Bailey clothes pegs; J. A. B. Ltd, New Zealand, Rotorua, Clayton Road; Unknown; ...
Bailey clothes pegs
About this objectCardboard box of 3 dozens (36) wooden Bailey clothes pegs. On front and back of the box, written in white, blue and white on red or blue background, "Bailey DURABLE FLEXIBLE PEGS CONTENTS 3 DOZEN". On the sides of the box, " Strong as the BAILEY BRIDGE, 3 dozens. Manufactured by J. A. B. Ltd., Clayton Road, Rotorua. Reg design - 5451." On top of the box "Bailey strengthened to take the strain pegs".
MakerJ. A. B. Ltd, New Zealand, Rotorua, Clayton Road
Maker RoleManufacturer
Date MadeUnknown
Place Made Medium and Materials
Cardboard
Wood
On front and back of the box, written in white, blue and white on red or blue background, "BAILEY DURABLE FLEXIBLE PEGS CONTENTS 3 DOZEN". On the sides of the box, " Strong as the BAILEY BRIDGE, 3 dozen. Manufactured by J. A. B. Ltd., Clayton Road, Rotorua. Reg design - 5451." On top of the box "Bailey strengthened to take the strain pegs".
Measurements
Box: H 144mm x L 112mm x W 67mm
Pegs: L 108mm x W 15mm
From the collection of the Cromwell Museum
Object Type Object numberCR2018.040
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My father William John Bailey along with his son John Arthur Bailey designed and built the machinery to make wooden clothes pegs. He had a factory at 100 Mays Road Te Papa Auckland. He built the machinery so that you put the wood in one end and the peg was developed and popped out the other end. The pegs then went up on a conveyer belt into tumblers with blocks of wax. As children my brother and I often went into the tumblers to free caught pegs. The pegs were then tipped down a shute and packed manually into boxes. My father employed a girl called May to do this work. She worked there for many years. One day May was not at work and by morning tea my father rang her mother to ask where was May? Her mother said ‘I am sorry Mr Bailey May had a child this morning but she will be at work tomorrow!!!’ My father hadn’t even noticed she was pregnant and sure enough May was back at work next day!!! How times have changed. Just after World War II a Chinese man named Tin Kow (dont know the exact spelling of his name) came and asked dad if he could lease the land around the factory for market gardening. Dad leased him the land at a very small fee and Tin Kow did very well growing and selling vegetables. With the introduction of plastic and plastic pegs my father was finding it harder to compete plus he was well into his 70s so he sold the machinery to a firm in Rotorua who continued to manufacture pegs under the Bailey name. He sold the front half of the land to Watties and leased the buildings. The railway tract ran right alongside dads factory and as children my brother and I used to play on it. One fateful day I was sitting down in the railway tract, I was around 7 or 8, I had my back to the oncoming train, never heard it and the train driver never spotted me until he was almost upon me. He rang the bell and I got such a fright I probably have never moved so quickly in my whole life! I was standing shaking by the factory when my mother came rushing around the corner. ‘Where were you when that train went by’ she demanded. ‘Right here mum, I was standing right here’ I said. Unfortunately for me the train driver reported it and my dad read it out loud out of the Herald at breakfast the next morning!!!