Sir John Logan Campbell, and his statue

June 2012 marks the centenary of the death of Sir John Logan Campbell (1817-1912). There are a number of events and commemorations happening this year -- but I wonder if they're going to all the same effect again in 2017?

Anyway, this 1906 postcard of Campbell and his statue came up for offer on TradeMe, so I thought -- why not?

On 26 August 1903, as he declared Cornwall Park open to the public, Edwin Mitchelson (then Mayor of Auckland) suggested that a statue of Sir John Logan Campbell be erected while he was still living, to perpetuate his memory as benefactor and the donor of the park. An appeal was started, supported by the Auckland Agricultural Association and the New Zealand & Australian Natives Association.

Henry Alfred Pegram took part in the 1904 tenders for the statue, offering £1180 for marble, and £1130 for bronze, including both statue and base (Star, 10 June 1904). The organising committee accepted his bronze statue price.

Sir John himself was believed to have preferred the Manukau Road entrance to the park as a preferred site, and said he would provide the statue’s base. The statue foundation base, designed by Charles Arnold, was prepared by Mr D Fallon, with a gang of workers dealing with rocks blasted from quarries, ranging from 1 to 7 tons. The height of this foundation was planned as 17 feet, with a 30 feet base. Three altar stones on top would support the rose-coloured polished Aberdeen granite pedestal, which in turn would support the statue. A water basin was constructed to surround the statue, supplied by fountains in the rockery base. Macrocarpa trees around the site were planted previously by Sir John. (Star, 27 June 1905) A number of concrete pillars were added all around the statue base.

Pegram worked on a clay model of Sir John from photos provided, and even the mayoral robes were loaned to him to work from (Star 27 June 1905).

Mr W. R. Holmes, secretary of Campbell Statue Fund, has received the following letter from the sculptor, Mr H Pegram, of London, in which he states, that the pedestal and statue were delivered to the shippers, Messrs. Westray, for shipment on the s.s. Rakaia at the end of February. He hoped the work would arrive safely. He asked Mr Holmes to convey to the committee his extreme regret for the delay in delivery, which bad caused him much trouble and annoyance.

The statue was cast into bronze by the end of December, and the pedestal should have been ready by then, but the masons have been very busy, and did not keep their agreement. He had had the inscription gilded, and hoped that the committee would be pleased with the general effect. He regretted that he could not see the work placed in position.

"I have kept the bronze its natural colour, which will harmonise better with the red granite than the artificial green "patina," and in the beautiful climate of New Zealand, with the proximity of the sea, it will gradually develop a very fine colour such as these natural conditions will alone produce. Please convey to the committee my appreciation of the honour they have conferred on me in entrusting me with the commission." 

(Star, 9 April 1906) 

Auckland Weekly News, 27 June 1912, published on the death of Sir John Logan Campbell, six years after the statue was unveiled. Ref. AWNS-19120627-9-2, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library.

It was decided that the statue should be unveiled on Empire Day, May 24.

The manager of the Auckland Electric Tramways (Mr P M Hansen) wrote offering to place at Sir John and Lady Campbell's disposal on the day of the ceremony the first electric car built in Auckland. The company would have the car suitably decorated and fitted with armchairs. It was decided to acquaint Sir John with Mr Hansen's offer and ascertain his views.

(Star 19 April 1906)

The statue arrived at Auckland and was unpacked on 30 April, and duly unveiled on its base on Empire Day. The cost of the statue came to £1360. (NZ Herald 25 May 1906) 

 Image from Wikipedia.

"Like a streak of phosphorus": Pelorus Jack

This is a postcard image of an image. If "F Duncan" is Frank Duncan, he did quite a bit of that. According to the Auckland Library's photographer database, "Frank Duncan first came into contact with postcards as a commercial traveller for Tanner Bros. Around 1915 he moved to Auckland and established the firm Frank Duncan and Co, which produced huge numbers of postcards using images supplied by photographers F G Radcliffe and T M Hardy, amongst others. The company went into receivership in 1931." 

The white lettering is overwritten, the fin is a hasty sketch onto the image, and although the story of Pelorus Jack appears to have started in 1888, going on for 24 years until around 1912, the card talks of the "fish" being around for 30 years. So, the provenance is dubious.

Still ...

"Does he come always?" 

"Without fail, night and day (at night he is like a streak of phosphorus); he meets every steamer, though this is his favourite. He has done so for many years. Lord Onslow, when Governor hero, had him gazetted, and he is now safe from human enemies; at least, I hope so. We are all quite fond of him." 

He lifts his cap, and moves away, and we stand and wait eagerly. 

Presently, about a hundred yards away, a darker streak comes on the violet sea. 

"How does he first appear?" asked a lady, breathlessly pointing at it. But no one answers her. Then the streak moved; a great, glistening, brown fin broke the water. 

"There he is," shouted a dozen excited voices, as Pelorus Jack swam alongside. He made straight for the hull; shouldered it in a friendly way and then went merrily along with us. 

We watched with delight his white shapely body, clouded by the deep water to a pale-green color. Sometimes, with a flick of his tail, he shot across the bows but, preferring the sunny port side, he always returned, every now and then rising to blow, shooting again into the water with arched back, through a rainbow edged dazzle of foam, and delighted shouts of appreciative laughter from the gallery. At other times he would swim on his side, his cunning little eye cocked up at the ship's company, as who should say "Take a long look, you won't often see a whale like me. I'm little (only about ten feet in length), but I know a lot." He was indescribably comic as he swam there, his brown dorsal fin stuck out like a short coat-tail, his excellent stomach curving as a city magnate's waistcoat curves. 

Suddenly, after about half-an hour of his interesting company, this friendly fish turned, with arrowy speed, disappearing into the foam which curled from the bows. 

"He's gone!" we sadly exclaimed in chorus. We saw his glistening fin break the water far behind us, and the crowd dispersed, but a few minutes later the pale green shape swam swiftly along our starboard side, as if loath to say farewell; then turning again, he finally left us. 

 Helen M Spencer, from the Australasian, via Marlborough Express, 1 February 1902

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 December 1902

From the 1966 Encylopedia of New Zealand:

"Pelorus Jack, whose sex was never determined, was identified from photographs, probably correctly, as a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), a species not common in New Zealand waters. It was his habit to meet the steamers near Cape Francis and travel with them (playing about the bow and in some accounts rubbing against the plates) as far as Collinet Point near French Pass; or likewise in the opposite direction. In spite of his name he did not frequent nearby Pelorus Sound, and local residents familiar with his habits assert that he never went through French Pass."

Dolphin Pelorus Jack, between 1904-1912 Reference Number: 1/2-026542-G The dolphin Pelorus Jack, photographed by Frederick Nelson Jones between 1904-1912. Alexander Turnbull Library.

Pelorus Jack was one of New Zealand's super stars. Even though he/she (gender was never determined) was protected, there were no further sights beyond the end of 1912. The name, however, has lived on in our folklore.

Auckland's Customhouse

From out of the TradeMe lists: this card, filled out on the back in February 1917, and showing Winkelmann's view of the Auckland Customhouse.

According to Les Andrews, in his book Auckland's Old Customhouse: How It Was Saved (2004), the Customhouse site was once Point Stanley, the western tip of Commercial Bay before the harbour side was changed forever by reclamations. He adds that it was once a pa site, Te Ngahuwera.

Come the dividing up of the city area for sale in the early 1840s, the government kept Lot 15, Section 17 (the part fronting Customs Street West, and site of the Customhouse today, as a reserve. (DI 1A.128) Just to the south, Lot 16, was sold, and the series of owners form a list of familiar names: Dudley Sinclair, Whitaker, Smale, Graham, and finally Newton. That part was, according to the deeds index (1A.129) privately-owned until proclaimed under Public Works in 1948; however, sometime before that the government took it over anyway.

In 1866, according to Vercoe & Harding, the two lots were bare ...

... and remained so when Hickson drew up his city plan in 1882.

In January 1887, the Government approved plans drawn up by Mahoney & Son for Auckland's government building on the site, intended for not just the local customs branch, but also ultimately for the Native Land Court, Survey Department, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Audit Inspector, Sheep Inspector and Government ministers.

Beyond seeing the announcement in the Star that their design for the new Customhouse has been accepted, Messrs _E. Mahoney and Son have received no intimation regarding the work. The building, which will occupy (he large vacant allotment at the earner of Customs-street West and Albert-street, adjoining Messrs A. Heather and Company's premises, is to cost about £12.000. Originally the Government intended that, besides the Customs Department, the Native Lands and Crown Lands Departments should be domiciled in the building but now we understand that it is proposed to locate the office of the Registrar of Deeds there also. If this is decided on, it may necessitate a modification of the plans. We have been favoured with a cursory inspection of the prize design. It provides for a building in classic style with a frontage of 150 feet to Customs-street and 80 feet to Albert-street; three storeys high, and surmounted by a tower and clock. The design is a beautiful one, a novel feature being the introduction of slight wing projections on the Customs-street frontage, with pavilion roofs.

Star, 13 December 1886

There was an outcry from timber merchants over the architect's specification calling for Baltic wood for the outer doors and sashes, rather than local timbers, especially kauri, (Star 10 March 1887) but four days later, tenders were advertised. Charles M Newson won the tender for constructing the new government office building. (Star 12 January 1888)

The foundations were laid after a considerable amount of fill was taken from the site and dumped at Freeman's Bay (probably assisting reclamations there.) By August 1888, progress up to the second storey was reported (Star 7 August). In February 1889, more grumblings -- the local Trades and Labour Council complained that Newson was subletting his contract piecemeal, labour only, "getting men to work at starvation wages." (Star, 23 February 1889) Still, the work proceeded, and in mid July 1889 Newson took down his hoardings from in front of the building, but the job was still not finally finished until around February 1890. Lands and Survey moved in around that time.

According to the NZ Historic Places Trust, "French Renaissance in style it bears a strong resemblance to the Marshall and Snelgrove building in Oxford Street, London, which must have influenced [Thomas] Mahoney when on a trip to Britain in the 1880s."

The Customhouse, with additional government buildings at rear (right), February 1921. Ref. 1W-1751, 

Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library.

By the 1960s, the Customhouse and associated buildings were surplus to requirements.

In 1972, Les Andrews began a campaign to save the older building on the site, and have it converted into a centre for the Performing Arts in Auckland. In the end, he was successful, and so Auckland is just that much richer in terms of the Downtown streetscape. A hotel occupies the remainder at the rear.

I recall going to a cinema there in 1986, to watch Back to the Future. The cinema didn't last very long, however. Pity -- I enjoyed the atmosphere.

Abel Tasman: 370 years on

Penny Griffith provided a link in her comment to this post for the website set up for the 370th anniversary of Abel Tasman coming to our shores. 

"This year brings the 370th anniversary of Tasman’s 1642 exploration and first meeting with Maori. It’s a good time to reflect on what discovery has meant to us, and how our history continues to unfold ...

"Around the country we expect the Tasman 370 commemoration will be marked by walks, talks, sailing trips, art and music–something for all ages! Some places along the coast are already known for their Tasman connection, and some groups, especially those representing modern Dutch residents, proudly acknowledge the long-standing connection.

"This Tasman 370 website brings together information on events and places that will encourage us to think about our country’s place in the world and our shared history."

Auckland Zoo History Timeline on Scribd

Ref. 35-R160, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library

Just putting in a head's-up for my friend Liz's Auckland Zoo Timeline. She's put in a lot of work so far -- and of course, there's a ton to come, especially as this is, of course, a zoo still existing.

Murals at Drury, and celebrating an early tramway

The Farmers' Hotel, Drury, late 1860s to early 1870s, 4-RIC314, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library

"Drury was selected as a settlement early in the history of Auckland. It is connected by rail with the city, from which it is distant twenty-two miles southward, on the sea coast, and in the county of Manukau. The district is agricultural, and dairying is carried on by the settlers with much advantage. Flaxmilling, too, is successful as a local industry. Game abounds in the district, which has a public school, a post, telegraph and money order office, and a daily mail service." (Cyclopedia of New Zealand, 1902)

My good friends Bill and Barbara Ellis popped along to the 150th anniversary celebration for the Drury Tramway, held on 6 May this year. These are their images.

While there, they took some shots of murals on the Drury Community Library, and nearby.

The tramway was built to service coal mining operations at Drury -- but it was also the first step toward Auckland's rail network.

THE WAIHOIHOI COAL COMPANY. 

OPENING OF THE TRAMWAY. 

 It is our pleasing duty to record in to day's issue the first great step towards developing the coal-field that exists near Drury, in the province of Auckland. In our last we reported the very successful result that attended the operations of the Bank of New Zealand, since its establishment a few months ago, and the notice of the opening of the tramway connecting the Waihoihoi coal mines with the sea at Slippery Creek, following so soon afterwards, shows that at least our fellow-colonists are actively persevering in their endeavours to advance the material prosperity of the province. It is only a few years since the existence of coal was verified in the Drury district ... But owing to the want of roads, and the cost of transit, it was not possible for the directors to continue their operations until something had been done to lessen the cost of production, and accelerate the delivery in Auckland of the produce of the mines ... it was wisely determined to lay down a tramway, thus lessening the charge for carriage to one-sixth its original cost, and ensuring a regular supply of coal to meet the demand of the market ...

Having these objects in view the Waihoihoi tramway was commenced about twelve months ago. For six months the works were suspended owing to the bad state of the roads during the winter and spring seasons, which rendered the carting of timber all but impossible. At length, however, the line was completed and on Thursday last, the 1st of May, it was formally opened by the directors. 

The entire length of the line is 3 1/4 miles. The gauge is 4 feet 8| inches, and the rails are of rimu, which is a timber admirably suited for this purpose. In the construction of this tramway 105,000 feet of sawn timber has been used besides which the following go to make up the total of the materials, and will give some idea of the magnitude of the work:

45,000 sleepers of puriri, rata, and mati 

6,000 puriri trenails 

20,000 feet squared timber for viaducts, &c. 

4,000 split slabs for covering ditto 

200 short and 40 long puriri piles 

2 tons nails and spikes 

2 tons iron fixings. 

There are about 1,000 feet in length of bridges and viaducts, which is occasioned by the swampy nature of the ground. Upwards of 3,000 yards of earth cuttings have been executed, and 10 miles of drains formed. 

At present the rolling stock consists of eight trucks, each carrying 1 ton coal, but these will be increased as he business requires extension. Mr Vickery, of Auckland, did the castings for these trucks, Mr. Young, of Drury, supplying the remaining iron work. The works on the tramway were let in sub-sections, the whole being carried out in a most creditable manner under the direction of Mr. Thomas Hyde, the manager, whose practical talents are well attested by the stability and completeness of the line. This tramway cost the company about £400 a mile and will be worked by horse power. Owing to the incline from the mouth of the pit, which is a drive into the side of the hill, the trucks laden with coal will run half the distance to Slippery Creek 'most easily, so that the horse labour will not be so much as at first sight may appear. The cost of carriage from the pit to the landing at Slippery Creek will not exceed 1s. per ton hitherto it was nearly 6s. The directors have therefore determined on reducing the price of their coal, fixing the rates at the Great South Road, Drury, 15s. per ton at terminus of tramway, 15s at Onehunga, 25s. and in Auckland, at 32s. 6d. If in large quantities for steam purposes the Drury coals will be sold at 30s. per ton in Auckland. The company now possesses facilities for meeting the demand...

Southern Cross, 6 May 1862

From 16 March 1905: "A new coal seam is now being opened up and worked a short distance from Drury. And a railway line is being laid down from the Drury Station to the new mine." Auckland Weekly News, AWNS-1905-0316-12-3, 
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library

Stories of Boyd's zoos updated

Animals in J J Boyd's Royal Oak / Onehunga Zoo. Auckland Weekly News, 19 March 1914, AWNS-19140319-51-1, 

Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries.

Ah, the joys of plowing through new online pages from Papers Past whenever National Library upload more on their site. Thank you, to both National Library and our own Auckland Library, for all the work involved with providing the Auckland Star, currently available down to the end of 1926 -- and, hopefully, down to end of 1945 by the end of this year.

There is a lot of content on Timespanner and on Scribd which I've published that now needs updating and revision due to the Auckland Star's availability -- the saga of J J Boyd, his zoos at Aramoho and Auckland and menagerie at Wainoni is a case in point.

So, I've renamed and updated the Zoo Histories collection on Scribd:

• Added Paw Prints into the collection (it attracted some attention on Facebook this week),
• Updated The Aramoho Zoo, and added it to the collection (why I hadn't done that before, I don't know. Must have missed it)
• Updated The Legacy of Boyd's Zoo -- here, I added a 29 December quote from the Auckland Star about the lion cub who got out from the zoo at Royal Oak, only to take fright when menaced by the neighbour's cow (the origin of the myth of the lion rampaging down Queen St Onehunga ...)
• And, most updated of all -- J J Boyd's Royal Oak Zoo. It was 32 pages, and now numbers 46. Some dates corrected (I had July in one case, and it should have read June), info on the animals added, including a grey-coloured seal captured at Waihi Beach which later died, more on the confrontations between Boyd and the Onehunga Borough Council, other venues where Boyd had his travelling zoo on wheels during the summer of 1921-1922, and the earliest of his ads for the zoo once it had opened, from early November 1911.

I'll be giving a talk on Boyd's zoos before the Otahuhu Historical Society on 25 June.

Papatoetoe: 150 years of civic life

From Auckland Weekly News, 6 May 1909. Ref AWNS-19090506-4-6, 

Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Library.

Bruce Ringer, at the Manukau Research Centre for Auckland Libraries, has put together Papatoetoe: 150 years of civic life, an online timeline history for the area. Worth a look.

A postcard from Auckland Girls Grammar

Came upon this postcard the other day -- showing the rear (north facing) side of the 1909 main building at Auckland Girl's Grammar, Howe Street in Ponsonby.

Judging by the King Edward VII stamp, and what can be seen of the postmark, I'd estimate the card to date from c.1910.

Katie, the writer, was in the thick of exams at the time.

Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Howe Street, Auckland, ca 1909 Reference Number: 1/1-002925-G. Exterior view of Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Howe Street, Auckland city, circa 1909. Auckland Star photograph. Alexander Turnbull Library.

The first Auckland Girls’ High School in Auckland began in January 1877, but it was always seen as merely a temporary measure by the Auckland Education Board. In 1886 the Government gave the Education Board the land in Howe Street where the current school is located, along with the then-ramshackle former immigration barracks there. The school however had no land endowments to maintain it, so in 1888 it was closed and amalgamated with the boys’ Grammar School in Symonds Street.

In 1906, plans were made by the Education Board to separate the girls’ school from the boys’ grammar school. Plans were drawn up, designed by architects Goldsbro’ & Wade, and W A Cumming. The foundation stone for the new school at Howe Street was laid by the Hon. George Fowlds, Minister of Education, in December 1907. The project was described at the time as the building of “the most commodious and best-equipped school of the kind in the Dominion.”

Work proceeded over 1908-1909; the school was finally opened in February 1909, and formally opened in April that year. The builder was John Davis. According to Heather Northey in her book on the school’s history, Auckland Girls Grammar School the First Hundred Years 1888-1988, “The move to new, roomy premises came just in time, and the girls revelled in their bright and spacious classrooms after the cramped, cold conditions at St. Paul’s. The red brick building was an imposing sight, even though it was still surrounded by mud and clay. Perhaps most impressive of all was the School Hall, a lofty, beautiful place, large enough to hold the entire School.” 

Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Howe Street, Auckland, [ca 1916-1920] Reference Number: 1/2-001195-G. View of the school and established grounds. Shows an ivy-covered front facade and entranceway. 

Photograph taken by William A Price ca 1916-1920. Alexander Turnbull Library.

Another lady taxidermist in Auckland: Jane Greacen

Quite by chance the other day, I came upon Jane Greacen -- a lady engaged in her trade in the shadow of Partington's Windmill, apparently living in a red brick house from around 1905. Then, engaging in the fur and feather cleaning trade from 1908.

Auckland Star 29 February 1908

Then, in 1909, announcing that her maiden name was Yandle, and that she was a taxidermist (dealing with birds as a side to fur and feather preparation). Which intrigued me no end, considering the earlier blog post here on Jane Yandle, one of Auckland's earliest taxidermists.

Auckland Star 3 July 1909

William and Jane Yandle did have a daughter named Jane in 1871, according to the BDMs. Robert Greacen married Jane in 1898 -- however, the BDM transcription has her maiden name as "Gaudle". Perhaps Jane Yandle, by then separated from her husband since 1896, had taken her daughter into the trade, and Jane Greacen then took over her mother's business from 1908? Jane Yandle must have been getting on in years by then -- she died in 1915.

As it happened, Jane Greacen's life seemed to mirror that of her mother, unfortunately. Late April 1910, she shifted her premises to Avon Street, off Symonds Street (now part of St Martin's Lane). In 1911, domestic violence in her household was brought to the public's attention.

Jane Greacen brought a charge of alleged assault on the 16th inst. against her husband, Robert Greacen. She alleged her husband continually struck and kicked her, and she could not stand it any longer. The lady, who cleans feathers, renovates furs, etc., said that she had always kept herself, and could make up to £3 a week. Her husband lived in the same house, but would do little work. He slept half the day, and every two or three days he assaulted her. She wanted defendant bound over to keep the peace, and support her. The lady had no evidence to support her contention that defendant assaulted her, but she wanted to know whether she could get a separation order.

She had lived a terrible life with him for 10 years, she said. Defendant, who described himself as a wharf-labourer, said he came home on the night of the alleged assault, and had to make his own tea. His wife bullied him so much that he could not eat any food, and he went out for a time. He returned and went to bed, and about one o'clock got up, and found his wife with another man. His wife hit him on the head, and then fell down, and that was all the assault.

In dismissing the case his Worship said there was nothing before him on which he could act. He advised the woman to take advice before bringing any further action. Mrs. Greacen: Then are you going to let him come home and murder me?

Court Orderly: Silence! 

Auckland Star 1 July 1911

And later that same month ...

"My husband is continually drunk, and I have never seen him sober for the last month," complained Mrs Jane Greacen, who asked for a separation and maintenance order against her husband. Defendant made no appearance, and Mr Kettle remarked, "He seems to be a fit subject for Rotoroa."

The wife: "Yes, I think it would be a good thing for him."

Mr Kettle: "Well, there is a vacancy down there, I believe." (Laughter)

A separation order was made, and the defendant ordered to contribute £1 a week.

Auckland Star 14 July 1911

And still later that month ...

It was stated against Robt. Greacen, charged with drunkenness, that on Friday night, after his wife had obtained a separation order against him he went to the house and terrified his wife. She was so frightened that she wanted him put away. Accused, who was a second offender, was fined 10/ or 48 hours, and warned against worrying his wife.

Auckland Star 17 July 1911

 Robert Greacen breached a prohibition order in August 1911, and was fined £2.

Jane, meanwhile, had moved back to Mill Street by February 1912, then to Khyber Pass, just below Grafton Road, by March. Robert appeared yet again before the bench in April that year for breaching the prohibition order, saying that he had been drinking because he had "got hurt a day or two ago, and that caused him to go to the hotel to cure a feeling of pessimism." He was fined £4 this time. (Star, 26 April)

Jane appealed to the courts again.

At the Magistrate's Court this morning Mrs. Jane Greacen, who was represented by Mr. F. Stilling, applied for a separation order against her husband, Robert Greacen, on the ground that he had failed to maintain either herself or her children, that on a previous occasion she had obtained an order for separation and maintenance, but there was such difficulty in getting any money from Greacen, and so much scandal among the neighbours through the necessary invocation of police aid in the matter, that she took him back on his assurance that he would reform. Drink was his trouble, and after a brief spell of sobriety he took to it once more, and then left her. He was now earning good money on the wharf, and living at the Salvation Army Workmen's Home, but for two months she had not received a penny from him. From all she could hear, he was drinking again, though there was a prohibition order against him. She asked for no maintenance for herself, but only for the children. Mr. Kettle, S.M., suggested that the police should investigate Greacen's habits, and then made orders for separation and guardianship of the children, with maintenance at the rate of 15/ a week. 

 Auckland Star 22 November 1912

And, again in 1913 ...

Jane Greacen asked for a separation order against her husband, Robert Greacen, wharf labourer. She said she had obtained a similar order twelve months ago but as there was difficulty in getting money through the Court she had decided to take her husband back. The experiment was not a success, however, and for the last five weeks Greacen had been drinking more or less. less. In answer to Mr Kettle, S.M., the complainant admitted that the present would make the third separation she had obtained. His Worship in granting a separation and making an order for the payment of £1 a week expressed the hope that the present arrangement would be more lasting than two previous ones. 

 Auckland Star 13 June 1913

There is a Robert Greacen buried at Waikumete Cemetery in "SOLDIERS BURIAL A Row 3, Plot 2", died 1932 aged 61, a labourer (which would put him as being born c.1871, around Jane's age) but whether this is the same man, I don't know.

Jane Greacen, by the time she died (1940) a widow, is also on Waikumete's records, but with no grave. Her ashes were scattered.

New Zealand's first electric tram

My thanks to Dave Hinman in Christchurch for his kind permission to have these images and the text from his email published here. Also thanks to Andrew of High Riser for the heads up.

The restored body of Roslyn No. 1, dating from 1900 is today on its way back to Dunedin, having been restored for the Otago Settlers museum by the Heritage Tramways Trust, Ferrymead. It will be on static display once the museum reopens on its site which includes the former Art Deco NZ Railways Road Services Depot near the Dunedin Railway Station. Some before and after photos:

1. As new in 1900.

2. As a "crib" near Dunedin in 1968.

3. Body restored, painting under way, March 2012.

4. Just about ready for its trip south, May 2012.

The tram has had a long history between 1968 and now - obtained by the now defunct Dunedin Museum of Transport and Technology, outside storage and vandalism, acquisition by OSM and a partial start made on restoration. Then to Ferrymead and a period of waiting its turn until funding available.

More images here, and here.

A tram bound for Avondale

Purchased via TradeMe -- Tram No. 93 of the Auckland fleet, looks like a DSC, Cousins & Cousins-built (Auckland) tram, c.1909 (compare with No. 89 at MOTAT). I wanted this for two reasons. 1. The tram is heading to Avondale (which is of course the core interest for me and Timespanner). 2. I've identified where this was taken -- outside what is now Pigeon Park in Karangahape Road, with the Caledonian Hotel on the left (built c.1870, demolished 1980), and the tram stop toilets to the right on Symonds Street. So this tram's route was up Queen Street, past the Town Hall to K'Road, then along to Symonds Street, up to New North Road, then along New North through Kingsland, Morningside, Mt Albert to Blockhouse Bay Road, along to Rosebank Road, and down to the terminus just before Great North Road and the shops.

MOTAT apparently also have No. 91 (just two numbers away from this one) -- on the grass beside Cropper House Restaurant.

Auckland’s post-war housing policy

I've been approached by John Fountain who is undertaking research into the topic of post-war housing policy in Auckland. You'll find his own blog post here.

"Here is an open letter to anyone with knowledge of New Zealand’s regulatory policy on self contained accommodation units in residential “zones" ...

"I  would like to find out what special measures – especially at local levels – have been  taken in New Zealand urban areas (esp Auckland, possibly other main centers) during the post-war period in times of housing shortages . I am particularly interested in local community initiatives to help returning servicemen/women and their families obtain housing, either rental or ownership, in the main urban areas in New Zealand.  I don’t mean in State provided housing or  in purpose built camps/compounds, but  in options for self contained accommodation  provided by existing residents in the areas where returning servicemen and their families would have wanted to live – ie in proximity to good  transport,  schools, parks, shopping and other services – but found both rents or house prices  in these places unaffordable. An archivist at the  Alexander Turnbull  pointed me to a Dept of Housing booklet “Buy, Build or Rent: housing assistance for the ex-serviceman” (1946)  . This booklet mentions the existence of many initiatives at local community levels – but has no further information about them.

"I suspect  there may have been some significant and interesting local community changes in regulatory policies that either actively encouraged or turned a blind eye to initiatives taken by existing residents to provide secondary suite type self contained accommodation …but am only guessing at this stage. By “secondary suites” I mean self contained accommodation units (could be as small as a studio size apartment these days, or more substantial 2 or 3 bedroom units with separate living areas, bedrooms, kitchen facilities, toilet/shower, etc) , internal  to or external to an existing dwelling- eg  renovations of an existing house/garage/sleepout  to create a second  self contained accommodation unit  . In NZ and OZ these go by the name “granny flats “, but of course their tenants, or owners, could be anyone but granny herself!"

 More at the link.

Street Stories 23: Homage to a business partner

Detail from DP 123, LINZ records, crown copyright reserved.

My friend Margaret Edgcumbe alerted me to an article in the NZ Herald last week, about Logan Terrace in Parnell.

"The Logan Tce section is near the village centre, known for its galleries, cafes, restaurants and boutique stores. Before being subdivided, it was part of the homestead belonging to Auckland founding father Sir John Logan Campbell."

Uh, no. The original name of the street was Campbell Terrace, before a change in 1917 to the current name, and both "Campbell" and "Logan" do stem from a tip of the hat, as it were, to John Logan Campbell, who lived nearby and was a businessman of note in 19th century Auckland (there will be many commemorating the centenary of the death of the "Father of Auckland" this year).

But ... JLC didn't own the property, so it wasn't given his name or part thereof for that reason. The owner at the time of subdivision was one Patrick Comiskey (thanks again, Margaret), an Irishman who had done quite well for himself out here in the colonies. Including a business relationship with JLC.

Patrick Comiskey, son of Joseph Comiskey of Castleblaney, County Monaghan turns up in the early 1860s in the Papers Past records as a partner with Michael Abbott Cassius in the firm of Cassius & Comiskey, storekeepers in Greymouth and Hokitika, selling “Quicksilver, Blasting powder & fuse, Gunpowder, shot and caps, Axes, adzes, drills, hammer.” (West Coast Times, 26 July 1865) By 1867, the partners on Mawhera Quay were also selling Peruvian guano. In 1866, Comiskey was one of the directors of the Hokitika and Greymouth Railway Company. The business closed in Greymouth in December 1867.

Comiskey ran for election representing Greymouth on the County Council in 1868, but pulled out of the contest in December that year. Cassius & Comiskey dissolved in July 1869, leaving Cassius to continue on his own. By November that year, Comiskey was trying his luck on the Thames goldfields.

“The people must surely be mad to keep coming here,” he wrote to Cassius. “I do not know what they are going to do. Nine tenths of the claims on the Thames are not worth a penny. I could name hundreds of claims that have been formed into companies and then … sold at big prices, that are not worth anything to-day. Unless something turns up soon, there will be lots of people glad to return to Hokitika.” (reported in Westport Times, via North Otago Times, 26 November 1869)

He was back on the West Coast by early 1870, but left soon after to go to England (and possibly his hometown in Ireland).

In September 1873, Comiskey while in England married Mary Ann Bamford, daughter of Robert Hanbury of Bole Hall. “The tenantry on the Comiskey estates in Greymouth have reason to congratulate themselves upon the circumstance of their landlord (at second hand) having been elevated to the condition of a married gentleman, and of the probability, according to the Hokitika papers, of his better-half and he visiting them in the course of their, marriage tour. A notice of the matrimonial alliance appears in the usual column. On the authority of the West Coast Times a private letter from England, received in Hokitika, states that Mr Comiskey (formerly of Cassius and Comiskey) has married a lady of wealthy family.” (Grey River Argus, 9 September 1873) Mr & Mrs Comiskey arrived in Auckland as saloon passengers on board the Cyphrenes on 19 April 1874. In Newmarket, they had an accident in June when a horse drawing a buggy they had hired from Crowther’s shied on the Parnell Road, sending the couple over and down an embankment. Patrick Comiskey appears to have been knocked unconscious, and suffered worse injuries than his wife. He returned to Hokitika in September, and resumed his interest in West Coast affairs and politics.

He was back in Auckland by April 1876, now a JP. The whole of his household furniture was up for sale at Remuera in February 1877, and by June he was in Whakatane, assuming the office of coroner there (and running a company called the Whakatane Cattle Company). But, as if he wore a rubber band, he was back in Auckland by November that year. He still maintained his West Coast interests as well, but by 1881 styled himself as a gentleman, from Auckland.

The other principal shareholder of the Whakatane Cattle Company with Comiskey was John Logan Campbell (Bay of Plenty Times, 16 August 1881) – hence, quite likely, the reason why Comiskey named the street through his 1881 Parnell subdivision Campbell Terrace. (He was also a co-director, along with Campbell, of the NZ Frozen Meart and Storage Company in 1883, so the two men knew each other at least reasonably well. From 1878, Campbell was a fellow Parnell landowner).

Meanwhile, the Comiskeys had a residence somewhere along St Georges Bay Road (Auckland Star 19 October 1881). He was involved with development along part of Rutland Street East (now bounded by Cleveland and St Georges Bay Roads) in 1882 (Star, 14.3.1882).

 

 Star, 17 June 1884

 

His business career here in New Zealand was quite detailed, beyond the scope of this summary. He travelled again to England in the late 1880s, to secure additional finance for his enterprises in the South Island. While in Brighton, Mrs Comiskey fell, bruised her leg, and it had to be amputated. Sadly, she later died there in May 1888. Comiskey sold up any remaining effects in Auckland, and from that point on resided in England. He died in December 1906.

Patrick Comiskey, news of whose death was received by last week's English mail, was a prominent man in Auckland twenty years ago. At that period he was one of the largest investors in mining and business enterprises in the city. In the earlier days of the colony Mr Comiskey had been a member of the mercantile firm of Cassius and Comiskey, on the West Coast goldfields, and had laid the foundations of his fortune in mining and commercial enterprises there. And when he transferred himself to Auckland, there were not many speculation schemes of importance with which he was not in one way or other associated. Merely to mention a few of them involves a glance at historic concerns that were of the first importance in their day, but have long since passed out of existence.

For example, Mr Comiskey was one of the directors of the Thames Valley- Rotorua Railway Company, which commenced the construction of the railway from Morrinsville towards Rotorua, and eventually disposed of its interests to the Government. Then, he was for some time chairman of directors of the old Union Sash and Door Company, now absorbed in the Kauri Timber Company. Another venture in which he held a directorship was the New Zealand Frozen Meat Storage Company, which took over the meat business carried on by Fisher and Company, and engaged in export trade, sending away the first big cargo of frozen meat that was loaded in Auckland. During the booms at the Thames in the early eighties the time of the Prince Imperial and Cambria patches Mr Comiskey was an extensive and successful speculator. Before he left Auckland to take up his residence in England, New Zealand fell upon bad times, and Mr Comiskey suffered in common with others who had risked their money in business enterprises. It is understood, however, that he subsequently prospered in South African mining speculations, and that he died in affluent circumstances.

Observer, 9 February 1907

By the way, Comiskey’s old partner Michael Cassius, who had amassed a considerable fortune from his West Coast dealings and retired to Europe in 1874, died in November 1891.

Some moments with the Loafers

"Loafers", by Francis Upritchard, is a brand new art installation on Symonds Street's overbridge with Wellesley Street.  You can read more about it here and here.

(And, by Blogger's reckoning, this is post 1500 since Timespanner began in September 2008. Cheers to all the readers, contributors and commenters over the years. Couldn't have got this far without you.)