The Hard to Find Secondhand Bookshop on Onehunga Mall is one of the places I try not to go near too much -- because invariably, I come away with more books I have no room for, and my bank account just that much lighter. Doesn't help that there's a direct bus link from Avondale to Onehunga and -- oh woe! -- a rail link is opening up there now, too.
Ah, well ...
To the business owners' great credit, they have preserved the original sign for the Gordon Sai Louie & Co fruit shop. The Sai Louie family, cousins to the Auckland Ah Chee clan, opened up the fruiterers in the 1940s, and operated there until the business was sold in 1988. According to the late Norine Borchard, in her wonderful book Untold Stories of Onehunga:
"The shop in Queen Street [now Onehunga Mall], Onehunga, still retains the name of Sai Louie, at the request of the new owners. Mr Sai Louie was a great social worker among his own people, he imported foodstuffs for the convenience of his countrymen ... Mrs Sai Louie died in 1939, and Mr. Sai Louie died in 1946."
So Onehunga has a splendid, and rare, example of old advertising being retained above a new business.
LOL indeed... my partner and i once again ventured there a couple weeks back and were standing outside the shop discussing the old signage. It is fantastic it's been kept on such a very cool building! Fitting you should post.
ReplyDeleteNoticed an Ellen Sai Louie in the Herald deaths in the last couple of weeks also...no doubt a relative? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/classifieds/linead.cfm?pillar=14&subpillar=103&adid=7433330001
and the young fellow that died on Mount Rolleston was Edward Sai Louie
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/classifieds/linead.cfm?pillar=14&subpillar=103&adid=7428430001
Sounds like a tough year if they are all related.
Cheers
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
ReplyDeleteYes, they would most likely be related. Phil Sai Louie told our historical society one time that the name came from Cantonese for "Little Girl", a name given to the original Sai Louie of the Chan family (same family as the Ah Chees came from via Chan Dar Chee). The name was to keep the little boy safe from evil spirits that would harm a boy, but not a girl. Coming here to NZ, the name "Sai Louie" was taken as a surname, and so it was passed down.
Love the shop window!
ReplyDeleteHubby was pleased to hear a rail link was opening, said we'd be able to just hop on a train to pop over and peruse the books...errr....lol.
The 'little girl' thing - many Chinese still dress newborn baby boys in pink to confuse evil spirits.
I hear the new train station is planned for only just down the road from said secondhand book store. You and hubby would be lost in there, Jayne. I know I frequently am ... ;-)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting background re the Chinese superstitions. Crikey enough stress in life without trying to trick evil spirits ay what! *grin*
ReplyDeleteHere's a pic on flickr of a small corner of the bookstore http://www.flickr.com/photos/alisonshrub/3953150350/
I can just spend HOURSSSS in that place...last time i found a box of old photo postcards and a carte de viste album with some carte de vistes, but i really had to reign myself in!
Yep, that one of my favourite places in the world, all right, Sandy! Ah, those bookshelves,and the time spent perusing ... *sigh*
ReplyDeletehai,,,,,,,,,,,, i Love the shop window!The 'little girl' thing - many Chinese still dress newborn baby boys in pink to confuse evil spirits. You and hubby would be lost in there, Jayne. I know I frequently am
ReplyDelete