Aussie seeks info on Annie Meek | Oamaru News | Local News in Oamaru

Australian Hamish Ramsay is on a family quest to find any information available about local identity Annie Meek, for a book he is helping to compile.

The Adelaide man has been in Oamaru this week searching the North Otago Museum and talking to local historians hoping to find any reference to his grandmother.

He now hopes Oamaru Mail readers, with a connection to the Meek family, may have letters, photographs or documents available to share with him.

Annie Meek, who was born in Scotland, was the second daughter of Thomas Meek, a well-known and successful Oamaru businessman at the turn of the 19th century.

She married William Ramsay, who was born in the same village in Lanarkshire.

Mr Ramsay is now working alongside Australian journalist Keith Dunstan, to write a history of the Kiwi Polish Co, which, as it turns out, Annie Meek may have been involved in running.

When she returned as a new bride to Melbourne her connection with the company began.

"A few years after his marriage, William, his brother James and another, started the business which became the Kiwi Polish Company, later a world-wide household name," he said.

"Contrary to what most New Zealanders would like to believe, Kiwi Polish did not start in New Zealand and was not a New Zealand company."

However, Annie's new family, the Ramsays, always referred to her as 'Kiwi Annie' looking for a short, sharp easily pronounceable name for their new product.

"Hence 'Kiwi' and the well-known image of the bird on the tin," he said.

During Mr Ramsay's research the years from Annie's marriage to the start of the company appear to be quite a mystery.

"Nothing has been found, so far, of any letters from Annie back to her family," he said.

"In particular one might expect letters back from a new bride, in a new country, to her sisters (Louisa Jane, who becomes Cairney, Sarah Wallace - Laing).

Annie had three children in "fairly quick succession" after marrying (Jean, John and Thomas Meek Ramsay) - the two sons later becoming managing directors of Kiwi Polish.

"Adding fuel to the interest in Annie Meek is the tragic fact that her husband, William Ramsay, died only a few years after his company started," Mr Ramsay said.

"Annie inherited his share and it is thought that she then played a strong role in running the company in following years."

"We would dearly love to find any correspondence, from or to, or relating to Annie Meek or any photos or other documents.

Mr Ramsay has been working closely with the North Otago Museum and historian Helen Stead, but if you have any information, please contact him by emailing:

hramsay@internode.on.net.