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Fred Charles
Biography
BiographyFrederick Henry Charles was born in London in 1917. He was called up for service in WWII; wounded at Dunkirk, and invalided out.
He had met Isabel May Conquest just before the war, and had planned a honeymoon in Germany. They were married in Hornchurch, Essex, and had just returned from honeymoon when a bomb landed in their garden - wthout exploding.
After the war, they bought an historic house and turned it into a restaurant. It was described in the September 14, 1966 'Leader' after an underground passage was discovered. They later owned a 30-bedroom Savoy Hotel on the Kent coast.
They came to New Zealand in April 1956, after Fred, who had trained as a gas engineer after being injured during army training (or at Dunkirk?, was offered a job with the Gas Association of New Zealand as a chartered fuel technologist, supervising two mobile laboratory units which visited gasworks (making gas by heating coal) to improve their efficiency. Mrs Charles had worked as a policewoman in England, and worked for the police until the Charleses moved to Silverstream; Fred moved to the Department of Scientific and Industrial research as their chief gas examiner.
He served on the Hutt Valley Energy Board, and founded the Wellington and Upper (or Lower) Hutt Round Tables.
The February 18 'Leader' reported that Fred had been awarded the coveted gold badge for services to the Labour Party (after 32 years, he left the Labour Party for New Labour in 1989; New Labour later became part of the Alliance Party).
He received an MBE for services to the gas industry in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours.
The couple travelled overseas a lot, and Fred had gone paragliding in Malaysia at 75, in spite of angina and two artificial knees
The November 8, 1988 'Leader' reported that some years ago, his son had persuaded him to buy a video camera, and he had produced about 370 videos of weddings and other occasions (his wife was a marriage celebrant), but he had problems with arthritis. Now, he was recording films projected onto a screen, using appropriate projectors.
The April 17, 1996 'Leader' obituary listed the following organisations in which he was involved;
Wesley Centre and its Peace Group;
Greypower;
RSA
Pinehaven Progressive Association (president);
Totara Park residents' Association;
Round Table, New Zealand; establishment of the first branch, in Christchurch, then Wellington (No. 3) and Lower Hutt (No. 11);
Retired Men's Forum;
Isabel commented that a hallmark of his involvement in these organisations was his commitment to detail and accuracy, but often intolerance for those whose work was not so conscientious.
Isabel served on the Heretaunga-Pinehaven District Community Council for 15 years, and was also a Justice of the Peace and a marriage celebrant. There is much more biographical detail in her 'person' entry.
He had met Isabel May Conquest just before the war, and had planned a honeymoon in Germany. They were married in Hornchurch, Essex, and had just returned from honeymoon when a bomb landed in their garden - wthout exploding.
After the war, they bought an historic house and turned it into a restaurant. It was described in the September 14, 1966 'Leader' after an underground passage was discovered. They later owned a 30-bedroom Savoy Hotel on the Kent coast.
They came to New Zealand in April 1956, after Fred, who had trained as a gas engineer after being injured during army training (or at Dunkirk?, was offered a job with the Gas Association of New Zealand as a chartered fuel technologist, supervising two mobile laboratory units which visited gasworks (making gas by heating coal) to improve their efficiency. Mrs Charles had worked as a policewoman in England, and worked for the police until the Charleses moved to Silverstream; Fred moved to the Department of Scientific and Industrial research as their chief gas examiner.
He served on the Hutt Valley Energy Board, and founded the Wellington and Upper (or Lower) Hutt Round Tables.
The February 18 'Leader' reported that Fred had been awarded the coveted gold badge for services to the Labour Party (after 32 years, he left the Labour Party for New Labour in 1989; New Labour later became part of the Alliance Party).
He received an MBE for services to the gas industry in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours.
The couple travelled overseas a lot, and Fred had gone paragliding in Malaysia at 75, in spite of angina and two artificial knees
The November 8, 1988 'Leader' reported that some years ago, his son had persuaded him to buy a video camera, and he had produced about 370 videos of weddings and other occasions (his wife was a marriage celebrant), but he had problems with arthritis. Now, he was recording films projected onto a screen, using appropriate projectors.
The April 17, 1996 'Leader' obituary listed the following organisations in which he was involved;
Wesley Centre and its Peace Group;
Greypower;
RSA
Pinehaven Progressive Association (president);
Totara Park residents' Association;
Round Table, New Zealand; establishment of the first branch, in Christchurch, then Wellington (No. 3) and Lower Hutt (No. 11);
Retired Men's Forum;
Isabel commented that a hallmark of his involvement in these organisations was his commitment to detail and accuracy, but often intolerance for those whose work was not so conscientious.
Isabel served on the Heretaunga-Pinehaven District Community Council for 15 years, and was also a Justice of the Peace and a marriage celebrant. There is much more biographical detail in her 'person' entry.
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Details
Date of Birth1917Place of BirthLondonDate of Death2 April 1996Place of DeathUpper Hutt?Place of BurialAkatarawa (ashes)Place of ResidenceSilverstreamSexMaleEthnicityEuropean
Place of BirthLondonDate of Death2 April 1996Place of DeathUpper Hutt?Place of BurialAkatarawa (ashes)Place of ResidenceSilverstreamSexMaleEthnicityEuropeanMarriage
WifeIsabel May ConquestDateJuly 1941LocationHornchurch, Essex
DateJuly 1941LocationHornchurch, EssexFamily
ChildColin, 1945Anthony, pre-1956Ian, 1962
Anthony, pre-1956Ian, 1962Fred Charles (July 1941). Upper Hutt City Library, accessed 19/03/2026, https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26696