Moorhead, Vernon

Vernon David Moorhead, the son of George and Charlotte (nee Long), was born on 12 January 1919. Known as ‘Mick’ by most people, he attended West End primary school, then New Plymouth Boys’ High School.

After leaving school he worked for the New Plymouth Borough Council, as a clerk in the Electricity and Tramways departments, and played cricket for the New Plymouth Old Boys’ club. He played the season when the club won its first Taranaki title. He was secretary of the cricket club for nine years, and later secretary of the Old Boys’ rugby club.

In World War Two, Vernon served as a sergeant in an anti-tank company in the New Zealand artillery. He departed for Europe in mid-1941 and was reported wounded in November 1942.

On his return from the war, he married Nancye McKenzie. The couple moved to Stratford where he worked as the assistant Town Clerk. Later, Vernon became a long-serving Town Clerk for the Carterton Borough Council.

A keen golf player, in 1968 he was badly hurt in an incident at the Carterton Golf Club. In 1973, he took a case to court, alleging negligence by another player, and was awarded $7500 compensation.

In the early 1980s Vernon and Nancye returned to New Plymouth to retire. Vernon died on 5 July 1994. His wife Nancye died in 2015.

Book

The Honours Board by Brian Beer, page 131, 132 and 211.