Noeline Wolfe

“You can take the people out of the Port, but you can’t take the Port out of the people”

Noeline Wolfe (nee Clark) was born on 8 December 1927 at the Port. Her parents moved to a house in Campbell St in 1929, and she lived in same house until she moved to Wellington after her schooling. Noeline attended the Port School, and was in the basketball team.

During the earthquake she remembers her mother grabbing her and sister Shirley under her arms and jumping over the emerging cracks in the ground, to get them to an empty nearby section where they would be safe from falling debris. Her memories of the Port growing up include going down to the waterfront to buy fish direct from the boats on Sundays, swimming before school at the pools on the beach, and Mr Husheer – owner of National Tobacco, who used give the kids in the area a penny when out walking his dog.

After finishing schooling, she worked at a local firm Swailes Printing Company, then moved with a friend she had met there to Wellington, where she lived for 13 years doing veterinary nursing. In 1966, Noelene moved to Australia.  She met and married Frank Wolfe, spending 13 years in Northern Territory before moving home again.