Diaries unlock life story of a seafaring man
Eleanor Bensemann with her labour of love
The story of John Dracup has finally been published by his daughter Eleanor Bensemann in John S. Dracup, The life and times of a seafaring man.
Forty-eight years’ worth of diaries formed the basis of the book which has been 20 years in the making. Eleanor first
put pen to paper in in 1997 when she handwrote the first chapter.
“For many years I have felt my father’s story deserves to be told. We children grew up hearing tales of the beautiful
Scottish countryside, life at sea and the hardships and isolation of a signalman’s days at Little Port Cooper on
Lyttelton Harbour.
“What we were not aware of was the romance and tragedy of our father’s first marriage, and the circumstances of his
second to our mother.
“Much of the way of life that Dad was part of is gone forever – there is no longer a signal station on Adderley Heads,
railways have superseded the coastal shipping trade and the port of Patea is no more. Even the country grocery store is
a thing of the past.”
Eleanor says that when her Dad was around 80 years old, she suggested he write a timeline of the ships he had sailed on,
their cargoes and destinations.
“This he began to do, but it soon expanded into pages and pages of neatly written script. Along with his diaries kept
from 1950-1998 I had an absolute treasure trove of information to use in the writing of this book.”
Last year when Eleanor retired from Marlborough to Paraparaumu, to live at Kāpiti Village, she was determined to finish
the book and share her Dad’s historical story. She engaged local publishers Kāpiti Print Media Ltd and launches the book
this month.
Anyone interested in more information on the book can contact Eleanor Bensemann via librarylil@clear.net.nz.
Ends