New Zealand mystery 1900-1940

1901 – The NZ Socialist party was founded in New Zealand Karl Marx and Engles (internet).

11 Feb 1902 – Immigration Sydney to Wellington ship “Cornwall” name Raper.

1903-21 – The NZ police fingerprint bureau was set up in 1903 and by 1921 had 22,000 sets of fingerprints. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ)

31 March 1910 – The Hocken library opened at the University of Otago museum. A storehouse and a large collection of manuscripts, charts, files and old newspapers and documents. Research library. (On this day in NZ. Ron Palenski ©2010).

1912 – Thomas Sedgwick. Youth migration to Australia and NZ for farm work. Youths 15-19 years. Child migrants under 14. Sedgwick first groups of 50 youths from London and Liverpool were sent to NZ.

1914-18 – NZ lost about 18,000 soldiers during World War One. Following the war the Spanish flu epidemic swept through NZ killing more than 8,500 people. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

28 Sept 1914 – So called prostitute, Frances Marshall was murdered in Auckland. Unsolved crime. (NZ crime timeline).

1918 – NZ Marxian association founded in 1918 Marxist party in New Zealand.

6 Oct 1919-1 Apr 1921 – On 6 Oct 1919 Constable Vivian Duddy was shot dead in Wellington. Passing of the Arms Act in 1920. Register firearms was required by 1 April 1921. 200,000 firearms were registered. Many were not. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

July-Sept 1921 – 17 July 1921 Albert Prosser Auckland boxers found the body and told police. The deceased was Francis Edward Jew aged 19. The inquest into the death of Francis Edward Jew opened in Auckland magistrates court on 12 Sept 1921. On 16 July 1921 he had been beaten with a batten. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

27 August 1921 – Murder of policeman James Dorgan outside a Timaru drapery. He was shot dead and the killer was never found. (NZ crime timeline).

27-30 Aug 1921 – Death recorded 27 Aug 1921, 37 year old constable James Dorgan. Funeral for James Dorgan was held 30 Aug 1921 in Timaru. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

1922-23 – William Oates was released from hospital on 2 Nov 1923. Unsolved murder of an elderly Chinese market gardener named Chow Yat, shot dead a year earlier. Inquest into the murder of Margaret Emily Oates was held in Wanganui district court on 23 Nov1923. Murder unsolved, 26 Oct 1923 at her residence. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

1925-37 – Disappearance of Nellie Mouat in Christchurch in 1925. Her husband Fred was charged and convicted of her murder. Fred was released in 1937 after 12 years of hard labour. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

1927-38 – Rewi Alley, NZ writer, Marxist working in Shanghai, friend of spy Agnes Smedley. Rewi Alley was a factory inspector in Shanghai from 1927 to 1938. Rewi Alley remembered Hollis in China. (Too secret too long. p12. Chapman Pincher ©1984 US).

21 April 1927 – Rewi Alley from Canterbury, arrived in China, where he stayed until his death 60 years later. He died on 27 Dec 1987. (On this day in NZ. Ron Palenski ©2010).

15 Nov 1927 – Gwen Scarff, Cashmere Christchurch. The criminal sessions at Christchurch supreme court, Murder unsolved. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

1929 – Murchisen 7.8 quake landslide killed 14 people. (NZ newswire Te Ara).

1929-33 – The Wall street stock market crash of 1929, which began the Great Depression. In 1933 there were 80,000 unemployed in NZ. (Shot in the dark. Scott Bainbridge ©2010 NZ).

1930 – World socialist party in New Zealand was set up in 1930 The socialist party of NZ was affiliated to the world socialist movement.

Early 1930s – New Zealander Rewi Alley was a friend of Agnes Smedley. Alley was a Communist/Socialist and a friend of Hollis in China. (Treachery. C Pincher ©2011 UK).

7 November 1930 – Ernie Burr missing Marsden NZ. The identity of a body has never been confirmed nor the cause of death. Burr has not been seen alive since 7 November 1930 West Coast. (Still missing. Scott Bainbridge ©2008 NZ).

1933 – The minimum age of marriage was raised to 16 in 1933. Previously it was 14 for males and 12 for females. (Family tree. Dec 2009).

1938 – Greengrocer Dalu Desai disappeared without trace Taharoa. He arrived in NZ in 1911 aged 15. Case of missing Hindu. A reward of 250 pounds, but no info was forthcoming. His body was never found, how he was killed and by who? (Still missing. Scott Bainbridge ©2008 NZ).

3 Sept 1939 – Outbreak of the Second World War. The war ended in the Pacific on 2 Sept 1945. (Practical family history. Feb 2010 p50).