Born 7 February 1888 at Mataura, Southland, New Zealand
Little is known of Albert’s home life except how cold the winters were and how kind the drivers and guards of the trains were that passed or stopped just outside the home gate. The house was just at the shunting limit. He did enjoy going to school on the train rather than walking along the railway line.
He started his schooling at Mataura but moved to Croydon Siding School 26 July 1897 with his younger sisters when the family moved to Stoney Creek (or Otamita). Albert had some time at the Mandeville school before returning to Gore.
He left school at a young age after a short time at secondary school to go shepherding at Millers Flat before progressively moving north and working on various farms in north Otago before reaching the Wairarapa to work as a shepherd.
At the outbreak of World War 1, he joined the Wellington and East Coast Mounted Rifles and landed on Gallipoli with the main body and remained there till the evacuation. The rest of his war experience was in Egypt and Mesopotamia where, because of being a machine gunner using both Hoskiss and Lewis guns, he became an air-gunner in primitive “Farman” bi-planes using the air-cooled Lewis guns, He returned to New Zealand and was discharged 18 February 1918 due to war injuries just before hostilities ended.
He took up farm labouring again and endeavoured to get a returned serviceman’s farm with lease in perpetuity. He also travelled about the Wairarapa as a Dairy Herd tester. He gained a position as as a shepherd on McDougal’s estate at White Rock – towards the coast from Martinborough and there met Francis Leonté Berry, a governess to the McDougal children. White Rock – the name given to the station – is a reef near Te Kaukau point and the Tauranganui River at the end of the road from Martinborough – a very isolated location
Albert eventually obtained a returned serviceman’s block in 1921 at Ngaumu Rd., Brancepeth near Masterton and almost immediately married Francis Leonté Berry at Masterton on 29 September 1921 after a very happy courtship with many trips on Albert’s motorcycle to dances, concerts and theatre events as far away as Masterton and Wellington in those very prosperous days after World War I.
Because of the blocks very low productivity, he had to continue working as a farm labourer on Dram Beethams ‘Brancepeth’ station and Francis also worked at various domestic duties. It very soon became apparent that the block would not sustain a family – there would be little or no income for some years. The accommodation was a small hut or “Whare” and the farm had a very poor water supply.
A son, Raymond Berry Stark, was born to Albert and Frances at Nurse Owens private obstetric hospital in Masterton on the 19 January 1923. After the birth, Septicaemia set in and there being no cure at that time, Frances died in the Masterton Public Hospital on 5 February 1923.
Consequent to the death of his wife early 1923, the low productivity of the small farm at Ngamu Rd. and the responsibility of an infant son, he walked off the farm and came into Masterton returning to general farm labouring and herd testing throughout the Wairarapa.
Ultimately he met and married Adalina Evans nee Gunn, with 4 children who was dressmaking in Masterton. They married in 1926 and during 1927 obtained another small returned serviceman’s farm at Te Ore Ore, Masterton, on what had been Angus (or August) Caves estate that had been taken back from or abandoned by a Mr McNally.
Despite the lack of water on this farm also, the depression of the 1930’s and the high mortgage repayments, he was able to keep the farm with considerable assistance from his wife Adaline who resumed her dressmaking business in Masterton 1931 to 1936, until 1946 when, because of a developing heart condition, he was forced to sell it. His only son Raymond had no interest in taking over the farm whatsoever.
Albert and Adaline moved to Auckland where for a time Albert worked in the Anchor Milk Company’s dried milk store. He missed the farm very much, despite the problems, and the rural lifestyle so was never really happy in the big city of Auckland. They returned briefly to Masterton but found the winter too cold so returned to Auckland and full retirement.
His wife Adaline died 16 July 16 1966 in Auckland and Albert after just one month died at his home of heart failure 20 August 1966 in his 79th year. Albert is interred in a servicemen’s grave at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland. Adalina was cremated and the ashes return to the family.
The 4 children of Adalina’s first marriage, Frederick, Mira, Norman and Susannah shared the family home at various times in their younger days.
| Name | Born | Married | Children | Died | Comments |
| Raymond Berry | 1923 | 1959 | 3 | 2003 | – |
Albert passed on the 19 August 1966. He is interred at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland.
