Barbara Chapman
I first met the incredible Barbara Chapman when I walked into Nosey Parkers to grab a few details to promote Waimate’s secondhand shopping scene.
“Sit down,” she said.
What followed was a fascinating chat. More than 80 years of adventures and enough stories for several lifetimes - far too many for one article.
By the end of our conversation, one quote summed Barbara up perfectly.
“There’s no such word as I can’t. Everything I’ve done I’ve faced I can’t. I can, and I will and I am as defiant as hell.”
Barbara Chapman in her Queen Street store, Nosey Parkers.
Nosey Parkers
Barbara recently opened Nosey Parkers from the old Parkers building, the former newsagency. The name came about after someone stopped outside and joked they were “just being a nosey Parker”.
“That’s perfect” Barbara thought.
Inside is an eclectic collection of clothing, furniture, vintage treasures and something surprisingly practical - women’s underwear, right up to size 5XL, or as Barbara puts it, “cuddly”.
They are the only place in Waimate to sell undies and no, they are not secondhand.
But as interesting as the shop is, Barbara herself is the main drawcard.
I have to buy this building
It was more than 25 years ago that she first arrived in Waimate, stopping in with her sister for coffee at the old Country Kitchen, when she decided she had to buy the building.
She headed across the road to the former ANZ Bank and met Helen.
“Girl power!” she remembers saying.
She went back to Australia the proud owner of the Country Kitchen building and returned soon after to live here.
“I didn’t know why I did it,” Barbara said.
“I didn’t know at the time my ancestors were some of the first pioneers here.”
After digging into her family history, Barbara discovered her great-grandparents, the Spain family, were among Waimate’s earliest settlers. Her family line stretches back to the Spanish Armada and includes William Spain, New Zealand’s first Commissioner of Lands.
Commonwealth Games model
One chapter of her extraordinary life took place in 1974.
Barbara modelling the 1974 Commonwealth Games hostess uniform
Living in Rotorua at the time, but originally from Christchurch, Barbara was selected to model the official uniform for the Christchurch Commonwealth Games. It was the first time the iconic NZ logo was used.
“They were looking for a Christchurch girl to be the model,” Barbara said.
Her husband, a top rugby player, travelled with her. Her Mum looked after their six children.
“It was a weekend away for my husband and I. We got to see all the facilities before everything opened.”
Despite the success of being chosen to model the uniform, Barbara chose nursing over modelling.
“I couldn’t be a professional model because of nursing, but I did fit in some photoshoots around my training and work.”
For decades, Barbara never saw the photograph again.
It was only a few years ago, her and a friend found it while searching online. The emotion caught her by surprise.
“I started crying,” she said.
A life of adventures
Every time I talk to Barbara, more incredible stories and adventures emerge.
Like how her mother was an incredibly talented sewer and, during the Depression years, made all sorts of things for the family - including their underwear - out of flour sacks. Usually the branding could be soaked out of the fabric, but one day Barbara grabbed a pair that weren’t quite ready, tripped over at school, and suddenly her classmates could read exactly how many pounds of flour they once carried.
There was the time she and her husband sold everything they owned and packed the children up for an extended working adventure across Australia. Before leaving, Barbara told each child they could choose one thing to bring. One resourceful daughter selected a bucket of pegs - in case they needed to hang out their clothes.
“It was exciting,” Barbara said.
“It absolutely made them the people they are today.”
Barbara has also bought and restored 13 homes in Waimate over the years, including the original undertaker’s house on Smith Street - complete with a few things that still go bump in the night.
And then there was the chapter of her life that ended up becoming the biggest story in That’s Life magazine at the time, under the unforgettable headline:
He could lie, but he couldn’t swim.
A remarkable local
I’m really pleased I know Barbara.
Behind the adventures, fascinating stories and remarkable life is an intelligent woman who cares deeply about people. She treats everyone who walks through the door with the same kindness, care and wisdom she once gave her patients as a nurse.
Pop into Nosey Parkers for a browse, but maybe allow a little extra time. If you’re lucky, you might hear a few stories from a woman who continues to live a life less ordinary.