Article first published in The Informer

Over the last few weeks we have been running a competition to give our cow a name. We are pleased to announce that we have winner!!!

Her name is “Mercury Belle” and Ren Wells was the winner. He came in especially one day to meet the cow and make sure she suited it. He was very happy so gave us his entry. He also told us the story behind the name. The Mercury Belle was a freighter boat for the Mizen family on Great Mercury Island. She was named the Belle because she was the ‘Belle of the Ball’. It was built for E.E Mizen by Lidgard Bros in February 1938. She was a substantial 52 footer with Canadian-built 120hp 6 cylinder Vivian engine and cost £4,000. This was an astronomical sum at the time. The Mercury Belle later became a fishing trawler out of Gisborne.

Thank you to Ren for her new name –we think she suits it too and is now the “Belle of Mercury Museum”.

Don’t forget if you have been thinking about volunteering come on in and have a chat with us – we are always looking for more hands to help out.