P&K: Committed to Martinborough for 150 years

Commitment. Service. Resilience.

These are three of the principles which guide father David Kershaw and son Conor Kershaw as the family business celebrates a rare milestone in New Zealand _ 150 years as a registered company serving the same district. 

Patriarch David had a hint of pride in his voice as he confirmed the company’s original registration number of 1439, granted by the government. It is one of a small and select group of commercial operations founded then which still operate in 2023. 

The “general store” of the day opened its doors just three years after Pakeha settlement began in the district as the township of Wharekaka _ close to the Maori settlement of Waihenga.

It wasn’t until 1879 that local runholder John Martin bought up neighbouring land and named the new township Martinborough. 

Original owner George “Tiny” Pain opened the store in 1873, then shifted from Wharekaka to Martinborough township where later additional buildings alongside the store were used for a butchery, saddlery, hairdresser, pharmacy, a pool room and Arcade.

The Kershaw family became part of the business in 1898 and it has been physically operating on the land now occupied since the store’s “new” construction in 1905.

“It took 100 years to buy them (the other buildings on the block) all back,” David explained, so the just-completed shops and cafe had the land needed for the expansion and storage facilities project which has taken more than two years of effort. 

David Kershaw, son of Harry (in turn the son of John) was asked by his father to help “for six months” with the shop’s centennial in 1973. He remained there until retirement in 2013, 40 years later.

He underlined the family’s commitment to the area: “multiple generations have invested in Martinborough and have always remained loyal to the area,” he told the Star.

Adds son Conor: “We’ve never, ever invested outside of Martinborough. Maybe just lack of ambition,” he laughs. Replies David: “ Maybe it’s just too comfortable here,” as both laugh again.

Conor, the 4^th generation of the family to helm the business, went back into history to explain that the “entire site” for the new shops and storage facilities “that we operate on now are the exact titles that (founder) George Pain purchased when this town was formed _ to the absolute letter. 

“So there’s not one boundary that we changed over the years which he didn’t own originally when the town was formed,” he added. 

David has pride in the town’s design: “The Square is Martinborough’s difference – it separates it from the rest of New Zealand. Martinborough is a destination town, people come here. It is a very special town.”

“People who come here want to come here. Ninety-five percent of people in Martinborough want to be here, are happy to be here _ and long may it continue. ”

Conor describes himself as the “current caretaker” of the business. He took over the reins in 2013 as parts of the original buildings were given a short life-span because of updated earthquake regulations and slowly-rotting external verandahs.

Insurers told the company there was no more than 20 years of life left in key parts of the structure, while other buildings in the block had just “5 percent” chance of surviving a significant earthquake.

“Our guiding principle for the whole rebuild was future-proofing and resilience, and to buiild something for the future. We were in the old building for 125 years so we wanted something that was future-proofed for the next 100 years,” Conor Kershaw said.

“We also had to do something as the building was earthquake-prone and 2033 was when we had to have it done by,” he said. “We’ve over-built, it’s a once-in-a-generation thing.”

The 125 years was about the time-span the old building had been in use, despite the terrible impact of the 1942 Magnitude 7.6 earthquake and aftershocks which wrecked the shop’s landmark tower, some exterior walls and verandahs.

When David told the South Wairarapa district Council of the quake risk assessment for the town’s library then located next to the store in an old single-brick building, the council immediately closed the library and moved it to a temporary shipping container home in the rear carpark.

He chuckled as he explained the vacated library premises, despite the risk, remained in use for the next two weeks as the location for the children’s holiday programme. It turned out the council could not find an alternative venue in Martinborough town.