Fires, fan-tan and opium: Auckland’s Wakefield Street

Image: Looking up Wakefield Street from Mayoral Drive.

Wakefield Street. Today, to me, it’s the place where I head for land history information, to the Auckland office of Land Information at Oracle Tower (while LINZ still has a presence here in Auckland city, but that presence is dwindling month by month as the government department retracts and slowly closes down here in the City of Sails). In times past, it was a main route out of the Queen Street valley up to the Symonds Street ridge. One heck of a gut-buster walk uphill, mind.

William Swainson wrote in 1852: “Wakefield-street ascends from its southern extremity until it joins the Cemetery-road; and is the newest and most increasing street in the town. Many of the houses are built of brick, and it already bears a considerable resemblance to a new street in the outskirts of a modern English town.” (New Zealander, 12 May 1852)

But, as the unknown author of “Old Auckland”, an article from the Cyclopedia of NZ, 1902, put it:

"Such was Auckland when it had been struggling into a position of importance for a dozen years, when it was a portion of a “borough” of 40,000 acres, when it had caught a foretaste of the gold fever, and when it was preparing to take on “Parliamentary Honours.” Ponsonby was a blank of waste land, Upper Queen Street, in embryo, and Shortland Crescent and Wakefield Street the only outlets to the east and south, and these two very rough. Wakefield Street, the better of the two, was blessed with a grade of one in eight or nine in those days; but all the omnibuses for Onehunga had to take it. Verily, Auckland's early road engineers were horse-killers of the first magnitude. No engineering difficulty whatever was there to hinder Wakefield Street being started at the foot of Victoria Street East, and finished at the top of Alexandra Street, at a level which would have served for all time, and better than any that has been since found. Wakefield Street, which Mr. Swainson mentions so favourably, is of less value and importance to-day than it was then. Indeed, the street might now be made from Victoria Street without cutting through property of much value, while the allotments abutting on a street with so sensible a grade would soon be very valuable. Whether Auckland ever will get a reasonably easy grade out of the hole in which the business part lies is now doubtful; but it had excellent chances in those days.”

So, yes – in the main, Wakefield Street’s gradient told against it becoming a major centre in early Auckland. But, people still lived, worked and died here. It has a long and eventful history.

A remnant of old Wakefield Street is the former Fitzroy Hotel, 75-77 Wakefield Street, on the Lyndock Street corner. Originally built in 1857, it is a survivor, through cosmetic changes to its façade, from the days when hotels sat beside residences in this mainly working class area. It’s been the site for public legal battles over its continued survival in recent years. It’s a place of some mystery, though. Two human skulls were found in a well there in 1885. (Grey River Argus, 14 March 1885)

Fires were common in Auckland in the 1800s, and Wakefield Street was no exception. Mr. Carlisle, a milliner down at the junction of Queen and Wakefield, was an extremely fortunate man in March 1863. Some of his sale articles were knocked down close to an open flame as he reached to close his shutters. He was lucky in that a sergeant and two or three other soldiers from the 40th regiment happened to be passing, on the way to their homes, having filled their pails with water from the Queen Street pump. They saw what was happening, dashed into the shop, and doused the flames. (Southern Cross, 30 March 1863)

A former painter named William George Williams decided to end his days in Wakefield Street, but in an almost ritualistic manner. Depressed, recently under the care of Dr. Philson, in October 1865 he entered a house in the street, took a small box with him into one of the front rooms, sat on it, then placed a paint-pot on the floor to catch the blood as he thrust a sharpened penknife into his neck. His body was found, fallen backwards over the box, the knife dropped to the ground beside the paint pot. (Taranaki Herald, 21 October 1865)

Another death in Wakefield Street, this time not suicide but sheer accident, was that of Mr. E. Johnson. He’d developed a lung infection, from a very bad cold, and his doctor prescribed two medications, one a cough mixture, the other to be rubbed on his chest. This was, of course, in the days before Vicks Vaporub (as an aside, I well remember the effect, as a wee kiddy, of inadvertently rubbing that stuff in the eyes … ow …) but Dr. Goldsbro’s external prescription was for something far stronger. So strong, it was poisonous. At half past twelve on 17 October 1869, after a hearty supper at the conclusion of a day spent working in his drapers shop (Powley & Johnson, Queen Street), he lay in his bed at home in Wakefield Street and decided to have some of the cough mixture. However, the swig he took was from the wrong bottle. He went to sleep directly afterward, resting uneasily until he awoke in the morning to realise his mistake. Emetics and the stomach pump proved futile; he died eight hours after ingesting the poison. The inquest blamed Mrs. Johnson, his widow, for not paying proper attention to the deceased. (Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 3 November 1869)

Butchers shops in the 1860s slaughtered animals on the premises. In the days before refrigeration, that was one of the only ways to keep meat reasonably fresh. Of course, living next to these mini-slaughter houses wasn’t wonderful, and the city authorities waged war against them foir decades. One Richard Stanton Sandle in Wakefield Street was charged and fined for killing sheep on his premises. (Southern Cross, 26 September 1866) A few years later, his establishment burned down in a fire.

The Presbyterians built a “Protestant Hall” in Wakefield Street in 1866.

“The newly-erected Protestant Hall in Wakefieldstreet was opened last evening by a public soiree and musical entertainment, under very auspicious circumstances. The hall was crowded to overflowing throughout the evening, and numbers were unable to gain admission. The building had been erected under the management of a committee of the Protestant Association, and is intended as a place of meeting for the members of the association, as well as religious purposes. The building is plain, but very suitable for a somewhat numerous assemblage. It is 40 feet long by 24 feet in width, and possesses vestries at the back. There is also a small gallery over the entrance suitable for choir or orchestra, which was occupied last evening by a strong band of instrumentalists. The building has been erected by private subscriptions, and it is confidently hoped will be free from debt before the year closes. It has been put up at a cost of £170, by Messrs. Coote and Co., £120 of which has already been subscribed, and the balance paid by promissory note falling due on the 21st December. The interior was gaily decorated with flags, banners, devices, and flowers, and showed that great pains had been taken by the committee to ensure success on the opening night.”

(Southern Cross, 6 November 1866)

Now, remember, this was a Protestant Hall, and supported by Presbyterians. Hardly the sort of place one would expect would attract accusations of being a hotbed of immorality and licentious acts, surely? Wrong.

“UNLICENSED DANCING-PLACES.
To the Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. Sir,— Immorality is undoubtedly very rife at present in Auckland. It therefore behoves every respectable person to inquire into the cause, and use his influence to root out the evil, as far as lies in his power. Your able and well-directed efforts, both in exposing abuses and pointing out their remedies, and also in opening your correspondence columns so freely to any remarks made with a view to improvement, deserve the thanks of the community. I need, therefore, offer no apology for troubling you with the following observations. After some little inquiry and consideration, I have come to the conclusion that dancing-places are a very fruitful source of evil in Auckland ; in fact, I might call them the hotbeds of prostitution, for many a young person is led to her ruin through attending such places …

A dancing place is also kept in the Protestant Hall, Wakefield-street, the management of which I am not so well acquainted with, but believe it is carried on in the same manner as above.”

(Southern Cross, 1 October 1867)

Wakefield Street’s potential hot-bed of vice was destroyed in a major fire in April 1869.

As I said, Wakefield Street, despite its gradient, was a thoroughfare between the valley and the ridge. The Auckland Sunday School Union marched children up there in December 1868 as part of their annual festival.

“After being arranged by the officers and teachers the whole marched up Wakefield-street, preceded by the band of the Auckland Band of Hope, down Symonds-street, and over to the Domain, the band discoursing lively airs all the way. The children — dressed in their best clothes, and carrying banners with appropriate devices— were a very pretty spectacle.”

(Southern Cross, 1 January 1869)

And one of the first steam-powered road vehicles trundled its way up the incline in 1871, a great advertising gimmick by Fraser & Tinne for their Mechanics Bay foundry.

“It will be seen by our advertising columns that another public trial of the Thomson's road steamer lately imported here is to take place to-day at one o'clock. The course will be from the foundry of Messrs. Fraser and Tinne, up Alten Road and down Shortland-street, along Queen-street, up Wakefield-street and along Symonds-street, and down Alten Road to the point of departure. We understand it will convey a trolly loaded with pig iron, so that there will be no difficulty in ascertaining the exact weight it is drawing. The trolly will be loaded with ten tons of pig iron. Carters are cautioned to keep out of the way with their horses to prevent the possibility of accident."

(Southern Cross, 18 September 1871)

Over the course of the years, Wakefield Street would either be packed with buildings of varying standards of construction, or dotted with vacant sections after the inevitable fires had done their work, razing whole blocks to the ground with almost depressing frequency. The vacant lots, although cleared of flammable rubble, still held their dangers in the early days, and not just because of human remains found down the wells, but because of the wells themselves.

"A horse belonging to Mr. James Bryan, a fuel merchant, was drowned yesterday afternoon in the following manner :— There is a vacant allotment of ground in Wakefield-street upon which is an old long-disused well. The boards which covered the well over, being rotten from age and long exposure to the elements, broke in, upon the horse treading on them, when the animal fell in and before aid could be brought to draw it out was drowned."

(Southern Cross, 7 November 1872)

Still, over all the hotels, dancing halls, deaths, suicides and fires – the one theme which made Wakefield Street and its neighbourhood notorious was the establishment of Chinese businesses in the area. This meant public concerns regarding opium, fan-tan and possibly illicit sex were not far behind.

Three doors before the western side of St Pauls Street (once known as Abercrombie Street), and next door to the Garrett Brothers’ bootmaking factory, was a shop run by Ah Yeal Gong or Ah Gong Kee, from around 1882. As was common in the late 19th century, Euro-centric newspapers and directories were free with the placement of Chinese first names and family names, as well as spelling them phonetically and not always correctly. As Gong Kee, he seems to have been confused with another Chinese merchant, Ah Chee, who didn’t have a known business on Wakefield Street. (Chinese brandy police raid, reported in the Marlborough Express of 30 June 1887 mistakenly named Ah Chee.

In April 1883, the Auckland police happened upon a Chinese gambling house on Wakefield Street – after one customer “lost £70 at fan-tan to the keeper, refused to pay up, owing, it is alleged, to his having been cheated, and the keeper of the house detained him a prisoner until the police, hearing of the matter, liberated him.” (Evening Post, 1 May 1883) In June 1885, “nineteen Chinamen were arrested last night while placing fan-tan in a Chinese gambling house in Wakefield street: The keeper of the house, Gang Kee, was today fined £5 and costs, and eighteen other offenders 10s and costs.” (Timaru Herald, 30 June 1885)

The Observer on 4 July 1885 alerted the Auckland public to the “Chinese Den in Wakefield Street.

“THE CHINESE DEN IN WAKEFIELDSTREET.
The Chinese den in Wakefield-street, on which Detective Hughes and his myrmidons made a raid on Sunday evening last, has been in existence, according to the detective, for more than 12 months; and, when the character of the place is borne in mind, it is somewhat surprising that the police did not pay the establishment a visit long ago. It is whispered that Ah Gong Kee's abode has not been exclusively frequented by Chinamen, but that several well-known Auckland citizens have been in the habit of dropping in of an evening at the house in Wakefield-street to indulge in the body-and-mind destroying practice of opium smoking, a habit which, once acquired, is said to be more difficult to break off than that of dram drinking. “

It wasn’t always the Chinese merchants committing the crimes – they were preyed upon by sharp criminals from within the European community.

“Last week a Chinaman named Ah Fook, a storekeeper in Wakefield Street, Auckland, reported to the police that about two a.m. six men entered his shop and asked to be shown over the premises. They said they were policemen, and one was pointed out to him as a sergeant and one a detective. They remained about a quarter of an hour, and then left. After their departure Ah Fook discovered that four opium pipes and 4s in silver, the latter of which were in the till, were missing. Subsequently, Detectives Quirke and McMahon arrested a man named Joseph McDuff Otway on suspicion of being concerned in. the theft. The accused was brought up at the Police Court, and remanded. Sergt. Gamble intimated there were several others concerned in the case, whom it was intended to apprehend.”

(Poverty Bay Herald, 2 July 1895)

A report from the NZ Herald, concerning a sanitary inspection of the slum dwellings which the Wakefield Street area was now also known for, also emphasised what went on in Auckland’s opium dens.

“On Monday morning Dr King, the Medical Officer of Health for the city, and Mr Goldie, Chief Inspector of Nuisances, accompanied by a N.Z. Herald representative who was passing at the time, paid a surprise visit to the Chinese colony in Wakefield street, for the purpose of making an inspection of the sanitary arrangements of the houses inhabited by some — such as, for instance, those who kept shops and were in direct trading relations with Europeans, and those living with their wives and families were found in as good condition as are premises occupied by the average colonial. Some, however, were discovered to be in a shockingly bad condition from a sanitary point of view. The back yards were covered with rubbish of all kinds and rotting garbage, while under one house was a pool of black slime that must have been accumulating for a long time. So bad was the state of things that even in the open air the visitors were compelled to saturate their moustaches with disinfectants in order to allow of their proceeding further. Some of the interiors of the houses were still less inviting. Beds and pallets appeared to be everywhere. In what had been a one-storied structure and in an attic above the ceiling and under the shingles were several beds, while the living rooms presented a picture of undreamt of squalor and filth. Everywhere in this class of house was an overpowering and nauseating smell of opium fumes so strong that Inspector Goldie had to have all the doors opened to let in fresh air before the rooms could be inspected, and then all the party suffered from nausea and severe headache for the rest of the day. Judging from what could be seen opium-smoking and gambling seemed to be the chief, if not almost the only occupations. Though it was not then noon, the appliances for "fan-tan," etc., appeared all ready for use at any moment, while at least a dozen of the little lamps used for lighting the opium were burning on the pallets on which the smokers recline, ready with the pipes, for those who wanted to indulge in the habit. The parties were able to witness the operations of lighting the pipes and the method of smoking, and the ultimate result — the result being the figure of a man, huddled under a lot of old clothes, insensible to the world. One Chinaman, who appeared to be in charge of one of the houses, took the visit very coolly, his only grievance being that the duty on the opiate was too high. The opium smoking, however, was not part of the mission of the health officers, the object of the visit being to inspect the sanitary condition of the premises. The result was that it was determined to at once take steps to condemn at least one of the dwellings as unfit for habitation, and proceed to force the occupants to put the places into something like a sanitary condition. Dr. King said of the houses of the class described, that they were in the worst condition of any he had ever seen.”

(Poverty Bay Herald, 9 August 1895)

The Observer, seeing a chance to hold up Auckland’s resident Chinese against European standards, took it.

“The recent disclosures in Wakefield-street had their sequel in the S.M. Court on Tuesday last, when three Chinamen were summoned for keeping dirty premises. The Health Officer and Corporation officials testified to the unsatisfactory condition of the yards, and by way of excuse John pleaded their dirty state was due to the recent heavy rains. Magistrate Northcroft, however, was not to be taken in so easily, and in passing judgment said he was asked to believe that Dr. King and Inspector Goldie were perjuring themselves. The defendants were sharply spoken to and impressed with the necessity of keeping their yards clean in accordance with European ideas of the fitness of things. Now that a conviction has been recorded, the authorities should not relapse into their former apathy, but see that periodical visits of inspection are paid to these wretched hovels, and make the 'heathen Chinee' live something like a decent life.”

(Observer, 17 August 1895)

This said, at the time the population statistics of Auckland slum dwellers would have dominated by those of European ancestry, rather than Chinese. Of course, shock-horror reports about the “heathen Chinee” sold more papers. The Observer, which also expressed their concerns at that point about Chinese market gardeners and fruit sellers, waded into the situation regarding Chinese laundries as well – and managed to get in another swipe at the Wakefield Street “dens”.

“The Chinese laundrymen are doing a big trade in Auckland, thanks to the women and to the youthful fops who like their shirts made spotlessly white for something less than nothing. There is one laundry in Grey-street where unpatriotic idiots of both sexes send their clothes to be ironed by the evil smelling Chow, while poor and hard working white women are thus deprived of the work which should be theirs, merely for the sake of saving about threepence on a dozen articles Those who patronise the Chinaman in preference to their own countrymen and women deserve to be sentenced to pass a night in one of the Chinese dens in Wakefield-street. They wouldn't send any more clothes to a Chinese laundry.”

(Observer, 12 September 1896)

I mentioned sex earlier – and when it came to providing a shock for the decently-living readers of the newspapers (which sold papers of course), sex even in Victorian times was a winner. In the 1860s, it was rumours of improprieties outside dancing halls. In the 1890s, one only needed to put out a report of young girls in a Chinese den to spark further interest. To the rest of the country, Auckland must now have seemed to be seething with pockets of immorality.

"IMMORALITY IN AUCKLAND
YOUNG GIRLS RESCUED FROM CHINESE DENS.
At the instance of the authorities of the Door of Hope, a visit was paid to certain Chinese tenements in a lane off Wakefield-street by Mr. George Goldie (Sanitary Inspector for the City Council), and Dr. King (Health Officer for the city), accompanied by Sister Francis, of the Door of Hope. Two young girls about 19 were found in one of the houses, but one managed to get away from the rescue party. The other said she had been brought to the house the previous evening while under the influence of drink, and did not know where she was till morning. She said her mother lived in Newton, but she preferred going to the Door of Hope. It is intended to get the other girl into the Home also, if possible. Several girls, it is said, frequent tumbledown and extremely filthy houses occupied by Chinamen in the vicinity of Wakefield-street.”

(Evening Post, 28 November 1896)

Another gambling raid on Wakefield Street.

“On Sunday night the Auckland police authorities made a raid on a Chinese gambling house in Wakefield Street, and arrested the occupier (Chee Fong) and 25 other Chinamen. It appears (says the Herald) that complaints have been made by the European neighbors of the proceedings going on till three and four o'clock in the morning, and also by Chinamen who alleged that they had lost money there. A warrant was accordingly taken out under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, and it was decided to execute it last night, as the Chinamen come in from their vegetable gardens in the suburbs to have a little amusement after their own fashion. The expedition was well managed, and there was no leakage. Orders were given for a number of police to fall in at the Barracks, after the night relief had come in, and they only received their instructions and a knowledge of their destination when ready to march. On reaching Wakefield Street the force marched across the street to Chee Fong's well-known establishment. Sergeant Lyons and a detachment went to the rear of the premises to cut off the escape of the Chinese in that direction, while Sergt. Gamble led the way in through the front entrance (which was found open) followed by Chief Detective Grace and his men, the police forming the support. The Chinese were completely surprised, and a stampede ensued. Some made for the back exit, only to fall into the hands of Sergt. Lyons and his men, while others got under tables, beds, and down cellars. Only one man made any resistance, but there is little doubt they would have resisted but for the police being nearly man for man. Chief-Detective Grace, about half an hour after the force got in, was searching in a likely spot, when he came across a Chinkie, his pigtail protruding, who had been lying quietly coiled up all the time under a bed, and hauled him out. The Chinaman strongly objected to the bracelets being put on, but on understanding the situation more fully he subsided. Another got down a cellar, where he was pursued by Constable Charles Brien, who got his uniform partly damaged in the scrimmage. The Chinese were in two rooms, and apparently at two tables, playing fan-tan. A quantity of Chinese cash, counters, tokens, dice, money, etc., were seized. In a short time all the Chinese were handcuffed in pairs, and were marched, under escort, along Abercrombie Street and Lorne Street to the lock-up. The party were followed by a large crowd. The scene at the lock-up baffles description. The guard-room and corridor were filled with police and handcuffed Chinamen. The fun did not fairly begin till Constable Clark (lock-up keeper) came to fill up the charge-sheet with the names of the prisoners. The services of Mr Thomas Ah Quoi were invoked as interpreter, and but for his aid the police would have been wrestling with the names of the accused till now. The prisoners on being searched had in all nearly £4O upon them, in gold, notes, and silver."

(Poverty Bay Herald, 23 December 1896)

The raids went on, and on.

“At the Police Court to-day the adjourned cases against 25 Chinamen for either being concerned or found in a house in Wakefield Street kept and used as a common gaminghouse were called on. The Crown Prosecutor said that owing to the holidays he had been unable to prepare the cases, and he asked, therefore, that a remand be granted until Monday, 1st February; There were seven Chinamen among defendants who lived at a distance, and it would be hard to ask them to wait until the trial, and he, therefore, asked that the names of these seven be eliminated from the charge-sheet and discharged. Mr. Northcroft then discharged the following :— Sara Woh, Wellington ; Ah Chong, storekeeper, Taranaki; Charley Wing, steward, Wairoa ; Ah Law, cook, Gisborne ; Ching Sup,. gardener, Wanganui; M. Lee, shopman, Wellington ; Kee Jang, shop assistant, Dunedin. The other defendants were remanded until 1st February, the bail being enlarged. Mr. Cotter appeared on behalf of the defendants.

(Evening Post, 7 January 1897)

“Last night the police raided a Chinese gambling den in Wakefield street. In three small rooms they found 60 Chinamen playing dominoes, fan tan and smoking opium, and arrested 22 fan tan players, who were handcuffed in pain and taken to the Police Court. A number of other Chinamen came down to bail out ten of the accused, bat they refused to go unless all were bailed. Two intended leaving for China tonight with a large sum of money. The prisoners are chiefly suburban gardeners who knock down their cheques and hare to return to work again in a week or two."

(Hawera & Normanby Star, 31 July 1899)

"Last evening a party of deteotives and constables made a raid upon a Chinese establishment in Wakefield Street, under observation by the police authorities for some months past. There they found play in full swing and captured a fan-tan paraphernalia. The Chinese tried to escape in every direction, and one or two fought desperately to get away. Twelve men were arrested and taken to the police station and subsequently bailed out."

(Bay Of Plenty Times, 23 April 1900)

“The police raided a Chinese gambling den in Wakefield street last night. A game of fan-tan was in full swing. The Chinamen made a rush for the doors, but were met at every exit by the police. The banker and his clerk were discovered under the gaming table. Thirty-one arrests were made. The Chinamen were handcuffed in pairs, and marched to the lookup, Money was discovered on the men ranging from £5 to £50. At the Police Court, the keeper of the Chinese gambling house was fined £25, and his two assistants £3 each; the others £2 and £1 each. "

(Hawera & Normanby Star, 3 February 1902)

By the Edwardian period, the Observer had taken another editorial tack. In contrast to its style of the 1890s, now it cast light on the hypocrisy of colonial gaming legislation, where totalisator gambling was legal, but fan-tan gambling wasn’t.

“Verily, we are a hypocritical people. Last Monday's paper contained the news that speculation was brisk at the Takapuna Races, and that during Saturday the sum of £10,338 was passed through the totalisators, making the total of £29,335 for the three days, as against £23,914 for the corresponding meeting last year. Mark the nice distinction that is made between totalisator speculation and gambling. Totalisator speculation is within the law —the law shares the profits -- it is not gambling, but speculation. On the other hand, in the same issue of the newspaper, is a sensational account of a raid made by a detachment of police upon the residence of a Chinaman in Wakefield Street and the capture of upwards of thirty Chows for the heinous offence of playing their national game of fan tan for small stakes.

“Of course, the people who planked the £30,000 on the totalisator at Takapuna were not gambling. Neither were the horde of bookmakers who had paid the license fees and who carried on their business of betting under the approving eye of the law. Therefore, it would have been an outrage of the public conscience to have raided and arrested them, and marched them to prison manacled to each other. But with these Chinamen it was different. Public gambling on horse races is right and proper, and is entitled to the protection of our highly virtuous Government, but private gambling in the seclusion of a dwelling-house at such an infamous game as fan tan, is monstrous, and must be suppressed.

“It may be said for the Chinamen that the occasion was their New Year festival, that their laws and religion do not esteem playing fan-tan for stakes a sin, and that they were not corrupting the morals of young and innocent persons. But that is beside the question. Gambling is a crime in the eyes of the country, and a scapegoat being necessary to illustrate our loathing of gambling, let us raid the Chinamen, and fine and imprison them. It is an offering that is sure to satisfy the public conscience. But, at the same time, is it not a satire upon our hypocritical self-righteousness that this thing was done just when the officers of the Takapuna Jockey Club were congratulating themselves on record business on their totalisators ?

“True, these Chinamen are foreigners. But if we are so anxious to suppress gambling, why should there be one law for the Chinaman and another for the European. If the police had continued their highly-moral crusade on Sunday night, and had raided the several clubs in Auckland, would they have discovered no gambling— would they have found no stakes being played for with cards higher than the small amounts that these Chinamen gamble for at fantan? The police themselves can answer that question. However, the public conscience has been vindicated. Thirty Chinamen have been fined for gambling at fan-tan.”

(Observer, 8 February 1902)

Slum clearance over the next two decades would have eliminated much of Wakefield Street’s old low reputation. Today, it is all commercial, with clean and modern lines to most of the buildings. The old Wakefield Street, apart from the Fitzroy Hotel, has vanished.



Image: from Wakefield Street, looking over the Mayoral Drive to Queen Street.

The Prow

I received a heads-up email today from a librarian about The Prow, a website devoted to historical articles and stories from the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman District of the upper South Island. Another for the heritage links list.

Aspiration on Upper Lorne Street

Camera in hand, today I took some more photos of my city.

Meet "Aspiration", by sculptor Roderick Burgess. I used to work in this vicinity, from the mid 1980s to early 1990s. Passed by this statue quite a bit, and only now stopped (against the stream of students and graduates coming down the steps from Mayoral Drive into Lorne Street) to look upward.

Yes, that is a beer bottle on his finger. Whoever clambered up there to do it, no doubt the worse for insobriety at the time, had more guts than brains.

Still, litter aside, "Aspiration" is a beautiful piece of art.

According to the leaf-framed plaque, this was donated to the city by Parisian Neckwear Co Ltd, which was once based on Upper Lorne Street. Tiemakers to the city. These days, they're at Poynton Terrace in Newton, according to their webpage.

Thanks to the staff at the Auckland Research Centre, I was able to find out that the business was started by C. H. Abdallah who arrived in Auckland (right now, I still don't know when), went on a trip to the United States, and came back to Auckland impressed by that country's tie industry. "He learned all he could," according to an anniversary promotion in the Auckland Star for the firm's golden anniversary in 1969, "and quickly became an expert in ties and their making. On his return to Auckland he commenced a one-man business with the aid of his daughter ... The name 'Parisian' was chosen to overcome the initial distrust of the quality of made-in-New-Zealand products." (It was also a term used by upmarket stores like Kirkcaldie & Stains c.1913) The business started in the Brunswick Building in 1919, then moved to 74 Lorne Street, with a staff of 24, in 1922. That was just across Memorial Drive from the site of the statue, today just empty space due to the construction of the ring road. The company survived, of course, and today makes ties for schools, military use, masonic orders, corporate dress with logos, even "KZ-7" ties back in the late 1980s for the America's Cup.

"Aspiration" is a great way for this Auckland business to leave their mark on the cityscape.

Gas-lit Saturday nights in old Auckland town

Tattoo of Horses’ Hoofs On Roadways of Town

Happy Saturday Nights in “Gas-Lit Fairyland”

By J.T. GRAINGER
(Aged “over 65”)

To me as a boy in the closing years of the 19th century, Queen Street and Karangahape Road seemed gas-lit fairylands on Saturday nights. Horse-drawn trams, cabs, buses, carts and buggies thronged the roadways, the horses’ hoofs beating a clip-clop tattoo on the macadam.

It is strange, in this city of electric trams, motor-cars and trucks, to think back when the city's locomotion was provided by the horse. One saw some magnificent animals toiling in the streets, and there was something vital in the way they stepped out under heavy loads which is missing in the mechanically-propelled vehicle of today.

The shop windows of those days were, somehow, more enchanting than those of today; Saturday night in Auckland was then truly something to look forward to and hoard one's pennies for. A threepenny-piece could buy, from a larger assortment of sweets than is offered today, at least as much as one shilling and threepence will buy now. Even the grocer gave a generous bag of boiled lollies free when the weekly bill was paid.

Plenty to Interest All

There was plenty to interest everyone on those gas-lit Saturday nights when strolling down the city. One could pick up bargains in the city market, which stood somewhere at the back of the present Civic Theatre, and there was much genial banter among the buyers and sellers. No chain stores existed, but there was a Goodson’s Arcade about opposite where the Strand Arcade stands, and this store sold the miscellaneous type of merchandise now so popular.

What would the modern man think after paying 18 guineas for a suit if he could see the window of Dalton the tailor in Queen Street on those days, where suits were made to measure for 50s, plus an extra pair of trousers? Somehow there seemed to be a closer alignment of wages with prices in those times. It was considered that a just rent for any family should be one day’s wages of the breadwinner. Wages were modest, about 8s a day, but so were prices of goods. People did not seem to be cursed with the money itch, neither was so much spent in amusement in proportion to earnings as is the case today.

Vaudeville Popular

Talking of amusements brings to mind the popularity of vaudeville in those days, and many elderly Aucklanders will recall the hilarious shows of Pope and Sayles with their Nigger Minstrels at the City Hall at the corner of Victoria and Queen Streets.

Auckland then was very much smaller, but in real living it seems to some of us oldsters it was greater than today. One enjoyed the simpler things – picnics on the beaches, a ride in a hansom cab behind a spanking horse, climbing Mt Eden on moonlight nights, swaying on the old suspension bridge which spanned Grafton Gully. Many of us took an interest in the volunteers, and I can recall the weekly training in the old drill hall, and the church parades in scarlet tunics and blue, red-banded trousers.

And one more recollection – more people filled the churches on Sundays than is the case today. Churchgoing was a regular routine in most families. Preaching, also, seemed more robust and forceful compared with the present anaemic efforts.

Auckland has advanced immeasurably in population, in commerce and in prosperity since those horse-and-buggy days but it has not the atmosphere of general contentment with life as it is that was so characteristic of those late 19th century times. It may be that advancing age deflects the mental vision, but to me it seems we are too restless, too unsure of ourselves, to achieve that peace of mind which makes for real happiness.

Originally published in New Zealand Herald, c. 1951. From the Otahuhu Historical Society Scrapbooks.

A Great Horse Trainer In Auckland

(from advertisement, last page, Auckland Star, 11 November 1897)

By our advertising columns it will be seen that Professor Norton B. Smith, described as the greatest horse trainer since the days of Rarey, is announced to open his exhibition at the Agricultural Hall on Saturday. The Professor comes here with a world’s verdict, and the English, African, Tasmanian and Australian press are loud in his praise.

For the info of our readers we may say that Professor Smith offers to handle, educate and subdue the wildest, most vicious or nervous horse, young colt, or man-eating stallion that can be propuced by his new scientific and humane system, which is founded as an antidote to the old system of cruelty and torture to which our horses were and are now subjected by so called horse trainers.

The professor wins the confidence of the animal, and this obtained, he proceeds to educate his pupil. He sternly discountenances beating of any kind or the use of the gag or twitch. He is the inventor of a new training bridle and patent bit with other special apparatus which he uses in conjunction with his system.

When we say that all this is done free of charge it is obvious that the Equine Academy will be well stocked with pupils. Anyone having a horse that possesses vice of any kind can not do better than communicate with Mr Nat Behreus, the professor’s co-partner and manager, at the Agricultural Hall, who will arrange for its handling.

In a horse country like ours men of Professor Smith’s type should be welcome.

(from Auckland Star, 17 November 1897, page 4)

FUN! EXCITEMENT! INSTRUCTION!
PROF. B. SMITH
EMPEROR OF ALL HORSE
EDUCATORS
THE GREATEST HORSE TRAINER
SINCE THE DAYS OF RAREY.

Last evening Professor SMITH had an exceedingly strong programme to deal with. The horses were the type to bring out the true talent of this Master of Equine Education. “When Greek meets Greek’ is the old saying, and when a Warrigal, old in the ways of vice, meets his deserts by having to face the tribunal of equine wrongdoers, in the shape of Prof. Smith, old in the ways of handling these criminals of the Horse Race, the struggle is a keen one. At first comes surprise, then defiance, all the tricks learnt by years of bad handling are brought to bear – kick, plunge, rear, buck, strike and bite – these are the usual means tried by the pupil. But Science steps in, and this with skill, brings about the survival of the fittest. After a short but decisive struggle Science wins, and then occur some of the most Sensational Acts of this Sensational Exhibition. All know the aversion of the horse to fire, and yet this wonderful Horse Educator makes his pupils stand unconcernedly by whilst fire-crackers are exploded beneath them, steam whistles scream above, steam surrounds them, and all this to the accompaniment of brass bands, drums, bells, and all those items that horses do most hate.

TO SEE is the only way to credit the marvels wrought. So we say unreservedly go, see, and come away astonished and instructed.

(from Auckland Star, 17 November 1897, page 4)

HORSE TAMING AND TRAINING

Professor Norton B Smith gave another exhibition of horse training and taming at the Agricultural Hall last night and provided one of the most interesting and amusing entertainments to which Aucklanders have been treated. Some valuable animals were entrusted to the Professor by their owners, showing their confidence in his system, and the results achieved showed that the confidence so reported had not been misplaced.

The Professor and his assistants showed truly marvellous control over the most vicious of the animals, and after brief preliminary work exposed each of them to the beating of drums and banging of tin cans, enveloped them in steam, blew a steam whistle over their heads, and drove them round the ring with an expertness and celerity that was astonishing, and that well deserved the frequent applause of the audience. There were exciting incidents, as might be expected. One was when a smart looking young horse immediately after being introduced bounded over the front of the buggy, landed in the vehicle and thence leaped over the back of the vehicle. He was smartly returned to the ring, and after about ten minutes careful handling, instead of being positively dangerous to go near, appeared to become under the complete control of the Professor. The last two nights of these exhibitions are announced to-night and on Friday. There will be no exhibition to-morrow (Thursday) night.

The first X-rays in Auckland - 1897

Image from Wikipedia.

Today, X-rays are part and parcel of medical equipment, and an expected part of the diagnostic procedure for many things that ail us. I remember my mother (who lived in California during the late 1940s-early 1950s) saying that x-ray machines could even be seen in shoe shops there at that time (of course, this probably didn't do all that much good for ensuing bone and other forms of cancer, but ...) X-rays for most of the 20th century have been accepted. Not so when they first came to New Zealand, in the late 1890s.

It appears that the Auckland Hospital authorities do not intend, at any rate at present, to obtain the necessary apparatus for utilising the famous Röntgen rays for medical or surgical purposes. The matter was considered, but it was not thought wise to spend something like £40 in this way until the methods of utilising the discovery for the treatment of accidents and disease were considerably improved. It is only about twelve months ago since the world was startled by the discovery, and as the whole matter is still in an experimental stage the Hospital people have apparently decided to wait. Careful experiments have been made at the Sydney University, and it is stated that the Sydney Hospital authorities have countermanded an order which they had sent Home for the apparatus. Some experiments have been made at the Auckland Hospital, and though these proved most interesting, they are not altogether satisfactory from a medical point of view, and it seems clear that there are few cases indeed in which the Röntgen rays would prove of much practical use. Of course the possibilities of the discovery from a medical point of view are very great, but the Hospital authorities think they can well afford to await further developments.

19 January, 1897, NZ Herald, p. 5, col 2

Good on the medical authorities for being cautious, really. This was something dramatically new, they couldn't take risks. Then again, it took a fair while for their predecessors to get used to the idea of germ-free medicine, so I've heard said ...

Anyway, what would we have done without our entrepreneurs, eh? Where medical science hesitated over the innovation, in comes the businessman-cum-performer. They knew full well, after selling tickets for stuff like laughing gas performances, that the Victorian-era public would be dead keen to see another miracle of science. In this case, however, Mackie specifically targeted the general practitioners.

The Röntgen X Rays apparatus is now being shown by Mr. C. E. Mackie in a shop directly opposite Mr. J Tonson Garlick’s furnishing warehouse in Queen-street, large attendances presenting themselves each evening to witness the exhibition by this wonderful result of scientific research. On Tuesday evening a private test was given before a large attendance of the local medical fraternity, one and all of whom expressed themselves surprised and delighted at the marvellous results arrived at. A splendid photograph of the bones of the hand of Dr. T. Hope Lewis, for which six minutes exposure was allowed, the negative being decidedly clearer than a similar portrait sent forward with the exhibition, in which the exposure was stated to be considerably over double the length of time.

21 January 1897, NZ Herald, p. 5, col. 3

By the description, Charles Edward Mackie's shop sounds like it was around about where the Metro conplex is today. That place where they thought to run a Planet Hollywood, but that faded, leaving the space-art decorations behind, and a facade of an old building. Mackie (1865-1937) was a photo-engraver by trade. He's buried in Hillsborough Cemetery. He deserves a bit more notice than he's had up to now, I'd say -- seeing as he was also one of the early importers of the "cinematographe".

Mr. C. E. Mackie, of Queen-street, has received one of the latest and most improved of those wonderful electrical machines, the cinematographe, which will be erected and in working order this evening, when it will be shown at his rooms in conjunction with the X-rays ….During the past week, the Röntgen X-rays shown by Mr. Mackie have been largely used by the medical fraternity with excellent results, several maimed and broken limbs, the injuries to which could not be otherwise located, having been photographed.

9 February 1897, NZ Herald, p. 5, col. 3

A most interesting operation was performed yesterday by the aid of the Röntgen rays. A Mrs. Tait was suffering from the effects of a needle embedded in the sole of the foot, and a photograph of it was taken for surgical use, by Mr. Mackie. The photograph showed the needle quite plainly, but the difficulty lay in ascertaining its precise position, whether right or left of the centre line of the foot. The attending surgeon then, by means of wire, divided the foot off into squares, but this was not successful. A third trial, however, was. This result was obtained by making a slight incision along the sole of the foot, and placing therein a piece of silver wire. A photograph was then taken from above the limb, and the head of the needle, which was in a vertical position, was seen as a small black speck, and located. Its removal was after that an easy surgical matter.

4 May 1897, NZ Herald, p. 5, col. 2

Even with successes like this, radiology was still only slowly accepted up until the First World War when its usefulness was finally universally recognised, according to the website for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

The Fat Lady site

I stumbled across it while doing the earlier post on the school houses and Governors-general. Quite interesting collection of YouTube videos, some interesting to NZ history buffs like myself.

The Overlander passing through Te Awamutu, drawn by a steam engine.

Young polar bears in Auckland Zoo. Before things turned green and manic.

The good ol' Good Night Kiwi.

A clip from the 1985 Telethon.

And, as linked before, the Auckland Harbour Bridge opening.

School houses

In Freyberg Square in Auckland's central city, there's a statue to honour the man after whom the square is named: Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, VC.

Passing by his statue, I'm reminded of Avondale Intermediate. Yes, I know that's an odd association, but the school, which I attended back in the mid 1970s, had school houses, groups into which the pupils were placed, and each house had a different coloured flag and ribbon. The houses were named after former Governors-general. The yellow house was Freyberg (I'm not sure Sir Bernard would have been all too happy about that, had he known.)

The statue is quite good, I think. Reminiscent of a familiar pose, as seen below.

Next on the list was Newall, a blue house, named after Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall.

The red house was Cobham, named after Charles John Lytton, 10th Viscount Cobham, who just happened to be on deck in the G-G post when the Auckland Harbour Bridge was opened, 50 years ago this month. A short film of the opening can be seen here.

As for the green house (which was where I was placed), that was Jellicoe, after John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland.

The business of houses struck me at the time of something very much like British public school stuff -- and the more recent Harry Potter craze, with the setting in a school of wizards divided up into competing houses, also reminds me of the days at Avondale Intermediate. No dragons or wizards, though -- just speeches reminding us just who the gentlemen were who were namesakes of school houses in a suburb of Auckland.

Campbell Island

Image from Wikipedia.

I was going through my dormant collection of first day covers and "cinderellas" today, part of the period in my life from 1969 until c.1997 when I spent (possibly misspent) my early years being a stamp collector, or philatelic nut. (Now, I'm just the history variety). Mainly, I was looking for examples of old postmarks to put toward a publication I'm putting together right now. During the course of the nostalgia trip and trip down memory lane, visions of ecstatic finds among stamp dealers' cabinets over the many years, I found a cover I'd bought years and years ago which had originated from Campbell Island, one of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic territories.


Some of the history of the island is provided at the Wiki link above. I think I picked up the cover, which was posted in 1971, is because (a) the cartoon stamp in the middle of the envelope is quite cool (a bearded Kiwi in charge of his penguin and seal team of meteorologists), and (b) because there is just 3d and 1d stamps, totalling 4d, the old cost of domestic postage in NZ.

Trouble with that is -- we went decimal in 1967. It's a wonder the envelope made it back to the mainland. Probably via some very understanding postal workers who reckoned, why waste old stamps when postage was (then) still only 4 cents, anyway.

Growing up, I remember as a kiddy that back then (1960s to very early 1970s) our postage was 4 cents, a bottle of milk (1 pint) was 4 cents, and newspapers and bread were around the same. Now, domestic standard postage starts at 50 cents, a litre of milk is around $2, bread around $2.50 if you're lucky to find a sale, and a newspaper is around $1.50 or more.

Good on those folks at Campbell Island with their thruppeny and penny stamps, I say ...

Signalboxes, again

After looking at the comments from this post ...

Artforce in Brisbane has been rather busy painting traffic signal boxes, as have a group called Promenade Artists in Wellington (a $5000 project approved there last year). This from 2004 and the Gondwanaland Ministry of Culture blog:

WELLINGTON’S PROMENADE

Promenade Artists Call for submissions

Promenade Artists, in association with the Wellington City Council, are looking for artists who may be interested in participating in their Murals on Traffic Signal Boxes scheme. Artists receive a small honorarium of $75 and their work is placed on permanent public display.

A traffic signal box is that beige thing about 600 x 1200 x 400 mm that appears in the vicinity of every set of traffic lights in the city. They are currently decorated with delightful bright green stickers and bland brown paint.

To view the two examples extant walk by the corner of Victoria and Mercer Sts and up to the Willis/Mercer intersection. It is intended that this will be an ongoing project and that, over time, every box in the city will be adorned with original art.

So ... does dark paint only affect us here in Auckland? Can anyone else provide other examples?

"Exploring the Great North Road" exhibition

Some many moons ago, an artist and photographer named Brian Marsom gave me a call, and said he was fascinated by a piece which had appeared in the New Zealander back on 27 April 1861, a letter to the editor, written in quite flowery prose, by one J. C. Loch. Exactly who Mr. Loch was, is still unknown -- but I suspect he may have had something to do with estate agents, such as Michael Wood, the purveyor of Waterview at that time.

Brian took it upon himself to take a trip along the Great North Road as it is today, in the hoofprints and wheel ruts of Mr. Loch and companions, and record the road in a photographic record which has now become an exhibition to be opened next month at Henderson's Corban Estate Arts Centre. The exhibition opens on 21 May at 6pm, and runs through to 21st June.

This came today from Brian -- I was delighted to hear from him after all this time, and that his exhibition was soon to be a reality:

Opening Thursday 21st May 09 at 6pm- (informal)
Part of the Auckland Festival of Photography

At Corban Estate Arts Centre, 426 Great North Road Henderson, Auckland
Note access is from end of Great North Road, at top- turn left at lights, over rail crossing and drive back through the Estate to car park.

This exhibition was inspired by a letter in The New Zealander in 1861, by J C Loch and I have retraced the journey with some contemporary photo images.

Exhibition times- 22nd May-21st June. Open 7 days 10 am -4-30 pm.
Artist floor talk- June 4, 11 am in CEAC Gallery- all welcome.
I look forward to seeing you at the opening or hope you get to visit the exhibition.

Best regards
Brian Marsom

So, what is this 1861 letter all about? Here's the text, with some of my annotations.

A DRIVE ON THE NORTH ROAD.

WATERVIEW.

To the Editor of the NEW-ZEALANDER.

SIR, -- Upon a lovely morning we started from Queen-street in the North Road Van, bound for Henderson’s Mill. It was a glorious New Zealand morning, and we enjoyed it. Our only companions at first were a hearty young settler, and a veteran bushman returning to the scene of his felling exploits. Once at Newton, we rattled along at a rapid rate, but soon to pull up for additional passengers, whose knowledge of the localities we were fast passing through contributed much to the pleasure of the drive.

Leaving behind us Newton and Ponsonby Road, with its magnificent prospect over city and ocean, islands and headlands, we speedily arrived opposite Richmond, and the pretty suburb of Glengarry, laying between it and the City, numerous and snug paddocks were interspersed in the space seaward, -- while toward the west the picture terminated in the house and cultivated grounds on Halstead’s Point.

Halstead’s Point? This may have been Herne Bay area, or clear across to North Shore. At this stage, I don’t know. Leigh Dines Halstead around this time was Auckland’s veterinarian, and owned land on the Shore in the late 1850s.

Having under us a capital road, we were soon at Arch Hill, around which our ancient friend Mr. Joseph Young has planted a belt of native forest and blue gum trees.

While expressing our strongest approbation of this tree-planting practice, a sharp descent – easily to be mitigated by a small outlay – brought us to the enclosed paddocks and farm-house of Mr. Edgcombe, where a deeper verdure and richer luxuriance gladdened our eyes.

After a few minutes’ run along the well-fenced fields on either hand, our horses made a voluntary stop at the Northern Hotel, where, taking the hint, we duly entered. Our stay, however, was but short, for we had sighted the pennons of Waterview, and were anxious to press on to the site of the new village. The extensive mills and buildings of Messrs. Low & Motion, almost concealed in the valley of the neighbouring creek, presented to our notice only their roofs and higher points, -- while the thriving cultivations that surround them were wholly concealed from our view. The handsome gardens of Mr. Cameron, more immediate and at hand, afforded us much gratification – all around teeming with a luxuriant vegetation, strangely at variance with the crabbed scoria which it covers.

Mr. Cameron could have been Richard Cameron, listed as resident at Meola Creek as a labourer in the 1860 Jury List. This could have been, therefore, one of the early farms at the Sutherland Estate – see Pt Chevalier Times, No. 4.

We crossed the bridge, and speedily found ourselves at Oakley’s Creek, -- and fronting us the entire village of WATERVIEW. The position of the village has been chosen with much judgement, having a slight declination towards both the harbour and the creek, but otherwise smooth and level.

Directly opposite, encircled by the sea, is the residence of D. Pollen, Esq., which, with its tasteful plantations and clumps of forest trees, imparts to the picture quite an old country look.

We now pass over Oakley’s Creek, with its sparkling waters high on either bank, and Thomas’ mill – for whose especial use its aqueous treasures have been hoarded up; and drawing along to the western end of Waterview we come upon the farm of Mr. McEwan, where considerable improvements are fast being carried out.

I still don’t know who McEwan was – but there is the possibility that Loch was referring to the Robert Chisholm farm. Chisholm, in Parnell at that stage, would have had a manager on his farm.

We have now before us the noble ranges of Titirangi, with their numerous sawing-stations and homesteads betrayed to us by the curling smoke, that tells of coming dinner, -- and soon arrive at the Whau.

The cottage and grounds of Mr. Elliott at the Bridge-end pleasingly present themselves, -- while around and far towards the Waitemata is studded with smiling homesteads and cultivated enclosures.

Elliott had a house and land on the New Lynn side of the Whau Bridge -- so Loch and his companions may have sighted this, and Dr. Aickin's house below from somewhere close to present day Victor Street.

The residence and property of Dr. Aicen likewise here become visible, -- and a few hundred yards brings to view, conveniently situated on the roadside, the Presbyterian School-house Church, lately erected by the zealous efforts of the Rev. D. Bruce. Here, on the afternoon of every Sunday, divine service is held by the Rev. George Brown, the pastor of the district.

This, of course, is our St Ninian's Church.

Now at length we enter upon the tenantless fern plains, through which we pass until our journey’s end, save where the roads leading up to the neighbouring bush cross our path, or the tempting waters of the Rewa Rewa Creek invite us, as many before, to stop and liquor. Denying ourselves this pleasure, we hasten along, and soon from an adjacent height Henderson’s mills and busy station burst upon our view. The lovely valley and glistening stream, the rolling wheel and snorting engine, the parent mill, with the little town of heaths and homes that it has given birth to and nursed into comfortable condition, the pleasing hum of active industry – all strongly recalled to mind the manufacturing homes and valleys of our native Yorkshire. Here we witnessed the monarch of the forest, after being treated to a ride on a rail, and a float on the river, dragged with a bulldog grape up to the inevitable saw, and there halved and quartered, like traitors on Tower-hill, at the rapid pace of about five thousand yards per hour.

After enjoying ourselves heartily, and partaking of the hospitality of the respected owner, we returned to our van, and speedily found ourselves repassing the site of Waterview, and soon in Auckland, more impressed with the permanent progress of our city on the western side than had it been shown to us in a blue-book.

J. C. LOCH.

Update on the signalbox murals

Previous post here.

The update is: the vanishing signalbox murals won't be replaced. Something about the dark colour played havoc with the controls inside, so as the contractors work their way through, the murals are going and they'll stay gone, according to what came out at tonight's Avondale Community Board meeting. Unfortunate, but -- that's life.

Windsor Reserve to Windsor Castle: Hector Bolitho

Image originally from Dunedin Public Libraries. They have a page on Hector Bolitho as well.

Today, after I gave a talk to the Auckland branch of the NZ Society of Genealogists, I purchased the book Windsor Reserve to Windsor Castle from Joyce Fairgray, author of an essay which is the feature of the book

I promised Joyce I'd put in a promo for this very interesting book about one of our Kiwis who did well overseas. Besides, I have a soft spot for Devonport Library -- a brilliant place, and very helpful when I researched the Bear Gardens during preparation of The Zoo War. According to the North Shore City Libraries site, the Devonport Library Associates support the library and run evening events open to the public.

Here's the Association's information:

Devonport Library Associates present their latest publication ...

Windsor Reserve to Windsor Castle

A biography of Hector Bolitho.

Brought up from the age of 10 in Devonport, Hector Bolitho went on to have a remarkable career as a writer, becoming well known in Europe and America, particularly for his royal biographies. In 1919 he published two short books, "The Island of Kawau" and "Devonport on the Waitemata". Facsimilies of these are included in the book, as well as a lengthy biographical essay by Joyce Fairgray, and an extensive bibliography.
Obtainable from Devonport Library, Windsor Reserve, Victoria Rd, Devonport, North Shore, New Zealand $20 each.
Mail order: Packaging and postage within New Zealand add $3
Aust add NZ$7, Other areas add NZ$10.
Payable by cash, cheque, money order
More details, email: lindah@shorelibraries.govt.nz

The book is A5 in size, softcover, 113 pages, illustrated throughout. A very attractive and informative work -- I'm delighted I met Joyce today, one of those who worked to put it together.

Avondale's Musical Sharps

On coming home yesterday, I find another intriguing email in the inbox.

Robert Perry has a website called Pianola.co.nz -- "Preserving the music of yesterday", devoted to music from player piano rolls. According to his site:

"The player piano had its heyday between 1900 and 1930, when it brought music to the home prior to recorded music becoming widely available (and of acceptable sound quality). During this time, literally millions of piano rolls, recorded and arranged by some of the most famous pianists of the era, were produced by dozens of music roll companies. Music to suit every taste was available, from classical to ragtime to the popular hits of the day.

"Now, over 100 years after the player piano was invented, time has taken its toll on the paper music rolls. Thanks to the dedication of enthusiasts worldwide, the technology now exists to preserve this wonderful music for all time, using custom-built optical scanners and software. What you hear on your computer is exactly what was recorded or arranged onto roll, in many cases over 90 years ago."

Of special interest to Avondale's heritage is that Robert has information and midi files of music from the rolls produced by the Reliance Music Roll Company -- actually two brothers named Reginald Albert Sharp (c1897-1977) and Frederick Arthur Sharp (c.1899-1980). They lived with their father Albert Henry Sharp at 38 Canal Road during the 1920s producing their rolls, and were, according to Robert, the first and only music roll company to operate in New Zealand. I spoke to a former resident of Canal Road last night, now well into his 80s -- he told me that he well remembered the two Sharp brothers and their father, and that people came from far and wide to the house on Canal Road for the music.

From Robert's email:

"I guess this must be some of the earliest recorded New Zealand music. I was lucky enough to acquire from an estate sale many of their 'master' recordings, unsold stock, roll-making machinery, and various other bits and pieces. I've also had a machine custom-built that scans the rolls into computer format and preserves them archivally, with the side benefit of creating a MIDI file that can be listened to on computer.

"If this interests you, you can take a look at a little more information (I haven't yet collated all the data I've gathered, but it's a small start) at my website.

"If you wish to listen to some of the piano recordings made by Reliance in Avondale, you can visit this section:

and fill in Reliance in the 'roll brand' field and press 'submit query'."

By the time the two brothers died, they had become eccentric hoarders. Some details about the contents of their houses here.

Goodbye, St. James, goodbye

In 2007, while walking down Wellesley Street and approaching Mayoral Drive, I spotted a small rectangle of paper. Picking it up, I saw that it was a soiled stalls ticket from the St James Theatre on Queen Street. There had just been a fire – this was part of the damage.

This morning, news coming through on the NZ Herald website says that the tower development next to the 80 year old cinema is to go ahead. The article is headlined: “Towering over history”. They will be moth-balling the old theatre, sealing it away from water, entombing it. An impression of the developers’ plans is here.

The theatre opened 5 July 1928, constructed for John Fuller & Sons Ltd. According to the late Jan Grefstad (Auckland Cinemas, 2002), it was formerly the site of Auckland’s City Hall in the 1860s, replaced by premises for home furnishers Tonson & Garlick which caught fire in 1896. Then, a three-storied brick building replaced that, which was in turn demolished for the theatre, built at a cost of over £70,000, and designed with live vaudeville acts in mind. J. T. Julian & Sons were the builders (also builders of the Majestic, Everybody’s theatre, and the Auckland Railway Station on Beach Road.)

The first “talkie” was shown 26 December 1929, and by the early 1930s vaudeville was phased out. The theatre became the base for the Mareo Orchestra by the mid1930s, conducted by Eric Mareo who gained fame for something other than his musical prowess. He was sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Callan in the Supreme Court on June 17 1936 for the murder of his wife Thelma, after being first tried in February that year by Mr. Justice Fair, but was reprieved by the Executive Council on 5 August 1936, which commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. He walked out of Mt Eden prison a free man 11 May 1948.

The theatre saw the installation of a large, curved screen in 1953 for the film “Quo Vadis”, and it staged the world premiere of “The Million Pound Note” on Boxing Day 1953 before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

I don't think I can isolate any cinema experiences from when I first went to see movies in town with my mother back in the early 1970s, but I know I did see movies there, and at the Odeon and the Westend, all part of the same cinema complex. That was the days when seats for popular movies could be booked, weeks in advance. I do remember standing in long queues that stretched down Queen Street. The St James, though, always seemed one up on the later neighbours, with a sweeping staircase from the ground level which took you up to the circle seats. A lesser Civic, but still grand.

The theatre closed in 1999.

Jan Grefstad ended his study in 2000, with the statement that “the St James is set to be renovated in a major refit … so it can rightfully stand alongside the Civic, Aotea Centre and the Town Hall “The edge” for entertainment engagements in the future.” Sadly, that won’t happen now for some time to come, if ever.

Fungus, tea and art – Yan Kew, Auckland merchant

Latest update: 19 July 2022

Image: NZ Graphic 12 August 1899, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.

One of Auckland’s longest-lasting and well-known merchants and importers during the 19th century was Yan Kew*, known in Auckland as James Ah Kew, born c.1840 at Sun Ning in the province of Guangdong. According to the biographical article on his son:

“He moved to Victoria, Australia, and in December 1871 arrived in Auckland. In 1879 he was naturalised, his occupation being described as fancy goods merchant. It is not known when his wife [Mellie Guey, also known as Mary Fong] arrived in New Zealand, but in 1888 they were married, making the Ah Kew family one of the longest-resident Chinese families in Auckland. James Ah Kew’s business flourished and he had two stores, one in Queen Street, the other in Rutland Street. However, within a few years of [his son] Henry’s birth [1900] the family’s fortunes had faltered. Alexander Don, the Presbyterian missioner to the Chinese, visited Auckland in 1904 and described James as a ‘once rich Chinese merchant, now old opium-smoker, living on his clansmen’.”

Yan Kew's death registration estimated that he lived in New Zealand from c.1869; shipping notices published in the Southern Cross 23 February 1872 show 18 pairs of horseshoes were exported to Sydney by "Ah Kew", which might indicate that he was in some sort of trade here at least by that stage.

He was attacked in the street on leaving the Oriental Hotel on 21 June 1872 – someone threw bones at him as he left, and one William Egerton called him names and struck him in the face after Yan Kew turned and asked who had thrown the bones. Egerton was fined £3 and expenses. (Southern Cross, 26 June 1872) The judge referred to Yan Kew as one of a number of "strangers to the city" who "should be treated civilly" so the 1871 date given for his arrival is possibly most accurate. By later in 1872, Yan Kew was involved with the fungus trade that had been initiated by Chew Chong (Chau Tseung) in Taranaki a year before.

He also dealt, most notably, in tea; Yan Kew’s shop at 234 Queen Street (later, by 1880 he was just up from Wellesley Street, possibly close to Rutland Street) was known as the Auckland Tea Consumer’s Establishment by 1873, when it burned down in September that year (Taranaki Herald, 10 September 1873).

His business bounced back from this, however, and by December 1873 he had decided to diversify into market gardening. He wrote to the Auckland Provincial Council, offering to lease Allotments 98 and 99 in Mechanics Bay, the Tanyard Gully gardens that had been started by William Mason (and would later, from 1881, be used by Ah Chee to found his business career in Auckland) for 14 years at £25 per annum. His application (as with those of a number of others for the sought-after land) was turned down, but less than two years later he had more success elsewhere :

“Mr. James Ah Kew, of Queen-street, is about to engage in the business of a market-gardener, he having secured for that purpose some pieces of land fronting Khyber Pass Road and in the Remuera district, which are to be cultivated by his countrymen as market-gardens. In course of time the present market gardeners will find they have a keen competition to meet, when they have to work against the plodding industry and temperance of the Chinese.”

(SC, 6 September 1875)

This puts Yan Kew as among the first, if not the first, to make market gardening a part of his business in Auckland, pre-dating the later and more prominent Ah Chee (Chan Dar Chee) in that trade.

In addition, in 1884, with his partner and business manager James Ah Bing, Yan Kew purchased a 6 acre block in Remuera and together they operated a market garden there until at most 1901, when it was sold on default of mortgage. In April 1884, the two partners had an interest in land totalling nearly six acres at Arch Hill (Lots 13, 17 and 19 of Section 5, Suburbs of Auckland) for which they took out a mortgage from the Auckland Tramways and Suburban Land Company Ltd of £800, which also defaulted. (Archives NZ reference R24866508) By 1890, Yan Kew had the freehold of land at "part 2 of 2, Section 1" in Devonport, according to that year's Waitemata electoral roll. In 1892, "James Ah Kew & Co" were renting the Upper Domain gardens.

Another part of his business was the importation and retailing of opium. This was not a prohibited drug until 1901, with the passing of the first of a series of parliamentary acts.

In 1879, the year when Sir George Grey stated that “The presence in this country of a large population of Chinese … would exercise a deteriorating effect upon its civilisation …” (AJHR 1879 D-3 session 1, via "The Poll Tax in New Zealand", Nigel Murphy, 2002), Yan Kew displayed a portrait in his window.

“There is on exhibition in the shop window of Jas. Ah Kew an oil painting of Sir George Grey executed by a Chinaman. The painting is excellent and true to life, and made from a recent photograph sent by Ah Kew to a firm of painters in Hong Kong. He has also a number of other portraits in oil of notable citizens whose photographs he had obtained and sent to the Flowery Land for the purpose of enabling outer barbarians to see what Chinese artists can do. All the portraits are admirable and on canvas about 20 inches by 26 inches. Such portraits can be supplied to order from any photograph at a total coat of seventy shillings.”

(West Coast Times, 26 May 1879)

“Lately the Chinese in Auckland have turned their attention to a branch of art, but its practice will not materially interfere with native industry. A common carte de visite photograph is to be sent to China, and in a few weeks the sender will receive a splendid photograph painted large size in oil, and a wonderfully exact copy of the photograph. Ah Kew, of Queen Street, has a great assortment of this school of art, including a portrait of Sir George Grey, painted from a small photograph, which is certainly marvelous, considering that the painter, instead of having had several sittings, never saw the original. Ah Kew visits China by next: mail, and takes over photographs to be treated as above.”

(Otago Witness, 31 May 1879)

For a time, it appears (according to Auckland newspapers, at least) that Yan Kew had a partner in his business.

“The advent of the first child born to Chinese parents has taken place in Auckland. The wife (a Chinese lady) of Mr. Ah Sup, the partner of Mr. Ah Kew, of Queen-street, has presented her husband with a pledge of her affection in the form of a small boy. The happy father instantly invested in a new cradle from Raftons.”

(Observer, 3 March 1883)

Despite the length of time he had been in business in Auckland, the NZ Herald did not seem to be terribly impressed with Yan Kew, especially when he entered the Parliamentary Union, a discussion chamber for, as one provincial paper put it, “politicians in training.”

“The electorate of Thorndon is represented in the Auckland Parliamentary Union by Mr. James Ah Kew, a native of China. The New Zealand Herald recently excited the ire of the hon. gentleman by remarking that he would prove an acquisition to the Union inasmuch as he would be able to enlighten it upon the mysteries of "fan tan" and other games of hazard so much patronised by the Chinese. Mr. Ah Kew wrote a letter to the paper next day indignantly denying that he knew anything at all about "fan tan."

(Evening Post, 30 July 1885)

The Southern papers equated Chinese politicians with those of the female variety – none too highly.

“The Parliamentary Unions, which I have already from time to time smiled upon with more or less benignancy, again demand notice by virtue of having taken another step forward upon the liberal platform. The Auckland Union, it seems, admits Chinamen to its ranks, and the Dunedin Union proposes to admit ladies. Both are concessions to the advancing liberalism of the times. As regards Chinamen, the Auckland Union has indisputably set an example of fairplay to our Colonial Legislature If numbers, together with such individual characteristics as thrift, industry, intelligence, and seeming guilelessness, go for anything, the Chinese in our midst are at least entitled to send one representative to Wellington. On the other hand the experience of the Auckland Union, with its solitary Chinese member, Mr. Ah Kew, has not been altogether encouraging. Mr Ah Kew, who had consistently posed as a Ministerialist, crossed over to the Opposition benches at the moment of a critical division without vouchsafing any explanation as to the why or wherefore, and the bill was lost upon his vote alone. What seems to rankle most in the breasts of the deserted party is that the recusant member had first carefully coiled his pigtail out of sight, so that all efforts of the Government "whip " to clutch this appendage, and thus extract explanations from the wearer were futile. In future the Auckland Union is likely to enjoin that all Chinese members wear their pigtails down "for party purposes." Let no reader for one moment imagine that any parallel is hinted. I am far from intending to suggest that the back hair of lady M.P.s should be let down for a similar purpose. But the political impulses of ladies may possibly prove to be as erratic as those of Mr. Ah Kew, and I merely express a hope that the Dunedin Union may avoid (how, it matters not) the particular rock upon which the Aucklanders have struck.”

(Otago Witness, 5 September 1885)

According to his son Henry's biography (Te Ara website), Yan Kew married Mellie Guey, also known as Mary Fong, in 1888. Their son Henry would not be born until 22 September 1900.

In 1897, he was charged for breaching the Shop Hours Act by remaining open on the Wednesday half holiday. His defence was that he had closed on the Chinese New Year, and felt that was sufficient. The magistrate took that into consideration, fining him only 5s, but applying 35s costs. (North Otago Times, 12 February 1897)

According to his son Henry's biography, from 1900 Yan Kew’s star began to decline, although this was when Henry was born. However, he was still the third-equal greatest individual contributor to a fundraising campaign for the Auckland hospital organised by Thomas Quoi in early 1903, giving £3 3/-. (Auckland Star, 9 March 1903, p. 5)

Yan Kew probably finally came undone through both the prohibition of opium in the country from 1901, and his own increasing ill-health over a number of years. By 1904, his premises in the city was a Chinese lodging house in Grey Street (Greys Ave) near the Market Hotel. This was raided on Saturday, 17 September 1904, with eight Chinese and one European arrested for operating and taking part in an opium den. Sergeant Hansen, Constables Lipscombe, McCormack, McIvor and Forbes walked up to Ah Kew's lodging house between 7 and 8 pm, entered, secured the front and back entrances, and began their search. These Chinese men were apparently caught in the act of smoking opium on the premises. Yan Kew was charged with possession and permitting the smoking of opium on his premises; Ah Ming, Ah Lee and Wong Sun with smoking the drug; and Loe Hen, Gum Long, Ah Sing, Tommy Fong, Fong Fong and Frederick Bryant with abetting the prohibited act. (Auckland Star 19 September 1904 p4)  The news of the raid went around the country.  At the Police Court hearing on 26 September, Yan Kew denied all knowledge of the opium smoking in the cellars (the charges against him were dismissed), initially the three Chinese caught smoking pleaded guilty, but Ah Wing changed his plea and his charge was dismissed, and both Fong Fong and Frederick Bryant were let off through lack of evidence against them.

Yan Kew's house was raided again on 21 October 1904, and he was brought back to the Police Court to answer a charge of possession of tins of opium. His medical practitioner, Dr Bakewell, testified that Yan Kew suffered from asthma and other ailments, for which he prescribed opium as a relief. This time, Yan Kew was fined £10 and costs. It later transpired that the tin of opium Yan Kew had been caught with had been provided by a laundryman from Hobson Street named Ah Tan, allegedly picked up from Ah Tan by a girl named Florence Lip Guey. Ah Tan had paid half of Yan Kew's fine, plus a refund of £2 to Yan Kew for the opium. Yan Kew however blamed Ah Tan for dobbing him in to the police, and Ah Tan was prosecuted in the Police Court for possession and supply in November and December that year -- but the charges were dismissed through lack of corroborating evidence.

Yan Kew was then charged by Ah Tan for committing perjury at one of the Police Court hearings of 21 November. The case rolled on until 24 March 1905, and pivoted on evidence for the prosecution put forward by Thomas Quoi. However, the magistrate found that Quoi was a prejudiced witness, and dismissed the charge against Yan Kew. (Auckland Star 25 March 1905, p.6)

It appears that the opium may have originally been supplied by a chemist named Walter H Dawson, who was charged and convicted in late 1906 of importing opium under the guise of an opium-bismuth preparation. He was fined £150 for importation and false customs declaration. (Auckland Star 22 December 1906 p 5)

Yan Kew died 30 March 1907, at the Methven Nursing Home run by Mary Wrathall on New North Road, Eden Terrace (near the Mahatma Ghandi Centre today). Cause of death was recorded as "senile decay," aged 67 years. James Ah Bing, by then a shop owner in Victoria Street, paid the costs of sending his business partner to Hong Kong, and the hospital cemetery there, his funeral taking place 15 April 1907.

(* According to David Wong, who provided additional information in his comment to my earlier Ah Chee post, Yan Kew is the Cantonese version of the name, which is Yan Qiu in Mandarin. Mandarin always uses Pinyin.)

Conscientious objection in the First World War

There is a very good section on this topic on the NZHistory.net site. In some prisons in this country, instances of daily strip searches were noted. Those prisoners incarcerated for their conscientious beliefs who protested against such treatment had privileges such as family visits taken from them. A number were even deported to Britain. It wasn't until November 1920 when conscientious objectors were released from custody in New Zealand. Even so, they were disenfranchised for up to 10 years after their sentence.

Grey River Argus, 26 July 1917, Page 2

When the last transports sailed with troops, fourteen conscientious objectors to military service were placed on board from a guard from Trentham Vamp. There are still a number of religious objectors in camp, says the "Dominion." Some of these are willing to do work' about the camp, other are not, but all refuse to do anything which would tend to make them soldiers. It may be mentioned that there is a clear distinction between the religious and the conscientious objector. The former objects on religious grounds; the latter objects to conscription. Both types give considerable trouble to the camp staffs by refusing to work, drill, or put on uniform — a few have even refused to draw their pay. On the other hand, there are among the religious objectors a number who cheerfully perform orderly work and fatigues. So far none of the objectors have refused to take their meals.

Grey River Argus, 10 October 1917, Page 4

Some striking comments were made by a returned soldier on the subject of commissions in the New Zealand forces. A 3rd Reinforcement man returned to the Dominion in June last year, having been in Gallipoli three times, during which campaign he received rifle bullet wounds in the neck and shoulder. He served with the Battalion, and re-enlisted in May this year. Asked his opinion upon camp matters, he said : "The average returned soldier who re-enlists has no hope of getting a commission, in fact, they do all they can to block him. As far as I can see, social 'pull' is the chief qualification, and ability doesn’t count …

Asked about the conscientious objectors, he said: "We had a new batch in this week — I suppose there must be 25 or 30 there now. They are, of course, under guard, and will do nothing. Talk about conscientious! The majority are about the hardest cases in camp, and the language to be heard among them is enough to turn the air blue. They have a court-martial every, week or so to thin them out, and then they take a trip to Wellington for 11 months. By the way, the staff instructors who belong to the First Division are getting pulled out now, and drafted into the reinforcements; some have had their jobs since the beginning of the war. I'm not making any reflections on them, however; some have tried to get away before and were not allowed to go."

Auckland Star, 4 December 1917

Trentham Camp has at present two large hutments set aside for the flotsam and jetsam of the Military Service system, the deserters and conscientious objectors. The latter number nearly forty, and the majority have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, while the remainder are awaiting, cheerfully, it is said, a similar fate. About twenty of the objectors have religious reasons, and there has been much amusement among the others owing to the long arguments taking place among the religious objectors, who rely on different texts, and endeavour to prove each other in the wrong.

The men are allowed excellent food, plenty of literature, visitors, and the comforts which their friends bring, so that they are not at all displeased with their lot. They look forward to spending their terms on the prison tree-planting areas in the North Island, where a small batch is already at work.

Whether the objectors will get the work they expect is at present doubtful for the English authorities have found good use for this class of person, and they might be better able to deal with them that the New Zealand authorities. Fourteen New Zealand objectors were sent to England several months ago, and a report is being made on the experiment by the New Zealand representatives in England. When that arrives, the future policy in regard to the conscientious objector now in camp will be decided. Meanwhile, their future is uncertain, but they are comfortable, and as they are all together, they are able to reinforce each other in their passive resistance doctrines.

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1918, Page 4

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

WELLINGTON, February 12. In the absence of the Defence Minister, the Prime Minister has replied to statements made by Mr. H. Holland (editor of the "Maoriland Worker") in an election speech relative to conscientious objectors. Mr. Massey states that no man has been sentenced more than once for the same offence. The ages ranged from twenty-two to thirty. The men were not taken Home in irons. If any were sent from England to France in irons the obvious conclusion must mean that it was necessary for the authorities to take such precautions.

Grey River Argus, 15 November 1918, Page 2

Three questions are being asked the Minister of Defence by Mr H. K. Holland, as follows: (1) Whether he will furnish a report as to the number of members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces who have been subjected to the punishment known as crucifixion, or field punishment; (2) whether Clark Briggs, one of the fourteen 'conscientious objectors deported last year, is now in hospital and classed C 2 permanently unfit; and if so, when will he be returned to New Zealand? (3) whether he will call for a full report in connection with the case of Clark Briggs and also a return showing the number of New Zealand conscientious objectors subjected to field punishment No 1?

Grey River Argus, 4 August 1920, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1920. THE C.O.'S.

Although practically every country which were allied against the Central Powers in the recent war have liberated their conscientious objectors, New Zealand, a mere speck in the Southern Seas, zealously follows a spirit of vindictiveness, and to-day many of Her most noble-hearted men are incarcerated behind lock and bar. It has often been said that if one wants to find a real jingo of English descent he must search out of the Old Country, and the truth of this statement is fully borne out by the attitude taken by New Zealand-born men and women in respect to the war, and incidentally to the conscientious objectors. With that grand old Imperialistic bombast, and the "glorious Empire” obsession which sees good in everything that a Tory ridden Government does, this kind of person vies with his brother in the Homeland, in pursuing a policy that is reminiscent of the dark ages.

A mild sensation was caused among the patriotic circles of New Zealand recently by General Russell. We do not know just why the brave General made the statement he did about the conscientious objectors, but suffice it that in his opinion there was neither sense nor reason in keeping these men in prison. The General could have well added a lot more when he was on the subject, but his somewhat strained expressions were sufficient to call forth an indignant protest from a small section of soldiers, Women's Societies, Employers' Associations, local bodies and a number of other drum-beating organisations. The latest protest comes from a meeting of military patients in one of the dominion's hospitals, and as an illustration of Christian sentiment it is about the most crazy and war-intoxicated utterance that has emanated for some time in this age of "peace," brought about by a "righteous" war. Not satisfied with the unjust imprisonment imposed upon men who valued their conscience as their most sacred possession, and the disfranchisement of civil rights for a period of 10 years, these poor misguided cripples of war demand that the conscientious objectors should be deprived of their civil rights in New Zealand for all time.

The pity of it! To think that men who return from a struggle, not of their making, shattered in limb and body, should in the dark days of their suffering favour a law which metes out punishment to men who use a God-given gift — the right of free-will and the guidance of their conscience. It is bad enough to listen to the protests of the ''toy soldiers," who stayed at home and bled the real soldiers' dependents white, but for men who can look back on the horrors of war (and in doing so know the evil of the whole business) and then, demand that their fellow-citizens should be silent factors in the country, is one of the tragic illustrations of what effect war has on the minds of some people. We often hear the statement: "If a country is not worth fighting for it is not worth living in," but we never hear this applied to that contemptible citizen who took advantage of the war conditions and bumped up the prices of commodities to such an extent, that in some cases, whilst the husband was away fighting for freedom his dependents were being exploited in every direction. No, it is not to such men as these that the taunt is flung, but to the peace-loving, conscience-inspired man, who bore the brand of a shirker rather than be false to his innermost convictions.

It is not the duty of anyone to question the ideals of another, but in many cases the men who had the most stones cast at them were those who fought to make the lot of the soldier and his dependents a little easier. We pride ourselves on our Democracy; we are willing to trade with Russia because she is a “hopeful market", we would employ Germans to-morrow if they could be obtained at a low rate of wages; but we still have our old British dignity in one respect— and as a result those who shirked their "duty" in the glorious war "to make the world safe for Democracy" are herded with felons behind prison bars. lf we spoke truly we would say we are a nation of hypocrites, prostituting daily every law of Christianity. In many cases the soldiers call for vengeance on the C.O.s, but the day might yet dawn when it will be to men possessing the latter 's ideals that they will look to for better things.

Grey River Argus, 20 October 1920, Page 3

AT LAST!

PERSECUTION OF C.O.s TO END.

RELEASE ON ARMISTICE DAY.

NO MORE PROSECUTIONS

(Special to " Argus.") ; WELLINGTON, Oct. 19.

To-night in the House, Mr Massey announced that the Conscientious Objectors and Military Prisoners, other than those with criminal convictions are to be all released on Armistice Day. He also announced that there will be no further prosecutions of the Conscientious Objectors after Armistice Day.

Of course, during World War II, it happened again. That time, though, it couldn't be said that it was just a Tory-led backlash against those who didn't want to heed the call of war drums: the Prime Minister was Peter Fraser, an ardent anti-conscription activist during the First World War.

A sad homecoming

Some homecomings from the World War I were not joyous at all. This, from the Auckland Star, 19 December 1919.

A decree nisi in divorce was granted at the Supreme Court this morning by Mr. Justice Hosking to Samuel Albert Cousins (Mr. Hall Skelton) upon his petition against Grace Ethel Cousins. The parties were married in 1903, and have three children. The petitioner said that he enlisted early in 1916, leaving his wife in a fruit business (shop and dwelling). While in camp and overseas he received only three letters from her. All of them were very cold in tone, or, as he described them, "heartrending."

When he landed at Auckland last March his two boys met him on the wharf, and told him that their mother had sold up the shop and home, and was living in a boardinghouse. He went to see her. She told him that she would have nothing to do with him -- that she had "seen life" while he was away, and now knew what real life was.

She admitted to him that she had squandered the money which she had obtained by selling the4 shop and home, also the money she had received from him. He got her to sign a deed of separation, and on obtaining some information about her conduct with another man (since dead) he took divorce proceedings.

Mr. J. Osburne-Lilly, solicitor, who had entered an "appearance" on behalf of Mrs. Cousins, gave evidence that in conversation with him she had admitted misconducting herself with the man referred to.

The petitioner was given interim custody of two of his children.

The Avondale Men Come Home

This year marks the 90th anniversary of when the soldiers returned from World War I.

AVONDALE SOLDIERS WELCOMED HOME.

The returned soldiers of Avondale township received a heart welcome home at the local town hall on Friday evening, the function being arranged by the Avondale Women’s Patriotic League. Dancing was indulged in until midnight. During intervals Miss Merson and Mr. Spencer contributed vocal solos, and Mr. McDermott recited, all items being highly appreciated.

Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., was present, and on behalf of the ladies warmly welcomed the soldiers home again after their strenuous work in the battlefields.

Mr. H. Walker briefly responded on behalf of the guests, expressing their thanks for the way the ladies had looked after them while they were away.


MEMORIAL UNVEILED – AVONDALE PUBLIC SCHOOL


A representative gathering of Avondale citizens assembled at the public school on Saturday afternoon to witness the unveiling of a memorial tablet in honour of the 33 old scholars of the school who had made the supreme sacrifice in the war. Among those present were Mrs. Bollard, sen., who had taken take in various school functions for a period of upwards of 50 years in conjunction with her husband, the late Mr. John Bollard; and Mr. J. L. Scott, who a quarter of a century ago was headmaster of the school.

Mr. H. A. V. Bollard, chairman of the School Committee, who presided, expressed the deep sense of gratitude which the townspeople felt to the donor of the tablet, Mr. James Binsted. Other speakers were Messrs. R. B. Nesbitt, chair of the Avondale Road Board, J. L. Scott, J. A. Darrow, headmaster of the school, and H. W. King, a member of the Education Board.

Mrs. Binsted performed the unveiling ceremony while the children sang “Abide With Me.”

The tablet, a slab of marble, suitable mounted on polished rimu, has been erected at the entrance to the main porch, alongside the brass memorial to the late Mr. Bollard.

(NZ Herald, 22 December 1919)

I went to Avondale Primary School, 1968-1974. During the demolition of the old school buildings, the marble plaque was removed, and reappeared in a window display in the old dairy on Layard Street, part of the RSA complex by that stage. It was there for two decades before the RSA had their own redevelopment, the recessed doorway and window from the old dairy (where the school children of years long gone by used to get their penny ices on the way home) were removed and replaced with blank wall, and the plaque found a new home outside, beside the artillery piece which forms the RSA's memorial gardens, still on Layard Street. It can be seen there to this day, but loses some of its context outside of the school buildings. It forms the only World War I memorial to the fallen in Avondale.

The Queen Street Riot of 1905

Many will have heard of Auckland’s Depression-era riots, 1932. There was also the Mt Eden Prison Riot of 1965. And, then there was the 1984 Queen Street Riot. But, how many have heard of one in 1905? Smaller than the others, yes, and it caused far less damage in those far-off Edwardian times. Still, it rattled the police on duty that day, led to several court hearings, and it’s doubtful anyone was ever found guilty.

It began on 30 December, a Saturday night in downtown Auckland. It started, apparently, with a shilling.

At around 10.45 pm, a customer at the Zealandia Restaurant and Oyster Bar got into a dispute with the Greek proprietor of the establishment, Andrew Gabriel, over whether the customer had paid his shilling for the supper he had just had. The restaurant was apparently on two levels; as the young man came up from below and was asked for payment, he claimed he had paid downstairs. The waiter denied that, and the customer struck him in the face, whereupon the waiter struck him back. The dispute then became a scuffle, and the customer was thrown out from the premises. Some of those in the vicinity later told the newspapers that the customer’s hat was either taken by the restaurant owner or was left behind, and that he had in fact actually paid for his meal. His name remains unknown.

A crowd then gathered outside the restaurant. The United Press Association, telegraphing the news nationwide, reported numbers of two thousand gathered in Queen Street outside the Zealandia – this seems a lot, even if it was a Saturday night just before New Years’ Eve. A stone was thrown; it was thought to be been flung by the customer at the Zealandia’s windows. Whoever threw that first stone escaped custody and disappeared in the melée that followed.

The rowdy crowd were led by those aged 18 to 25, according to reports. The police were called, they then called for reinforcements, the crowd got larger and the Greek staff at the restaurant were pushed back inside. Then, the business came under bombardment from stones from all directions. The police made an arrest, and two constables proceeded to take their prisoner to the police barracks in Princes Street. As they passed under the verandah to Smith & Caughey’s drapers shop, a bottle of beer was flung, striking one constable on the shoulder, grazing the prisoner, striking a blow on the side of the head of the second constable, and smashing against the shop window, cracking Smith & Caughey’s big plate glass display. The policemen continued on their way with the prisoner, with the crowd following, howling, “Rush them! Charge them!”

At the police station, those on duty there were prepared for the onslaught. Once the prisoner had been taken inside, the constables prepared a powerful water hose. In response, the crowd began pelting the station with more stones, one shattering the window of the Sub-inspector’s office. The hose was then instantly turned on the crowd, but not before another thrown stone smashed the station’s large gas lamp, casting the scene into shadow. The water divided the crowd, some heading up Princes Street, threatening to attack the barracks, but more police reinforcements gradually scattered the group.

Thwarted, the crowd then surged back to the restaurant, where they were strengthened by more numbers. “The street,” according to the Weekly News, “was packed with people from the door of the restaurant to the doors on the other side.” Now, the police infiltrated the crowd, both in uniform and plain-clothes, to try to sort out who the ringleaders were. However, they were powerless to stop the rest of the damage as beer bottles and more stones flew, smashing all of the restaurant’s windows, and two or three more in a shop across the street. It was mainly all over by midnight.

Six arrests were made that night. “Some of the oldest members of the police force stated that it was the worst disturbance of the kind they have ever seen in Auckland." (Weekly News)

The court cases continued into the first part of February 1906, but in the main there was a lack of witnesses, so all were released either at the Police Court stage or by the Supreme Court. It isn’t very likely that Mr. Gabriel was ever paid for the considerable damage to his store.

New Zealand Ship & Marine Society

I received information today via email on an upcoming three-day conference on maritime history -- down in Wellington, unfortunately. Can't go. However, the website of the NZ Ship & Marine Society is worth a browse through. Another link to be added to the left side.

The Waiariki Stream

Images by Phil Hanson.

The comments exchange between me and past comments contributor Phil Hanson at the end of this post on the Shortland Street area has borne fruit, I'm delighted to say. Phil has done what he said he'd do -- gone out, and explored the Waiariki Stream (good on you, Phil!) Here's his email, with my comment first, then his response:

"According to a 1939 Wises Directory I've got here, Grey & Menzies' factory was at No. 15 Eden Crescent. That might be a good place to look, Phil. Checking the aerials, there's a building in front of the carpark area at the rear today, though."

"The buildings to which you refer are the Faculty of Law at Auckland University. I visited there today and access to the parking area is not restricted. I checked the wall thoroughly and found only one possible location, shown in the attached photos. The wider view is taken from the balcony of the law building. What a shame there is no plaque recognising this tiny but important peek at Auckland's past. By the way, I remember Grey & Menzies "cordials" from my early youth; they were the favoured brand in our household and my parents used to buy them by the crate. That's not as bad as it sounds; it would be today's equivalent of picking up a 12-pack of Coke at the supermarket!"

Thanks, Phil. Great shots -- and yes, it's a pity there isn't more recognition on the ground for something which was and is a part of our city's story.