Perry St family travel back to 1914

FAMILY DAY: The Wells and Wellington families in the 1918 snow. Lillian is possibly the lady at the extreme left.

A fascination with an historic house's family past has prompted a Perry St homeowner to join the theme of the WWI re-enactment parade past her house on Wednesday.

Michelle O'Connell's home at 90 Perry St is the same house, apart from an extension, that faced the troops who marched to Masterton railway station on August 13, 1914, and off to war.

Possibly watching on that poignant day, or walking with the parade, was the family of Foster and Beatrice Wellington, who lived at 90 Perry St.

Ms O'Connell and her son, Christopher, 6, are paying homage to the troops' farewell by representing two members of the Wellington family, complete with period costume, suitcases and food.

They will walk with the re-enactment parade to the station, and join passengers on a steam train ride to Mauriceville for the day.

Ms O'Connell said when she heard about the parade she got to thinking about family life 100 years ago.

"I was thinking about the women left behind, or being grateful their children would be too young, or husband too old."

She went to the Wairarapa Archives to find out more.

Archivist Gareth Winter determined that Foster Wellington, a Masterton bootmaker, lived at the house with his wife, Lillian Beatrice Wellington, and they may have had seven children.

"Seven children and two adults lived in two-thirds of what we live in now," said Ms O'Connell.

Foster may have been about 40 at the time, and too old to go to war.

Ms O'Connell said she will collect Chris from school, and they will walk the parade together, while other family members wave from the house.

"We're dressed up, with our old little suitcases. Chris is very excited. He thought a real war was going on. I explained we are just pretending."

She is making food from the period, such as Afghan cookies and boiled sweets, to take on the train, and she wonders if Lillian would have used an Edmonds Cookbook as she did.

"This parade is a great opportunity to think of what actually happened.

"History is disappearing - these houses are going to be the historic homes."

"I used to be a teacher, and education in the classroom is not where it ends. This is an opportunity to live history."

Another reason for her interest is she has a great-grandfather who went to Gallipoli.

"I also had two grandfathers in World War II. Jack O'Connell went to Egypt and returned safely home. Ernest Turley went to the Solomon Islands and returned home."

She said her "Poppa", Ernest, stopped taking part in Anzac Day after he was spat on while marching during a parade.

"He died without knowing how grateful we are for their sacrifice both in lives lost and in lives changed and how we respect their sacrifices.

"I wish Nana and Poppa were alive today to see the celebrations."

She said she hopes Masterton comes out to support the parade.

"It's such a great thing."

Further research from Mr Winter details that Foster Wellington was the son of John and Emmaline Wellington, who came to New Zealand as Scandinavian settlers.

Foster died in 1950, while Lillian died in the Tangiwai disaster on December 24, 1953.