NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES
POLGREEN'S HILL, RATA, RANGITIKEI
BUS CRASH
FRIDAY 16 JULY 1965
On Friday July 16, 1965 a bus carrying twenty-nine members of the Horowhenua Floral Art and Garden Club from Levin crashed over the bank on Polgreen's Hill between Bulls and Rata. At the time the road was part of State Highway One, but has now been bypassed and is known as Jefferson Line. It was originally Porewa Road.
It is believed that the brakes of the bus failed on the steep and winding descent of the road. The driver steered on to an unsealed secondary road [Porewa Road - now closed] to avoid a sharp left-hand turn on the main road. Unfortunately the bus plunged over a thirty foot (nine metre) bank, struck a tree and landed on its wheels - 40°01'23.0"S+175°28'16.4"E. The tree ripped the roof off the bus which was owned by Sciascia Motors of Waitarere. The site is marked with a small white cross.
The group were on their way to Hunterville for a New Zealand Floral Art Society display at Hautawa, the home of Lady Duncan.
Five women were killed on the day, and one Bessie WEGGERY died of her injuries on the 22 July 1965. The bus driver and the rest of the women were taken to Palmerston North and Wanganui Hospitals. One woman escaped injury.
Dedicated to the six women who lost their lives in the POLGREEN'S HILL BUS CRASH, RATA - Friday 16 July 1965.
| DAY | Sadie Frances | 52 |
| FARRELL | Valmai Patricia | 44 |
| NETTEN | Marjorie Eliza | 54 |
| ROMANS | Francesca Sarah Chinnery | 53 |
| SORENSON | Eunice Florence | 46 |
| WEGGERY | Bessie Peti | 48 |
Those injured onboard included:
| BANKS | A G (Mrs) [Joan Catherine BANKS] |
| BARRIE | Avis Una |
| BRUCE | Elizabeth |
| COUSINS | Frederica |
| DALLINGER | Irene |
| DE CASTRO | Cynthia Sybil |
| DU RHONE | L (Mrs) |
| HISLOP | Gwendolin La Mothe |
| HOARE | Florence Louise |
| MAUNDER | Jean Lesley |
| McDONALD | Kathleen |
| PEGDEN | Barbara |
| PETERSON | Ida Joyce |
| RANKIN | Ivy Irene |
| ROBINSON | Dorothea |
| SHAW | A E (Mrs) |
| SHAW | Carol Ivy |
| SINCLAIR | J G (Mrs) [Miriel SINCLAIR] |
| TABOR | Jan |
| TAYLOR | Ian (Bus driver) |
| TROTTER | Eunice Jessie |
| WAITE | Melva Grace |
| WEGGERY | Bessie |
| WHILEY | Alice |
| YULE | R D Mrs [Olga Maud YULE] |
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