PHOTO
When Greymouth writer Jackie Gurden set out two years ago to chronicle the lives of her parents Ian and Joy Kane, of Lake Hawea, little did she realise she would solve a family mystery about their origins.
Today, the Kane family will join the Lake Hawea community to celebrate the completion of Mrs Gurden's first book, From Coal and Gold to a Land of Milk and Honey.
Mrs Gurden was raised at Lake Hawea and lives in Greymouth with her husband Peter and sons Kurt and Ian.
"It is the first book I've written. I am not an author and I am very nervous about it. But it is important for us to write out our stories," Mrs Gurden, who runs a project planning and economic development business, said.
With the help of Lake Hawea residents, including Edna Capell, Mrs Gurden has produced 175 pages of text and photographs and had 300 copies produced.
Mrs Gurden's father, Ian Kane, and his cousin "Uncle" Stan Kane (94) are well known in the Lake Hawea district for their farming and community activities.
They have the same paternal grandfather, John Kane, and although plenty of evidence existed of his busy and active life in Central Otago, the family was puzzled as to where he came from.
John Kane arrived at Port Chalmers from Greenock in Scotland aboard William Davie, on October 29, 1867. He married Elizabeth Barnes in 1874 and they raised six boys and five girls.
And, like many young men, John Kane was lured by the opportunities of the Central Otago goldfields and worked as a carrier, carting coal, quartz and explosives between Bendigo and Bannockburn.
John Kane and two colleagues also established the Come in Time stamper, which is still in the Department of Conservation reserve at Bendigo.
• The public book launch is from 2pm at the Lake Hawea Community Centre. People are invited to bring historical photos to contribute to a digital archive.
