Timespanner's card

Today, I took delivery of a pile of business cards for the blogsite.

Readers may think it a bit odd, a barmy history nut like me ordering up business cards for Timespanner. A bit of a brag, perhaps. Well, possibly -- but the main reason is the trouble I've had for nearly two years now explaining to folks just how to access the blog. And because of Timespanner's main raisons d'être -- historical research and stories, photos of control boxes, art and murals along the way -- the need to be able to communicate to folks that Timespanner is one word and what the site URL is gets more and more frequent.

It has helped that Blogger is linked to Google, so putting Timespanner in Google will usually point you here, without much trouble, but -- folks keep think Timespanner is two words. Even when I say it isn't.

So -- the card. Which I think looks great, and was prepared by Words Incorporated at Blockhouse Bay, who also prepare periodicals I'm involved with such as the Avondale Historical Journal, NZ Legacy, Point Chevalier Times, and publications such as Point Chevalier Memories, Wairaka's Waters, The Zoo War, A Doctor in the Whau, They Trained Beside the River, and the St Ninian's of Avondale 150th anniversary booklet.

Brom there does great business cards.

An update: Just realised today the image is that of the Eagle (lower right), one of the Waitemata paddle steamers. It comes from my postcard collection.

Heritage on billboards II

In October last year, I came across four heritage billboards at Henderson Train Station.

Now, there's four new ones. Click to enlarge the thumbnails.

Former Devonport Automatic Telephone Exchange building

I don't know enough about this, one of my favourite buildings on the North Shore. This may be the telephone exchange built in 1902, according to North Shore Library's "Local History Online". Archives New Zealand hold records of a major tender let for work on the Automatic Exchange in 1964, so there have been changes, but -- the façade is wonderfully detailed with the paintwork, and certainly looks Edwardian.

Update 26 October 2013: A site was obtained for an automatic telephone exchange at Devonport for £730 in 1917. (NZ Herald 12 October 1917) Tenders were called for in 1919 by G T Murray, district engineer, Public Works Office in Auckland (NZ Herald 4 August 1919).

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SERVICES.
TAKAPUNA AND DEVONPORT.
Tenders for the erection of automatic telephone exchange buildings in brick, at Takapuna and at Devonport, are being called for by the Public Works Department. It will be some time, however, before the exchanges will be in operation, for the exchange buildings in the city (already erected) will be fitted out first by the Post and Telegraph Department. The Xakapuna, Devonport, and Onehunga exchanges will be satellite exchanges to the city exchanges. The site of the Takapuna exchange is in Earnoch Avenue, and the Devonport exchange is in Clarence Street.

Auckland Star 8 August 1919

£1800 was allowed in estimates to build the exchange (NZ Herald 24 October 1919) but there had been still nothing constructed at Clarence Street when, in 1922, new estimates allowed for £1500 for the building. (NZH 30 January 1922). By the following year, it was completed. So the building is younger than the references available via Local History Online have as listed. This is probably due to confusion between the building of the automatic exchange, and an earlier manual exchange attached to Devonport's Post Office from c.1906.

A sudden chance of mortality for life

This gravestone beside St Paul's Presbyterian Church on Albert Road in Devonport caught my eye because of the blankness of it. Philip Henry Ford was 16 when he tragically died, but the rest of his family are not here with him. The wording got to me too: "who suddenly chanced mortality for life."

Sad Accident.

Tins afternoon a painful feeling was created in town by the intelligence that a lad named Ford had shot himself at the North Shore. Phillip Ford, aged 16 years, son of Mr Ford, baker, Devenport, was going out to shoot about noon, accompanied by another lad named Green. They were proceeding towards Narrow Neck, when they started to run, in order to leap the fence which lay in their path; and in doing so he slipped and fell and the fowling piece which he carried being loaded, was accidentally discharged. The full charge of shot struck him on the head, near the ear, and inflicted a deadly wound. The lad Green at once gave the alarm and had his unfortunate companion carried home, but his injuries were so severe that he died almost immediately after removal. 

Waikato Times, 1 July 1884

This one, in the same area, is just sad. Inscription long gone, the stone obviously was broken at one point then reset. It's simply a testament to the weathering power of the elements when it comes to our memory, I guess. Fortunately Philip Ford's stone has withstood that test.

Momentos from World War II

CatB has very kindly given permission to share the following from a scrapbook in her collection. Click to enlarge.

The 67th AA Searchlight battery were headquartered at Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, according to Peter Cooke in Defending New Zealand (2000). 

The Defence Department had involvement with Rangitoto in the last century from the 1930s, but facilities there were intended not as armed defence batteries, but as guidance facilities, to assist the other batteries in aiming for the target. The "WARNING: The bearer understands the possibility of ricochet shots, and visits the island at his or her own risk" intrigues me. Were all visitors to the island put through these stringent measures?

An old joke, at Devonport

Well, probably not all that old, compared with some of the stuff you'll find on this blog. But -- it's been around for a while. 

According to this site, these plaques have been around in America since the 1980s at least. You can buy them online still. Somehow, North Shore City have decided to keep this by the Devonport foreshore, beside the footpath leasding to the wharf. For what reason, I don't know at this stage. Perhaps a reader could shed some light on this. Are there any in Australia?

Takapuna ... the war memorial as art

Outside the civic offices and library at Takapuna is a very different type of war memorial.

This one commemorates the fallen from the district in both world wars, plus the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Designed by Archoffice, who also planned the new Birkenhead Library, "to reflect the local seaside location ... as much a functional piece of Art as well as fulfilling the role of a War Memorial."

A feature is that four branches of past war efforts are recognised. The Navy ...

The Army ...

The Air Force ...

The Merchant Marine.

Not many memorials refer to the Merchant Marine in this country, so I understand. What I think of this? It is definitely art, and definitely a war memorial. Hopefully, the vandals in the future steer clear of it.

Mt. Victoria Cemetery, Devonport

Updated 30 November 2021.

I only wandered through part of this old cemetery yesterday afternoon. The steep hill and soft conditions put me off -- but perhaps in warmer weather, I'll head up to see what is at the edge of the rest of the reserve. For now, here are some of the images.

I did find Eruera Maihi Patuone's grave.

Twenty-two year old Henry Talbot, third officer of the ship Persian Empire, died on March 30 1890 while going to the rescue, along with two of his shipmates, of passengers on a pleasure boat which capsized in the Waitemata Harbour near their ship. Sadly, he was struck on the head by part of the wheel of a paddle steamer which came up to the spot at that time. His only relatives were two aunts in England (Christchurch Star, 31 March 1890).

His grave is in a bit of disarray, but the maritime anchor on his stone is still clear.

Thomas Duder also lies here.

Signalmaster and early local politician.

Captain Gladwyn  I R Wynyard.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN GLADWYN WYNYARD.

In our obituary notices this morning, it is our painful task to record the name of Captain G. I. R. Wynyard, son of the late Major-General Robert Henry Wynyard, C.B., of the 58th Regiment, Commander of the Forces in New Zealand; first superintendent of the province of Auckland, and for some years officer administering the Government of this colony — a gentleman whose memory can never be recalled to the old colonists of this province, but with, sentiments of the most affectionate regret… All must feel a sense of sorrow at the untimely death, of the third and last but one of Colonel Wynyard's offspring. Captain Gladwyn Wynyard died at his late residence in Devonport, on Saturday, the 11th February, 1871, from jaundice, and an affection of the liver. He was born in Dublin on the 12th January 1831. He was appointed Page of Honour to the Queen Dowager (Adelaide) on the 27th January, 1844. He arrived in Sydney with his father and family, with a detachment of the 55th Regiment. At the close of that year he was gazetted as ensign in the 58th Regiment — August 15, 1848; lieutenant, March 15, 1850 ; adjutant, July 28, 1854 ; captain, December 18, 1857. He accompanied the regiment on its removal to England, in the 'Mary Ann,' Captain Ashby, in November, 1858. Afterwards he served in this rank as aide-de-camp and private secretary to the Lieutenant- Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, from September, 1859, to February, 1860, when he retired from the army to settle in New Zealand, where he was appointed to the commission of the peace. He was an affectionate son, husband, and brother, and a kindly-disposed friend and companion.

Southern Cross, 13 February 1871

Some of the graves here are still okay, some of the headstones either clear or at least decipherable -- but many aren't.

This one is unusual. At the top of the headstone is the "broken pillar", symbol for a life cut short. But Robert Hunt, whose stone this is, died aged 83.