Harriet Louisa Cohen

  Research Information:

The Following is courtesy of Tony Cohen (Nov. 07):

Eulogy of Harriet Louisa (Cohen) Lochore:

Harriet Louisa Lochore (Ettie) was born in Broadford Victoria Australia in 1994. She moved to Black’s Point with her family when she was 6 years old. The day of her arrival was dramatic as a coach and horses went into the whirlpool. The driver drowned and the horses had to be shot as they were entangled in the harness. The whirlpool in those days was a place to be feared as many people had lost their lives.

Ettie was born to a Jewish father who was very stern but a man whom she adored. She began work at the age of 11 and her first job was living with and working for Dr & Mrs Scott, helping to care for the children and house duties. Her first pay went towards the purchase of the very best shirt she could find for her father. It cost 7/6d.

She lived with many other prominent citizens in Reefton and Greymouth in the same capacity.

After a trip to Australia with a brother she returned to Reefton and worked for Bob Lochore at the Palace Restaurant, a boarding house with a confectionery shop attached. Other local identities, Mattie Dewar (nee Healy) Queenie Mckenzie (nee Joseph) also worked there.

The young courting couples spent much of their time at Lawn’s Emporium where the bookshop is now. In those days it was a two storied building with a balcony where they could watch the activities on the street as they had their tea and cakes and listened to Mrs Lawn tickling the ivories. The local orchestra also played there.
The Sally Army band played on the street corners of a late night and were welcomed everywhere. Ettie would recall on many occasions the days when Reefton was a thriving township. Saturday night was the late night shopping night when all the gold miners and their families from Wealth of Nations, Keep it Dark, Globe, Merryjig’s & Inglewood’s would come to town to get fresh supplies, and men to visit the pubs. The town was so crowded you couldn’t walk on the pavements - almost wall to wall people. There were shops in Black’s point too.

In 1926 she married Bob Lochore, a man full of fun, willing always to take on a dare. One day old George Lockington met up with him at Carroll O’Briens (where Broadway Supplies is) where Bob was buying chamber pots for the boarding house and dared him to carry them unwrapped down the crowded street. Bob walked off, swinging one in each hand flaunting the rose flowered pots for everyone to see. He was one of the first to have a car.

Their marriage was to last just 2 years 8 months before Bob died. Incidently his death was 62 years ago yesterday. He left Ettie to carry on with the Fruit, Vege and confectionery shop and bring up their daughter Betty.

Many will still remember the counter with the large glass jars full of sweets where the children could make the most important decision - How to spend their pennies.

For a farthing you could buy a bulls Eye, three black balls or three brandy balls, 4 nigger boys or a chocolate fish. A Ha’penny would buy a Sante bar or Fry’s Creme filled choc bar. A stick of Turkish delight or a snowball.

Two licourice straps or pipes cost a penny or you could get a cinnamon flavoured bird’s nest with blue eggs, or 6 conversation lollies or a packet of smokers.

Who remembers the flavoured bags of Sherbet with its liquorice pipe that tickled your nose when you drew the sherbet up? And the ring fags, how the girls would ponder on which stone looked the nicest. Jack Eklund remembers the bag of caramels he bought for 3d.

Ettie would often recall Rhubarb Sunday in Black’s Point. The first Sunday in October when the people of Reefton would flock up to the church service which would be packed. The singing fair raised the rafters, then on to celebrate the day with the cousin Jacks as the Cornish people were called. Of course the main dish was Rhubarb and all culinary skills were brought to bear to produce a variety of rhubarb offerings.

Next morning there were many early risers. The ladies always had a new dress for the occasion.

Ettie never had time for holidays or hobbies apart from knitting as the shop was open for 6 days a week till 10pm and Saturdays 11pm.

People would come in after the flicks (movies) for their fruit to take home. Bananas were sold by the hand for 1/- or l/6d. Apples, pears and oranges by the dozen. If they were going on to a dance the men would invariably buy violet cachous for their breath. (It hid a multitude of sins)

Chocolate croquettes were another favourite - discs of chocolate individually wrapped in silver paper in round tubes. (Just the thing to slip into the pocket.)

Ettie carried on with the shop until the war years when supplies became difficult to get.

It was about 25 years ago that she had a heart attack and was not expected to live through the night and then 10 years ago that she had a stroke and was admitted to the Reefton Hospital where she lived until her death.

Betty and the family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the hospital staff for all the loving care bestowed on her.

The nurses and patients regarded her as a scream but shrewd too. It was her medication, particularly the pills that proved to be the problem with her. She did not like swallowing them. The nurses were hard pushed to find new ways to ‘coat’ the pills - like mixing them in with her desert (which she loved) - only to be foiled because the moment their backs were turned she would rummage through the plateful and extract those nasty little things.

On another occasion they presented her with her pills wrapped up in a small parcel which they said was a gift from her Bob in heaven and he wanted her to take them. When she saw what the parcel contained she quietly wrapped them up again, returned them to the nurse and said, "Tell Bob "thank you very much but send them back to him"".

Harriet was a kindly person though not very demonstrative, but she loved to share baking and garden produce, especially plums with her friends and neighbours.

She was a loving grandmother and loved to baby sit her grandchildren and they in turn loved to go up to ‘big Nanas’. This was a name given to her by Catherine when tiny, to distinguish between the two grandmothers.

Today we say farewell to a woman who was loving, hardworking and we give thanks to God for her life.

Harriet married Robert Govane Lochore in 1926. (Robert Govane Lochore died in 1928 in Reefton, New Zealand.)