Glenbrook visit 2009: last post

Some of the cars on display this year:

A NZR road services bus. Replaced these days by InterCity coaches. Bus history is another interest of mine. Probably tacks on from my general interest in the horse-drawn mass transport (omnibuses) which buses replaced. Be warned -- if I get a chance to visit MOTAT again and I have a camera with me, you folk could be facing a blog post full of old buses ...

An "1898 Columbia Shaft Drive", according to the hand-lettered sign resting against the wheel. Other early bicycles here.

A "White Steam Carriage" or steamer -- a car powered by steam engine. Oddly enough, the firm who built this around the turn of the 20th century was originally a sewing machine manufacturer. More on the company, and the cars, here. The firm still exists, apparently -- making trucks and buses.

Below are photos from the 2007 visit to Glenbrook's open day:

Another NZ history blog for the list: Canterbury Heritage

Because I now visit Jayne's Our Great Southern Land blog daily, I came across a comment posted by the owner of another NZ history blog: Canterbury Heritage. I'll add it to the lengthening list to the left -- great finding something from that part of the country.

Glenbrook visit 2009: third post

Not about trains, this time, I promise ...!

At the paddock across the road from the trains, cars and models exhibitions, they staged ploughing competitions, horse-and-wagon rides ... and a military re-enactment. The uniforms used were those of the 65th regiment and the militia or colonial forces (later armed constabulary, and a foundation for today's NZ police force from the mid 1870s).

It's all in the gauge

Just to start: the word "gauge" is one of my spelling blind spots. For some reason, my brain keeps trying to spell it guage. I have no idea why. Maybe this post might cure that!

Jayne raised the question in a comment to my earllier Glenbrook posts as to whether Glenbrook Vintage Railway's gauge was 3' 6" or narrow gauge. Indeed it is, according to sources online. 3' 6" is the standard gauge for NZ rail, and has been ever since Julius Vogel and his 19th century Think Big policies. Why? According to this article from New Zealand Railway Magazine, it's all about cost, and making those pounds stirling he'd borrowed from London spin out just that wee bit more.

"Sir Julius Vogel, who was the father of our new railway policy, urged that we must have long lines of railway and at a relatively small expenditure of money. His policy was that we must have cheap railways, and, as population increased and money became more plentiful, we could increase the equipment of our lines. He Has often been blamed for his extravagance, but so far as his railway policy was concerned, he was careful and economical. As one who was not of his political party—Mr. Gisborne—said of him: “The grasp of his mind was comprehensive, and his foresight was great; and, wild as some of his conceptions seemed to many at first, not a few have proved themselves to contain much that is useful and statesman like.” Sir Julius Vogel did not think it necessary to follow the example of England, or of Australia, so far as railway gauges were concerned. (Even in England since 1870, some railway lines have had their gauges lessened, and in Queensland the 3ft. 6in. gauge has been adopted.)

Viewing what has happened during the past 58 years it will be granted that New Zealand was wise in adopting the moderate gauge it chose. We have improved, as our revenue has increased, the equipment of our railways, in carriages, engines, station buildings, workshops, and so forth. It is true that our recent line have been more elaborately and consequently, more expensively constructed. Had, however, the policy of 1870 not been followed, we would not to-day possess the mileage of lines we have."

The image above, from the NZETC link, is Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G.

The gauge, plus our country's terrain, led to the development of the "Pacific class" of locomotive, as described here.

"The often steep grades and tight curves imposed by the formidable terrain required more power at all operating speeds than was usual. This led to the early development of the oversize firebox, wider than the 3'6" gauge, supported by a 2-wheel trailing truck thus creating the classic "Pacific" locomotive with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement compared to the 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler". In turn, the available power led to a then-astonishing turn of sustained speed that prompted the adoption of the type all over the world."

Image from here.

Glenbrook visit 2009: second post

Okay, I'm back, after a brief rest to try to get some energy restored. Here are some of the rail-themed photos I took today (other, general ones to follow). Above, one of the old NZR advertisements on display at Glenbrook station.

According to the information tag attached to the building, this was an unmanned flag station building from Motumaoho, along the Hamilton to Morrinsville line, and is under restoration at Glenbrook. The original rail line was under construction in 1881, reaching Motumaoho by March that year (Waikato Times, 24 March 1881). Only thing I could find as to history of that part of the country online was this tale of a local farmer from the district and his artificial leg.

Above, a ceiling light of one of the carriages. Below, some of the locomotives at the workshops.

Ww480, originally built at Hillside workshops, 1910. Internal shot of the workshops here.

Wab 800. originally built 1927 by A & G Price Ltd, Thames (judging from the GVR rolling stock register).

GVR No. 4, TTT 7, built 1912 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), USA, for the Taupo Totara Timber Company.

J 1234, originally built 1939 by North British Locomotive Company.

Below, waiting to head back to Glenbrook station from the workshops. An experiment where I took a photo out the open window of the carriage. Don't worry, I'm not daft enough to do this while the train is in motion!

Glenbrook visit 2009: first post

A couple of very good friends of mine offered me a seat in their car for a trip to Glenbrook, down in Franklin district, to see the Glenbrook Volunteer Railway open day. This even happened once ever two or three years. Last one was in 2007, and I had a great time then.

This time, I've come home really drained (had way too much fun with old trains, vehicles, military re-enactments and withstanding a truly sizzling hot day down there), so this is just Glenbrook Posts part 1.

These shots were taken at the end of the outing, at Morley Road crossing. Nothing fancy, I just use an ordinary digital camera, no tripod an' stuff -- but I got what I wanted which was a shot or two of an old-style train along with an old-style flag station building.

A video of the locomotive, GVR No. 2 Ww644, is available on YouTube here. Its sound in real life is incredible, coming up the inclines.

North Island closed and semi-closed rail

In a previous post, I put up some links about vanished railway lines in the South Island. Now, it's the North Island's turn.

The North Auckland Line has had a stop-start patchy history of operation. I've travelled on a special Railway Enthusiasts excursion to Whangarei and back, but passenger trains usually don't go any further than Helensville these days. Certainly Opua, the terminus from 1925 until the end of freight runs in 1985, is today unreachable by rail from Auckland for the average member of the public. However, the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust has revived the Kawakawa-Opua section of the line. (Their website has a history section, and a gallery section with some lovely train whistling and chuffing sounds, by the way.)

Kumeu-Riverhead section (closed 1881, replaced by the North Auckland line.) Some info here via the Helensville Pioneer Museum.

Waiuku Branch (passenger services withdrawn 1948, closed 1968, but now being restored between Waiuku and Glenbrook by the GVR.)

Rotorua branch. This in particular strikes me as a great, great shame that it's closed (since 2001). It is a derelict line in places now -- parts of the line up in the Mamaku Ranges just outside Rotorua have, I understand, been uplifted by vandals. I would dearly love to travel to Rotorua from either Auckland or Hamilton by rail. Maybe if I live long enough ...

Waitangi Day

Image from Wikipedia.

Just pipping the post a day early -- I spotted this NZ Herald article on the history of the day. Quite a good summary, I thought.

They're quite right about full-on and formalised celebrations being of fairly recent vintage -- 1934. At the 25-year mark (1865), the central North Island was still on a war-footing between Imperial and Colonial forces and the Maori iwi, so anything to do with the Treaty of Waitangi was probably a touchy subject. At some place up North called Waitangi (possibly the same place, but it's not certain), each year on New Years the local Total Abstinence Society held their completely non-alcoholic party.

By January 1880, nearly 40 years after the treaty, facsimile copies of the 1835 Declaration of Independence, Captain Hobson's draft, and the treaty as signed by iwi in both main islands, compiled by H. Hanson Turton, were published by the Government Printing Office. (West Coast Times, 23 January 1880)

In 1890, regattas, jubilee celebrations, and even Maori war dances were features of a long series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the treaty -- just not exactly 6 February. It was more end of January, tying in with the Auckland Provincial holiday.

More on the day here at NZ History Online.

Jayne in the comments brought up a very good point about the document itself -- the Treaty has had a hard time of it over the years. From the Archives New Zealand website:

"In 1841, only a year after the Treaty of Waitangi was drawn up and signed, the documents were saved from a fire at the government offices in Official Bay, Auckland. Poor storage between 1877 and 1908 led to the Treaty being damaged by both water and rodents. However, facsimiles of the Treaty had been created in 1877, before any damage occurred and all signatures have survived. After a series of different conservation treatments, and different homes, the Treaty was finally brought to National Archives in 1989, where the documents are now on permanent display in the secure, stable environment of the Constitution Room, Archives New Zealand."

The above link shows images of the treaty documents as they are today.

Vanished NZ rail lines

There are lots of rail lines that used to go places in this country, but don't anymore. This subject came to mind from reading posts on Jayne's blog at Our Great Southern Land. Jayne put me onto Lost and Found, with details of some of the Aussie faded lines.

Here's some NZ ones.

The Fairlie Branch, 1864-1968. A small part of the line is preserved at Pleasant Point, and used by the local rail society there each summer. I've had the pleasure of riding on that stretch in a Ford railcar. The second link has photos of what remains of the line today.

The Nelson Railway. The removal in 1955 sparked a sit-in protest by local women, one of whom, Sonja Davies, rose to prominence as a trade union activist.

Central Otago. The line cut through for the rails is now a cycleway. Historic photos here. More modern images on this blog post.

Riders of Hobby Horses: the North Island Main Trunk Railway Line

Last year, the NZ Federation of Historical Societies' magazine NZ Legacy had a special railway theme issue. As it was also the centenary year for the completion of the NIMT, I cobbled together an essay based mainly on the excellent book by R. S. Fletcher, Single Track: The Construction of the Main Trunk Railway (1978). I've now loaded the resulting article on Scribd, here.

West-Of-Eden

Last year, the West Auckland Historical Society (of which, I'm honoured to say, I'm a member) published West-Of-Eden, their flagship journal of local history. This month, the second issue has been published. They're free to WAHS members, and $10 per issue to non-members. You'll see the contact details for the society at the NZ Federation of Historical Societies membership list page here.

Contents of Number 1 include:
The Road to Whatipu
The Auckland Regiment
Duck Brothers' Quarry
Remembering Passchendaele
Burton Brothers visit West Auckland
The Riverhead Paper Mill

Contents of Number 2 include:
The Tree Tomato Saga at Landsendt
Accident at Muriwai
Fleeting Peninsula (about Te Atatu)
The Accomodation Houses of Muriwai
Whatipu Tragedy (the demise of Rev. Hamilton, by "Grammaticus")

NZ Blue Books online at Archives NZ

1840-1855 to be found here.

The download size for each volume is huge (I've just taken a look at the 1855 one, which is well over 250MB). But -- these are colour scans, and show some of the statistics of the workings and functions of our early colonial government. Worth a look if you're on broadband.

Riversdale Manufacturing Company shareholder's list August 1883

Further to the Riversdale Manufacturing Company posts ...

Here is the list of shareholders in the Riversdale Manufacturing Company (who owned the Bell & Gemmell tannery beside the upper Whau River between today's Olympic Park and the Great North Road bridge:

Henry James Bell, tanner,1000 shares
George Hemus, bootmaker, 1000 shares
W S Hampson, tanner, Auckland, 10 shares
Joseph Potter, Auckland, merchant, 1125 shares
John Batger, Auckland, accountant, 1125 shares
James McCosh Clark, warehouseman, 1000 shares
Edward Ernest Harker, clerk, 1000 shares
John Potter Hooton, Auckland, 250 shares
John Buchanan, merchant, 1000 shares
Henry Charles Choyce, draper, 50 shares
John Twileigh Hunt, draper. Otahuhu, 20 shares
Harvey Potter, Auckland accountant, 100 shares
Helen Watson Webster, Pukekohe, 100 shares
William Hootan, Auckland accountant, 250 shares
Peter Matzen, wool stapler, Auckland, 100 shares
John Slyfield, Auckland salesman, 20 shares
John Roberton, Auckland, gentleman, 300 shares
James Wiseman, saddler, 50 shares
Robert Somerville, Avondale, clergyman, 200 shares
Matthias Whitehead, Thames bootmaker, 25 shares
Thomas Thompson, Auckland grocer, 200 shares
John Buchanan, insurance agent, Auckland, 100 shares
Walter Binsted, Auckland butcher, 50 shares
Frederick Davies, Auckland bootmaker, 40 shares
Thomas Russell, London, gentleman, 1000 shares

(Source: Archives NZ file, "Riversdale Manufacturing Company Ltd, 1881-1884, BADZ 5181/36/227188/24)

Gifts from an American friend

Slightly off the NZ heritage theme to this blog ...

A very dear friend of mine, Bill from Where To, Bud?, has sent me a wonderful package from the States. Bill, when you read this, you dear soul -- the T-shirt (above) is gorgeous, and I'll be wearing it tomorrow when I give a talk at the Auckland Central Library on "The Value of Local History." I've been quite worried and strung out the past few weeks about the speech. (Will I be eloquent enough? Will I freeze? What on earth do I say??) But you, via your lovely gift, has probably come along just in the nick of time. That shirt is special -- and I'll wear it tomorrow with pride and a lot of love and regard, Bill. It will lend me nerve.

Bill's box has lots of other really cool stuff (I'm so utterly spoiled, thank you!) -- including this knight.

I love stuff about heraldry, chivalry, knights in armour, and medieval themes. I just adore this figurine (heavy wee begger it is, too! Feels old fashioned to lift and touch -- my kind of ornament!)

Thank you, Bill. You are indeed a very special person, and thanks for being part of my world.

Puhoi Historical Society website

Their site can be found here.

From the site:

"The Puhoi Historical Society records the early history of Puhoi, a settlement created by Bohemian (now Czech Republic) immigrants to New Zealand from the 1860's.

It maintains a Bohemian museum, and has the genealogical records of those immigrants, the development of the Puhoi area and many photographs of the times"