Stories behind Ormondville lockup

The lock-up as it is now at Norsewood Pioneer Museum.

What secrets lie behind the walls of an old lock-up?

That’s what the committee at Norsewood’s Pioneer Museum would like to know about the Ormondville lock-up.

Kevin Burling, whose family once owned the timber yard in Ormondville, said there was once an old villa across from the railway station which became the police station, and the lock-up was placed on the site.

According to some sources, it was built in 1903 and served as the local lock-up until 1942, when the constable moved to Norsewood.

It is unknown when the lock-up was moved behind a bakery owned by Ernie Hyde to became a dry store for flour.

Then the Burling family bought the land and many of the buildings were taken down.

“The shop was past its use-by date,” Burling said.

The lock-up around 1975 when it was first moved to Norsewood.

However, the two-cell wooden jail remained intact, with only the understructure needing some repairs and it was decided to donate the building to the Norsewood Museum.

The main part of the building was still original with some minor repairs.

The lock-up had somewhat of a chequered history in its day, even being used as a poultry house by a local constable, according to an entry in the book 101 Years of Ormondville.

Burling believed it was one of the oldest lock-ups in what was once known as the southern Hawke’s Bay area, now under the Tararua District.

Ormondville was also a lot bigger in its day with the railway station becoming a hub for the region.

The township itself had something of a dark past, with a murder in 1884.

According to the book, Herbert Roland Edwards had already been arrested before for violent behaviour.

An article found in Papers Past dated February 12, 1884, stated that Edwards had been “on the spree” when he tried to kill his wife and four children.

The article also noted that there had been a history of him assaulting his wife while drunk.

In June of that year, it was reported that he had been convicted and sentenced to death.

The museum staff are keen to hear from anyone who might be able to help with any stories or photos about the lock-up.