Eric Bodell, Part 1, Brickworks and Broadcasting - Manawatu Conversations

Object type

Audio

Description: Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 21st October 2025. Part 1 of 2. Eric Bodell’s family migrated from Derbyshire to New Zealand after World War I.
His grandfather and father were bricklayers, settling mainly in Wellington and Palmerston North.
William “Billy” Bodell became a key figure in Palmerston North’s industry.
Billy co-founded the Hoffman kiln brickworks, producing 9,000 bricks a day.
Billy supplied bricks for major city buildings, including All Saints Church, Grand Hotel and the old police station.
The family business expanded into concrete, timber, and plastering trades.
Eric helped after school with concrete posts and tiles.
Billy served as city councillor (1948–1956); Bodell Place was named after him.
The Hoffman kiln remains a unique industrial relic in the Southern Hemisphere.
Eric later turned to broadcasting, beginning at Radio 2ZA in 1970.