Veteran rural delivery contractor Geoff Davis (second from
left) with three of his rural mail delivery customers, from
left, Natalie Allan, Walter Bohn and Marilyn Prescott (all
of Dunback) at his farewell function. Photo by Bill
Campbell.
Rural delivery contractor Geoff Davis, of Palmerston,
will retire next week after a 19-year career on the road during
which he clocked up more than 1.3 million kilometres.
Mr Davis, who was given an official farewell at Dunback last
weekend, ran the rural delivery service from Palmerston to
Dunback, Morrisons and Macraes.
More than 60 people attended the function, with one guest
summing up his career best: "Nothing was too much trouble.
If you needed something urgently for the farm or the house,
Geoff Davis would bring it out."
Mr Davis said he had set out to give all the 125 box-holders
on the route inland from Palmerston the "best possible
service" when he took over in 1990.
Originally from Ranfurly, he and his wife Lois also operated
a stationery and bookshop in Palmerston.
He said he had treated people "as he would like to be
treated".
The rural delivery work expanded significantly with the
opening of the Macraes gold mine in 1990, which had been
great for his business.
However, that expansion was offset by farm amalgamations and
fewer staff working on farms with the number of box-holders
in 2009 the same (125) as in 1990.
Only 22 of the original box-holders of 1990 remained, he
said.
Made president of the Otago-Southland branch of the Rural
Mail Contractors Association in 2001, he was then elected to
the New Zealand executive.
Mr Davis, who is also the Palmerston Volunteer Fire Brigade's
chief fire officer, will end his rural delivery contract next
Tuesday.
Allan and Glenda McNeill, of Dunedin, will take over on April
1.
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