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Born: May 22, 1934, Dunedin
Died; August 24 2012, Nelson
EARLY LIFE and FAMILY
Parents: Violet (Vi) and Francis (Frank) Newman
2 brothers: David (3 years younger) and Lyndsay (about 10 years younger)
Joanne was born in Dunedin, moved to Christchurch for several years, then back to
Dunedin. Her parents wanted her to be called Joanne, but her father misspelled her name as Joan when he registered her birth, and so officially she was Joan from then on.
In those days, schools always called you by your official name, so all through school she was Joan, even though she much preferred Joanne or Jo.
Joanne was about 4 years and David only 1 when their Dad went to fight in WW II.
When he came back from the war, Joanne very nervously made a cup of tea for a strange man, whom her mother assured her was her father!
Times were hard, so Joanne went and lived with her Grandmother, Jessie Lunam, for a time. She remembers black out curtains and the fear of invasion.
Nana cooked for a time on a sheep station near Mayfield in Canterbury, and Joanne went to school in Mayfield. Then they went back to Dunedin and Nana worked in a cake kitchen, and would bring home day old cakes for Joanne and David. A treat in the time of rationing.
Frank had been in a prisoner of war camp, and his health was compromised. He was told that he could not go back to his desk job of accountancy, and so did a 2 year apprenticeship on an orchard in the Moutere hills, and was then assisted to buy his own orchard on Marriages Rd.
SCHOOLING
Primary School: Caversham School, Dunedin and Mapua School
High School: Nelson College for Girls and Otago Girls High School
Mum went to Nelson girls on the bus every day for 1 and ½ terms, but was frightfully bus sick. S he transferred to Dunedin, to Otago Girls’ High and lived with her Nana
(Jessie Lunam) and Pa (John Lunam). Pa was an engineer, and built trains. Her great grandfather Lunam built stone bridges in Dunedin, one of which is still in use. She remembers him as having really big hands.

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Mother’s Aunty Joan is 7 years older than her, and still lived at home with Nana and Pa when mother lived with them for highschool. Aunty Joan was more like a big sister than an aunt.
Mum came home for the summer holidays to her parent ’s orchard on Marriages Road
TRAINING COLLEGE
After she left school she lived at home for a year and worked on their orchard. Then she went back down to Dunedin and started Training College to become a teacher.
She worked Saturday mornings in a packing factory, where salt bags, pillowcases and flourbags were made. In the winter she played hockey instead.
After 2 years she graduated. She came back to Nelson and taught her first year at
Tasman St. School. After she got married she taught at Tasman School for a year or so.
MARRIAGE
Joanne married Donald Tait May 16, 1956 in the Anglican Church in Stoke. They timed the wedding to be after the fruit season had finished.
Donald and his family’s orchard was just across the road from Mum’s family’s orchard at
“Mearah” in Marriages Road, so they had known each other for years. The two families were great friends ; Donald’s sister Audrey was one of her best friends.
They went on a honeymoon to see the glaciers by way of Blenheim.
They lived at Harley’s Road, where Donald and his brother Ross had been orcharding apples and pears for several years previously. Donald and Joanne lived on the west side of Harley’s Road, and Ross and Nola lived just across the road on the east side.
Their children were similar ages and had great fun growing up together. They walked to school together through the orchards, and later biked together down Harley’s Road, often stopping at the “nut tree” on their way home to crack open the pine nuts.
Sundays were spent visiting Nana and Da (Donald’s parents) at Ruby Bay, or Nana and
Granddad (Joanne’s parents) in Nelson for hot scones or Sunday lunch, or visa versa.
In 1967 the family moved to Kina, and Joanne both helped in the shed during the season and did relieving teaching at Tasman school.
When they retired they built a fabulous architect designed house on the cliffs at Ruby
Bay. Mother had been saving house ideas for years, and her vision, creative flair and eye for detail created a fabulous home. Togeather they designed and planted a wonderful garden, with boxwood hedges and a putting lawn for Donald.
CHILDREN
1959
– Robyn Jane
1961 – James Donald
1962 – Susan Tracey

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INTERESTS
Growing up amidst avid gardeners she couldn’t help but become an avid gardener herself. Mum and Dad created lovely big flower gardens and productive vegetable gardens at Harley’s Rd, at Kina, and then on the cliffs at Ruby Bay.
Mother was a skilled knitter, making countless jerseys for the whole family, baby booties and fine Scottish lace shawls for the grandbabies. She was a very talented embroiderer, and made many fine counted cross-stitch table runners and embroidered bell pulls. She painted china and we have many beautiful plates and dishes she created. She was part of the Mapua China Painting Group for many years.
Joanne’s mother Vi worked for many years as a florist, and was the first woman president of the New Zealand R ose Society. Mother continued the family’s gift with flowers as an active member of the Motueka Floral Art society for many years. For several years she was a councilor, the regional representative on the National Floral Art
Committee. She travelled to and took part in many floral art conventions and demonstrations all over the country. She forged a strong bond with the floral art girls, and enthusiastically joined into their many fancy dress and social events.
TRAVEL
Joanne and Donald always loved to do things together, from building their holiday house at Torrent Bay, to travelling around New Zealand and the world. They went on many international trips, starting with a trip to Fiji with a large group of Donald’s brothers and sisters and their spouses in the early 70’s. They loved Fiji and visited regularly over the years; even taking the whole family there, including grandchildren, for their Golden
Wedding Anniversary in 2006 . In the 70’s and 80’s they often went on trips and cruises with friends and family, with much hilarity and fun. Particularly memorable stories are told abou t Wanda climbing the palm tree for her birthday in Fiji, Murray “streaking” around the cruise boat, and them all walking down the street after a fun night on Ibiza, only to realize they had left the restaurant with no one paying the bill.
Joanne loved Africa and devoured many books on Africa. She and Don went on several safaris in Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. One of their favorite trips was a personal tour around Turkey. They also went often to the states to visit Rob and John and family.
In the last 2 years they cruised around the Tahitian Islands, and from Tahiti to Hawaii.
Joanne loved the warmth and colours of the tropics.
GRANDCHILDREN
Robyn married John Campbell in 1988 and have 3 children, Kaitlin, Jacob and Cecelia.
Sue married Malcolm Reid in 1991 and have Campbell and Mitchell.
Jamie married Katie Prosser in 2012, and has 4 step children, Aidan, Keegan, Kelly and
Beau.