Old farm truck provides home for grandson
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Four years back, Hamish McClatchy reclaimed the 1952 L Bedford that his grandad, Ernest Pomeroy, used on the family farm at Bainham, and set about turning it into his home.
Some $4,000 spent on materials and endless hours of carpentry later, this 27-year-old is pleased with the result. Parked up at Weka Arts in Kaituna, that old farm truck now sports a gabled roof that extends out over the cab and stretches to a boot and cloak porch out the back. The interior is a funky fit of macrocarpa, totara and rimu timbers, and has a sink and table plus a wood range, which keeps it all cosy when the weather turns.
Explaining his motivation, Hamish says: "I knew I couldn't afford land just yet, but at least I now have a small house to plonk on it to get started when I do finally get some. This truck has given me a real feeling of stability. Special too that my grandfather owned it, and it's in such good condition."
Hamish affectionately calls his truck Albert, taken from "L Birt - Winchester", still clearly signwritten upon the driver's door. His grandfather bought the truck from this man near Timaru, and never bothered to paint over his name.
Although it's still just a matter of turning the key to start it up, it's actually hard to imagine this truck going anywhere, hemmed in the way it is now behind herb and flower beds with chunky driftwood borders. Weka Arts' owners are Brian and Karen Cooper (nee Pomeroy, Hamish's mum). Being a furniture maker, Brian threw his skills into the project too, supplying all the native timber and help wherever required.
Hamish attended Collingwood Area School right through to seventh form before graduating from Canterbury University with Honours in Geography. Since then, when he hasn't been back doing up his truck, he's mostly been "stuck" working in Perth or travelling, such as to South America last year.
When he goes back to Perth, Hamish knows he will always have his own room to return to, something never guaranteed in a blended family situation like his, where he counts four stepsisters, two stepbrothers and one full brother, who all return regularly to visit.
That's not all the returnees either. Weka Arts is a hot spot remnant population of the now not-so-common weka in Golden Bay. "At least half a dozen come and feed every day now," says Hamish. "My housetruck can get surrounded by them. This whole 1.5 ha property has been developed like an art work in itself these days. I couldn't think of a nicer place to end up."
Gerard Hindmarsh
