History: ‘Motueka Star’ furthering the interests of the district

BY ROBYN PARKES

Following the demise of the Motueka Herald around 1899 the Motueka Star commenced printing in August 1901 from a building in High St.

The cost of a subscription was fourteen shillings per year to be paid quarterly, and circulation was twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The owner, James Henry Boundy, was born in Cornwall in 1858 and arrived in New Zealand at age nine.

For ten years he worked at the Nelson Colonist, before going into partnership with Mr S Eurness to purchase the Marlborough Express, which they ran for 14 years.

Boundy then acquired the Westport News and two years later moved to Nelson.

The first edition of the Motueka Star informed the public that – “no effort will be spared on our part to further the interests of the district and the settlers generally. Special prominence will be given in agricultural and pastoral information, stock, fruit and hop reports; we shall likewise be pleased to receive public contributions from farmers and others who have sensible and practical ideas to ventilate”.

The first two pages of the first edition were all advertisements, including ones for Motueka businesses, Tailor and Habitmaker - Claude Snow, John Saunders - agent for native herbs, and Brown and Kerr manufacturing jewellers and designers of High St.

A. Manoy advised that owing to low prices prevailing for hops and other products he had decided to reduce customer requirements to the lowest possible rates.

Examples of prices – currants 7d per lb, syrup and treacle 2lb tins 8d, patriotic teas 5lb tins 8s, ground coffee 1s 9d, and sugar 6lb 1s 4d.

The first articles covered topics on the cost on parents in providing children’s books for school when there was an ever-changing supply of books required, the unsanitary town of Blenheim with an outbreak of typhoid, parliamentary jottings, financial statements, the benevolence of a Yorkshire philanthropist, notes from a globetrotter and Does Britain rule the sea.

Boundy ran the local paper, supported by his son Gordon, until his death in 1901 and after this time it continued to be printed and published by Gordon and his mother Elizabeth.

From October 1932, the newspaper was managed by Alister Lumsden Taylor but continued to be printed as the Motueka Star.

Six years later, in February 1938, the Motueka Star Publishing Co Ltd went into voluntary liquidation and by July was taken over by Star-Times Ltd, resulting from a merger with the Golden Bay Times.

Alister Taylor continued to print and publish the newspaper on behalf of the proprietors.

The new Star-Times was to be known as ‘the morning newspaper of the Nelson province’.

The price was from 9d per week to 39/- per annum. Advertised as a modern newspaper, the Star-Times was a daily publication that covered local, national and international news and stories but would also have commercial columns, women’s pages, racing and sports.

The paper had correspondents in all the other country centres in the Nelson Province who would cover the news in their particular area.

The paper had wide coverage, being available in 19 towns from Nelson to Murchison, from Rai Valley to Blenheim, and from Motueka to Collingwood and Bainham.

Unfortunately, it had a short life with publication ceasing in late 1939.