Apple Day
Contents |
Supporting our Boys
During World War 1, the good folk of Nelson came up with many ideas related to something they did well - growing things - to raise morale and money for local servicemen. Between 1915 and 1918, hundreds of pounds were raised through Daffodil Days to send packages and money to the local troops at war in Europe.1

Mr Thorpe (Govt. Expert) Giving Apple Packing Demonstration at Mr Izards Orchard. Stoke. Feb.1912. F N Jones Collection/Nelson Provincial Museum Collection
It was the turn of apples in 1917. By the early 1900s, Nelson’s apple industry was booming, with hundreds of acres of apple trees planted in Moutere, Tasman, Motueka, Riwaka and on the Waimea Plains.2
In February 1917, a series of community events were held between 25 and 28 April to help the Red Cross Fund.3 “In giving reasons for a special effort on behalf of the Red Cross, Mrs Lock said that a big offensive of the Allies was to be expected soon, with its inevitable attendant of heavy casualty lists. Nelson had done nobly in the past in the way of contributions towards Red Cross work and she hoped there would be a continuance of the whole-hearted support that was necessary.”
The Red Cross committee solicited contributions from apple growers and it was planned that small boxes of apples would be sold throughout the city at a shilling a box.

Apple tree in Nelson. Guy Collection/Nelson Provincial Museum Collection
Apple Day was held on Wednesday 25 April, the day of the local elections. The Horticultural Society held a flower show on Thursday and Friday 26 and 27 April and Saturday 28 April was devoted to an Alphabetical bazaar, where stalls sold articles beginning with different letters of the alphabet. For example, the F stall had a fairy well, fishpond and fruits.4 Excellent business was done on Apple Day, with £31 5s1d raised from the sale of apples.5
The following year, Apple Day took on more commercial imperatives, although it was hoped that many boxes would be bought for soldiers in camp.6 A key motivation for this second Apple Day was a storm which brought down many apples and left growers with the problem of disposing of the windfalls.7 “The opportunity to lessen the loss to growers and at the same time popularise the consumption of apples is one that orchardists are desirous of taking advantage of.”

View of two men loading apple packing cases on to a horse drawn cart among apple trees in an orchard. F N Jones Collection/Nelson Provincial Museum Collection
A meeting was held after the storm, with Apple Day to be held a few days later on the following Saturday. As a large number of workers were needed, the principal of Nelson Central School, Fred Gibbs, was asked, and agreed, to grant 50 pupils a holiday to help with preparations at Stoke orchards.8
Apple Day held on Saturday 23 March 19189 was a great success. “The public simply rushed the sellers, and were so insistent that they had to be supplied straight away. The result was that there was no fruit left to fulfil the hundreds of orders that had been received.
“There was a scene of great activity at the Church Steps, with growers unloading their cases, and the public scrambling for fruit. Orders are on hand for between 500 and 600 cases, and these will be delivered this week.”

Apple Day at Founders, Nelson 2015
It was estimated that about 1500 bushels may have been disposed of.10 Of interest was a letter to the Nelson Evening Mail about Apple Day, saying that “Nelson is not yet an apple consuming community, with people as a whole not fully understanding the food value of apples.”11
The following year, in 1920, an Apple Show was held again and it was resolved to hold a sale of apples similar to the successful Apple Day ‘held in the city on one occasion.’12
It was to be another 95 years, before Apple Day was held again in Nelson. On Monday 27 April, 2015, Nelson’s wartime community spirit was rediscovered with an Apple Day at Founders Park in Nelson. This featured a street party, wartime music, bazaars, exhibitions13 and games from the time such as apple bobbing and hoop n’ stick.14
2016
Tools
Sources used in this story
- Daffodil Day. Retrieved from the Prow
- The Apple industry. Retrieved from the Prow
- Apple day and alphabetical fete (1917, March 16) Colonist, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170316.2.19 - For the Red Cross (1917, February 14) Colonist, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170214.2.19 - Apple Day (1917, May 16) Colonist, p.11
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170516.2.49.24.1 - Apple day (1918, March 23) Nelson Evening Mail, p.6
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19180323.2.47 - Apple day in Nelson (1918, April 5) Hastings Standard, p.2
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HAST19180405.2.5 - Apple day in town (1918, March 20) Nelson Evening Mail, p.6
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19180320.2.38. - Apple Day (1918, March 23) Nelson Evening Mail
- Apple day in Nelson (1918, April 5) Hastings Standard
- Apple day in town (1918, March 20) Nelson Evening Mail
- Provincial apple show (1920, April 15) Nelson Evening Mail, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19200415.2.19 - Anzac apple day. Retrieved from ItsOn 1 March, 2016:
http://itson.co.nz/2015/9812-anzac-apple-day - Kidson, S (2015, April 22) Event to capture wartime spirit. Nelson Mail, on Stuff:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/67932356/Event-to-capture-wartime-spirit
Want to find out more about the Apple Day ? View Further Sources here.
Related Stories
Do you have a story about this subject? Find out how to add one here.
Comment on this story
Further sources - Apple Day
Articles
- Apple day in Nelson (1918, April 5) Hastings Standard, p.2
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HAST19180405.2.5 - Apple Day (1917, May 16) Colonist, p.11
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170516.2.49.24.1 - Apple day (1918, March 23) Nelson Evening Mail, p.6
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19180323.2.47 - Apple day and alphabetical fete (1917, March 16) Colonist, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170316.2.19 - Apple Day (1918, March 23) Colonist, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19180323.2.20 - Apple day in town (1918, March 20) Nelson Evening Mail, p.6
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19180320.2.38 - For the Red Cross (1917, February 14) Colonist, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19170214.2.19 - Apple day in town (1918, March 20) Nelson Evening Mail
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NEM19180320.2.38 - Provincial apple show (1920, April 15) Nelson Evening Mail, p.4
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM19200415.2.19
Post your comment
Comments
No one has commented on this page yet.
RSS feed for comments on this page | RSS feed for all comments