Likely to be the first major publication about Pt Chevalier's past since A H Walker's Rangi-Mata-Rau in the 1960s, the book Pt Chevalier Memories 1930s-1950s was launched yesterday at the Pt Chevalier Community Library. Padmini Raj and her team, along with staff at Auckland City Libraries, have worked like trojans to put together not only a collection of 60 contributions, diagrams and photographs to create a reference volume using archival paper, but they've also gone that extra step further and made copies for public sale (233 pages, b/w, $20, contact the library, stocks are limited).
Padmini has also worked very hard to compile an index for the book, adding research value to what was already a trove of information. The library was packed yesterday afternoon -- I'd say that another volume may eventually be called for by the community, especially considering the photographs and info I'm receiving all the time for inclusion in the Point Chevalier Times for the local history group (which, by the way, gained new members yesterday, even though the function wasn't ours.)
It is great that our History Group there at "Point" has such a close association with the local library, over and above the fact that Padmini was the main encourager late last year. Auckland City Libraries, I find, have a very good awareness of both each area's heritage and the groups and societies enthusiastically promoting same. This has helped a great deal in continuing the boom in interest in things past in our region.
My Grandfather owned a Vege shop in Pt Chev for decades.
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