other people that feature include Long's teaching colleagues and friends from Nga Tawa and Wanganui Collegiate schools. Those identified in captions include Tyndale-Biscoe, "Shrimp", Else Rowe , Aubrey Fullerton-Smith, Conrad, Mr Latham, Mr [Cr]opper?, Mr [F.H.?] Latham, Mr Izard, Doreen Ross, and Roy Ross. Album also includes a studio portrait of Phyllis Tyndale-Biscoe in 1927. There are a number of images of Tyndale-Biscoe with his motorcycle. Commercial postcards feature photographs of Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Egmont (Mount Taranaki) as well as Waitomo Caves limestone formations, Wanganui River, and Wanganui Collegiate School. Three postcards are addressed to members of Long's family in England (and were sent). Another two postcards were sent to Long by Tyndale-Biscoe and "Himself" [Frank McGrath?]. Also a note from Hugh [McGrath?] to Long sent while she was travelling home to England. Larger mounted print of image of Long's horse Ngaio at PAColl-10463. Two treks and other excursions are described in depth in Long's diaries and letters to her parents. Tyndale-Biscoe's letters also describing mountaineering, motoring, and camping trips to his parents (MS-Group-2409). Quantity: 1 album(s) containing 260 prints, some loose. Physical Description: Photograph album with green textured cover, 21.4 x 25.8 cm Processing information: Prints that have come loose from the album as well postcards and prints stored in pocket at rear of album have been arranged in an enclosure which is held in the back of the box containing the album.

Date: 1934-1935

From: Coates, Joseph Gordon, 1878-1943 : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-1785-189

Description: Identified correspondents entered in the Name field; also includes notes on newspaper printers' strike Quantity: 1 folder(s).