Obituary. Trevor Solly: an unsung working hero
Trevor Solly (30 June 1926 - 22 December 2008).
A parked line-up of polished big rigs, a dumper, his D4-D bulldozer, two veteran Bedford trucks (one of which was used to carry the casket), plus a guard of honour formed by over 60 past and present Solly's drivers all set the scene for the funeral of Trevor Solly, held on Boxing Day in the garden of his home at Ferntown.
Blaster, driller, quarryman, farmer, dozer and truck driver, search and rescuer, and astute businessman, Trevor Solly established himself during his lifetime as the undisputed "father and mentor" of the Solly's group of companies.
He was born at Ferntown on 30 June 1926, two years before his father Ken Solly of Ferry Point Farm established Solly's Freight. Young Trevor grew up in a home with a strong work ethic. Every morning in those early days, Ken would help his wife Clarice milk their cows in the dark before setting off to work. Freight picked up so much that in 1932 the family moved to Rockville and began a regular freight run over the Hill to Nelson.
From 1931 to 1940, Trevor attended Rockville School, which was then located up Devil's Boots Road. As a youngster, his weekends were often spent helping sharpen picks and shovels along with maintenance of the trucks. Later he assisted with the unloading and delivery of freight and stock from the coastal ships that berthed at the "port", as they referred to Collingwood in those days.
During WW2, Trevor was called upon to help construct roads and bridges to the "secret" NZRAF radar base near Cape Farewell. It was while building the bridge by the Grahams' house at "Up Town" Puponga that he met Dorothy (Dot) Graham, who became his wife and business partner for the next 62 years.
During 1947, Trevor and father Ken built the area's first stock crate, using white pine timber for the main frames. With their 28hp truck and lots of skill and patience, they pioneered the road cartage of stock in and out of Golden Bay with their eight-cow or 70-sheep-per-trip capacity.
Trevor and Dot continued to work together to help expand the transport business. Around 1952 Trevor purchased a D2 bulldozer, which heralded the start of more serious land development and road construction throughout the Collingwood area. More machinery was purchased in the early 1960s, including a bigger bulldozer and what was then a massive loader with a two-cubic-metre bucket. Just as Trevor had assisted his father Ken, Trevor's two sons, Merv and Brian, come into the business from around 1962 to assist him.
It was around this time that Trevor accomplished some of his biggest projects, becoming a self-taught expert in drilling and blasting techniques. Teaming up with Tom Cross and Ted Rae, they carved out the access road to the summit of Mt Burnett, a two-year job. Other access roads for mining companies followed, including the Aorere Goldfields route through to Bedstead and Golden Gully and the Johnson United Mine, plus the challenging access up Copperstain Creek at Puramahoi. The latter Trevor rated as the most difficult job of his career.
The 1970s saw huge changes in the rural transport industry and Trevor was quick to adapt. He embraced the upgrading and computerisation of the Fernbrae Lime Company on the family farm at Ferntown and became an enthusiastic back-up driver for the 40-hour long haul stock-carting trips between Collingwood and Southland, which required two drivers working together-two hours on, two hours off-all the way there and back.
In 1980, Trevor and Dot moved back to Ferntown to live on the farm again and devoted their energies to developing Fernbrae Farm where the limeworks and dolomite plant still operate. He continued to take on big projects, including servicing oilrigs that moored in the Bay, using the Clarissa, the boat his father owned. One notable contract involved co-ordinating the 10-day midwinter salvaging of the fishing vessel Resolution II that ran aground at Ngaroa just north of Westhaven Inlet. His team lived under canvas and worked in difficult conditions to refloat the boat, one of the days being his 60th birthday. Trevor's scrupulous honesty was shown up when the boat's insurance company initially refused to pay his bill because they thought it was too low!
An avid search and rescuer, Trevor assisted police on many a rescue mission. He had a dry yet carefully honed sense of humour. When one policeman on a Heaphy Track search complained that he couldn't go another step further, Trevor was quick to tell him; "Well we'll have to gut you then, because we're not going to carry all that fat out!"
There was never any talk of retirement during Trevor's entire life. Even during his later years he revealed a strong compassionate streak by spending much time cutting up firewood that he distributed to family and older people around Collingwood. It was said he singly kept at least 20 households supplied with firewood. Right up to the week before he died, he was fully active, assisting people where required.
Trevor passed away on the longest day of the year. His wife, Dot, had passed away on the shortest day 18 months before him. They are survived by their three children, Merv, Brian and Kathy, along with 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grand children.
If one man epitomises the generation of workers who helped put in the infrastructure we all use today, it was Trevor Solly, the unsung working hero. The big hands, the pipe that always seemed to be in his mouth that caused him to mumble instructions, his infectious work ethic and understated generosity, these attributes and many more will long be remembered by those who knew him.
Gerard Hindmarsh
