Thursday, February 24, 2011

When vaccinations were compulsory


Copy of 1867 formal notice of requirement to vaccinate. Reproduced here by kind permission of Pauline Rundle and family.

In 1863, amidst rising concerns over the incidence of smallpox in the colony, the government brought in the first of a number of regulations aimed at preventing epidemics of the disease here. 

The parents of every child born in New Zealand after 1 March 1864 was obliged to take their child to a vaccinating medical practitioner within six months of the date of birth. The child was checked eight days after the vaccination -- if the vaccination was successful, then a certificate was issued.  If the parents didn't have their child vaccinated, they faced a fine of 40 shillings, just over $200 today.

It wasn't initially universally welcomed or adhered to by the population.

It is stated that an attempt will be made by the Vaccination Officer, to enforce the Vaccination Act the provisions of which are much neglected by the Nelson people. The Act was passed on the 1st March, 1864. It requires that all children shall be vaccinated before they are six months old, and enforces a penalty for non-compliance. To such an extent have the Nelson public failed to obey the provisions of the Act, that out of the 600 or 700 children born since its passing not more than 50 have been vaccinated. Thin information having been communicated by the Registrar of Births, to the vaccination officer, the latter feels himself bound to enforce the penalty prescribed in the event of non-compliance. Apart from sanitary considerations, the neglect of vaccination should no longer be persisted in, as such neglect will in future be followed by the penalty attached to the violation of the law.
Nelson Evening Mail, 27 September 1866


The vaccination requirement remained through to the Vaccination Act 1871, and partts of the Public Health Acts of 1871 to 1908. Compulsory vaccination finally ended after 1920, with the 1920 Health Act making no mention of the practice.

As for Emily Mary McCall, nee Plummer, she was born in Alexandra on July 10, 1867. She married, had six children and died in Auckland Hospital, October 1938. A good life span -- whether the vaccination helped is not known.
Sources
Email from Pauline Rundle
F S MacLean, Challenge for Health, A History of Public Health in New Zealand, 1964, p, 237

Broken Churches

Just putting up a link to Presbyterian Archives' post on St Paul's Trinity Pacific Church, and its sad fate during the 22 February 'quake.

From Cylopedia of New Zealand:

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch. 
This is one of the finest churches in the city. It has sitting accommodation for 1000 persons. The interior of the church is very handsome and striking, but, like all Presbyterian churches, devoid of much internal ornamentation. There is a fine organ, which cost £800, and the choir is one of the best trained in Christchurch. A handsome room has recently been built and opened in connection with the church, for holding a young men's Bible class, which numbers eighty-four. Both St. Paul's Church and manse are now well nigh free from debt.

A Taranaki elopement

This from the Taranaki Herald, 2 March 1886.

An elopement, attended with more than the usual degree of the romantic, is reported to have occurred in this district a day or two ago. It seems that a settler in one of the out settlements became enamoured of a young lady whose daily avocations were performed in some humble sphere in the village inn. His affection was reciprocated, and the parental consent and blessing were solicited. But family pride was up in arms at the bare thought of such a union, and Betsy Jane's young man went dejected away.

However, the pair put their heads together to contrive a plan to overcome the obstacles, and the result was that an elopement was arranged. Suspecting something of this sort, the mother and one of her sons took horse one day and hastened to prevent the consummation of the design; and they arrived on the scene just in time to catch the pair leaving in a trap. An altercation at once ensued between the brother and the lover, and it ended in a pitched battle between them.

The lover got the worst of this engagement, and unheroically offered £5 to be allowed to carry out his intentions unopposed. This was refused, and the bid was raised to £10, and then to £15. The mother, desiring to get her daughter once more beneath her own roof, craftily suggested that they should all journey back to her house and talk the matter over. The mother's horse was placed at the disposal of the lover, while she herself took a seat beside her daughter in the trap, and in this way — the mother and daughter driving in front and the brother and the would-be brother-in-law bringing up the rear — they journeyed to the parental mansion.

Arriving opposite the gate, the two men dismounted, and the mother alighted from the vehicle. "Are you clear of the stops, mother dear ? " asked the daughter, and on being assured she was, the young lady struck the trap horse, while at the same time the swain jumped up, and they drove with all haste through New Plymouth and on to Waitara, where they caught a steamer just on the point of leaving. The saddle horses being too much jaded by their double journey were useless in the pursuit, and the address of the pair is now somewhere in the Auckland provincial district.
Well, maybe not to Auckland Province after all. The fair damsel of the story wrote to the Taranaki Herald, and gave her side of the story, 2 April 1886.

THE "ELOPEMENT-EXTRAORDINARY"

To the Editor, Sir –
The paragraph in your paper headed "Elopement extraordinary" was somewhat inaccurate. The facts are as follows: —

I went to stay with some friends so as to be able to get away easily on Sunday. A buggy was sent for me, and a very urgent letter. On reading this I quickly bid my friends good-bye and started. My lover, the driver, and myself were in the buggy. When we had gone about four miles on our way we met my brother and another relation, whose name we will call Thomas. Here a most laughable scene commenced, as my brother forbade the driver to proceed further, and we told him to drive on, which he did. My brother soon gave the chase best, with the excuse that his horse was lame and he had to return to a blacksmith to get a new shoe on, so we only had Tom to contend with.

We drove for some miles at a quick pace till we had to change horses, when another troublesome scene occurred when Tom wanted to help mo out of the buggy, and my lover dared him to lay hands near me. With this high words ensued, and at last coats were thrown off to fight, only that I interfered, and told Torn I would not go. Thus matters were settled peaceably, and we then agreed to go and see my mother and sisters over it.

When I arrived there I found what I expected —my mother in a violent temper. We tried to talk her over, but did not succeed, so at last we consented to go and see my father. This was agreed to, and my mother left her horse behind and took a seat with us in the buggy, and we all proceeded home to my father's house. When we arrived there it was between one and two in the morning, so of course the poor old gentleman was in the land of dreams. I, like a dutiful daughter, I thought it not right to disturb him, so when my mother got out of the buggy I told her perhaps it would not be wise on my part to see the old gentleman that night so I bade her farewell, much to her surprise.

With this she threatened to send my father after me, but knowing the only good horses were away, I told her there was a £5 note in my box that my father might console himself with. That was all the mention of money matters during the whole time, and the coats being thrown off was all the fighting done. I hope you will give as much publicity to this version as you did to the other. —l am, &c,
A Runaway Damsel,
Wellington, March 24th, 1886


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Who was really the first to be buried at Waikumete?

On 19 March 2011, the Friends of Waikumete with Auckland Council will be commemorating the 125th anniversary of the first burial at Waikumete Cemetery. One of their members found reference on a headstone in the Non-Conformist section that Florence Lena Bell, young daughter of Edmund and Jessie Bell, was buried 19 March 1886. Edmund Bell was a noted Auckland architect who designed, among other buildings, the Baptist Tabernacle on Queen Street.

I'd promised the Friends of Waikumete that I'd put up a mention of their special day on the blog. But then ... I had a nagging doubt, and decided to do some research into this.

What struck me was a difference in timing. While yes, Florence Bell was buried somewhere on 19 March 1886, at the age of just 14 months, and the Waikumete Database shows her as occupying Plot 1, Row 1 of the Non-Conformist block A, all other burials at the cemetery start from 17 April 1886. In fact, Florence was the only one of 15 deaths between 2 March and 16 March (when she died) which I've been able to identify who was apparently buried at the brand new cemetery, a clear four weeks ahead of anyone else in Auckland.
When I consulted the Waikumete Books at the Auckland Research Centre at the Central Library today, the mystery for me deepened.

According to the book for the Non-Conformist area, Area A, Row 1, Plot 1 -- is vacant. Next to Plot 1, the bell family occupy Plots 2-4, with the following transcription from the cemetery's burial records:

BELL Edmund, Adult, 5.7.1917, Plot 2
BELL Walter Oliphant, 23.11.1948, Plot 2/4
BELL Edmund Herbert, 22 yrs, 23.11.1899, Plot 3
BELL Jessie, Adult, 19.6.1911, Plot 4

The earliest headstone recorded appears to be that for Edmund Herbert Bell, who died in late 1899, so the headstone probably dates from 1900-1901. The following comes from the ARC's Waikumete books:

EDMUND HERBERT, the beloved son of Emund and Jessie BELL, born at Toronto, Canada 13th April 1877 died at Auckland 21st November 1899
Also their beloved infant daughter FLORENCE LENA
born 4th January 1885 died 16th March 1896 [sic - should be 1886]
And JESSIE ALICE died at Toronto, Canada 2nd February 1876 aged 6 months 23 days
Short of obtaining Florence Lena Bell's death certificate, which may show where she was buried, it looks as if the Bell family used the headstone for their son Edmund Herbert to serve as a memorial to their other departed children, Jessie Alice and Florence Lena. Florence Lena Bell may not be buried at Waikumete after all -- or, perhaps, not on 19 March 1886. After all, George Boyd, the noted owner of the Newton Pottery Works, died 10 March 1886, was buried with wife number 1 at Symonds Street Cemetery that month, only to be disinterred and removed to Waikumete by wife number 2 in November 1887.

George Boyd's grave at Waikumete, October 2010.

If Florence Lena Bell wasn't the first burial -- who was?

The Auckland Star of 17 April 1886 was quite clear on who that was.

The first interment in the new public cemetery at Waikomiti took place this afternoon, the body being that of a child, whose parents named Dye reside in Symonds-street. The funeral, instead of going by rail, went in vehicles by road, the cost, we are informed, being a few shillings less than if the railway had been used. The road to the cemetery was found to be very good condition, metalled all the way, and the time occupied either way was one hour and twenty minutes. Rev C M Nelson read the burial service, and the funeral arrangements were in charge of Mr Geo. H Leaning. Burials were allowed in Symonds-street Cemeteries up till Thursday last [15 April], so that the new Cemetery was required on the first day after the old ones were closed. The burial today was in the public division of the Cemetery.

The trouble with this -- I couldn't find anyone named Dye, dying in 1886, buried at Waikumete, nor living on Symonds-street at that time. But this piece had such detail. If it was merely a three-to-five line throwaway report deep in the local news column of the paper, perhaps it could be disregarded as an error on some reporter's part. The only lead I had was that Rev. Charles M Nelson, MA, was in charge of St Paul's Anglican Church in Auckland at the time, so this kiddy's family were likely to be Anglican. A trawl through the Anglican book of the Waikumete set at the ARC, though, proved fruitless.

One thing I love about local history research is that sometimes, just at the right moment, the right person walks up in the middle of a problem and says hi. In this case today, that was Ray Turner, of the Auckland branch of the NZ Society of Genealogists. I looked up at him, and said, "I have a problem here." I showed him the Star article, explained what I was looking into, and tonight he emailed the answer to me, on consulting a wonderful index the NZSG have done of the Waikumete Books.

The child's family name wasn't Dye, it was Tye; he was William Appleby Tye, found in Waikumete Book No. 8.
51735 No Stone
(Burial Book) WILLIAM APPLEBY TYE 8 months informant Albert Tye
buried 17 April 1886
(BDM) William Appleby TYE (1886) Plot 1
The Tye family were probably the same ones who had lost another kiddy, according to the Library's online databases -- Clara at 14 months, in 1881, when they were living at Abercrombie (now St Paul) Street, close to the Symonds Street ridge. Clara was buried at Symonds Street Cemetery, Anglican section.

So, as I said earlier, unless Florence Lena Bell's death certificate says she was buried at Waikumete Cemetery, then the commemoration on 19 March this year may be at the wrong time, and focussed on the wrong gravesite. [Update 18 March 2011 - Florence Bell's burial confirmed by death registration. See this post.]

I should see if I can locate young William Appleby Tye's gravesite, Public Burial A, Row 1, Plot 1, just in behind the Jewish section, next to the servicemen's area -- unmarked with no stone. To give him some flowers on 17 April, poor wee mite. If anyone wants to come out there with me then, you'd be welcome. Send me an email: waitemata@gmail.com

Update, 9 March 2010. The latest newsletter for the Friends of Waikumete is out, and they are sticking to the date of 19 March as the first burial., giving William Aplley Tye only the privilege of the first burial in the cemtery's public section. Not what the Star (above) reported. Hopefully, they also obtain the detath certificate for Florence Lena Bell to check their research, because somehow, they say they have an IGI reference giving Florence's send name as "Sera" or "Serra". This is very odd -- as Florence's death notice, placed in the newspaper by her family, as well as the BDM database, both give her middle name as "Lena". Even the early 1900s gravestone has "Lena." Hopefully, if "Sera" is an error (and the IGI is a transcription database only, not primary documentation), this isn't repeated in school pupils' projects from now on.

A drinking fountain at St Heliers


Neville Exler, a fellow member of the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society, emailed this photo  yesterday of the drinking fountain and commemorative plaque at Vellenoweth Green, St Heliers (thanks, Neville!)

The Green originated from an area of reserve land originally set aside by the developers of St Heliers in the 1880s, the St Heliers Land Company. Their venture collapsed during the Long Depression, and the New Zealand and River Plate Land Mortgage Company took things over. That company offered a deal with surrounding landowners involving the setting aside of additional inland acreage to add to the reserve, in exchange for the beachfront areas (as these were, of course, potentially valuable as prime residential properties to be sold off, even then). Four landowners refused in 1898 and protested: Anna Vellenoweth, Christopher Atwell Harris, John Wright and Edward Wright.

On 6 October 1904, the reserve was finally transferred to the inhabitants of the West Tamaki Road District (the authority which included St Heliers up to 1928 when it amalgamated with Auckland City). It was named Vellenoweth Green, in memory of Anna's part in the residents' protest against the carving up of the reserve -- but even the late historian Elizabeth T Jackson cast doubts as to how much of an impact Anna Vellenoweth had on the reserve's preservation. Apparently her efforts were restricted to being part of a general caveat action, and cutting some boundary fences.

The drinking fountain on the reserve commemorates the completion of a reticulated water supply to the district in 1914. By early December that year the foundations for the fountain were being put down  and the Board were asked to choose an inscription for the tablet in mid-December 1914.  The names thereon were the Board members at the time, among whom was George Campbell, the Chairman, responsible for seeing a start to the project of levelling the extra 2 ½ acres at the southern end of the reserve for future bowling and croquet greens.

The drinking fountain was completed by January 1915, but in January 1916 it was discovered that the tablet needed to be corrected and altered due to error.

The designer of the fountain (and later builder) were McNab and Mason, monumental masons and sculptors who also designed the Cook Memorial in Gisborne, and the Cambridge Domain Memorial Gates.

Sources:
Elizabeth T. Jackson, Delving into the Past – Section Six – St Heliers Bay (Centennial edition, 1982)
Tamaki West Road Board minute books, TRB 1/1, Auckland City Archives

Christchurch's Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament


Another of my favourite buildings when I was in Christchurch in 2007 -- the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed SacramentThis Herald article has the caption confused with Christchurch's Anglican cathedral, I think -- but the image (as at 7.00 am today) of devastation and the remains of the green dome and stonework on the ground tell me that the building has been severely damaged.


Lovely, lovely people amongst the church members, another pleasant memory of my visit to that city. Once again, I truly hope that no one was hurt in yesterday's 'quake.

Old Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings


More photos I took when I visited Christchurch. in 2007. One of the heritage complexes in Christchurch badly damaged by the 22 February earthquake is that of the old Canterbury Provincial Council buildings, corner Armagh and Durham Streets, category 1 on the NZ Historic Places Trust register.


It appears from aerial shots taken yesterday that the stone tower shown here has totally collapsed, and is now just rubble in the street. It dated from 1859.

This comes from a mini poster from the Provincial Chambers. This shows the main stone chambers where the members of the Provincial Council would meet. It looks like this chamber has almost completely collapsed in the earthquake.



Around the chamber were windows like this. The wording between the rosette designs were quotes and phrases designs to inspire ethical feelings amongst the council members as they administered the province.



Images from display boards within the complex.



When I visited back then, I was warmly welcomed by the members of the society who look after the buildings and hold the guided tours. I hope they are safe.




"Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, Christchurch. Photograph by Greg O'Beirne, taken 22nd January 2006, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license." From Wikimedia.

I think this part of the complex wasn't as badly affected as the rest -- but, considering Christchurch is at the vtime of writing still going through 4.0 and even 5.0 level aftershocks ... whichever way you look at it, Christchurch, and our country, has lost such a lot during this reminder that we ride the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My thoughts are on Christchurch


I took this photo in March 2007. Today, the spire to Christchurch's Anglican Cathedral is rubble.

When the city was struck with the 7.2 last year, I mourned the lost heritage.

Today, there are reported deaths. The 6.3 earthquake struck at the worst of times, lunchtime on a summer's day. Buses and cars have been crushed.

Beyond that, right now, I have no words. Read Chris Trotter's post at least, for eloquence. The city, and its residents, do not deserve all of this.

Further: the epicentre was beneath Lyttleton, which has also been severely damaged -- and aftershocks are continuing.

Thames NZ Genealogy Resources

Another blog I've just stumbled upon. Thames NZ Genealogy Resources is not just a names-and-lists genealogy resource, it also includes many wonderful images from Thames' past. Worth a look.

Monday, February 21, 2011

More Newmarket street art


Passing through Newmarket last Saturday, I had a chance to get shots of two pieces of street art there that I've missed before now.


This is  "The World Grasped" by Terry Stringer, bronze 2006. Stringer was quoted, with referemnce to the sculpture:

"My sculpture has a series of images that are revealed to the viewer as they circle the work. From one direction is seen the head of a boy resting on his hand in thought. From another this hand is seen to be plucking an apple. And from a third direction, this apple is the world supported on the shoulders of Atlas.

"The idea of the work is to engage the passer-by with its changing appearance. The two images of a monumental scale face the traffic in each direction, while a life sized figure stands on the pedestrian side of the footpath. This makes the work something of a puzzle to encounter in a busy street.

"The message of the quoted text, written on the side of the piece, encourages the viewer to continue with the experience of the world around them. And with its emphasis on touch, this makes a case for more sculpture to be part of that world, endorsing the work of the Newmarket Arts Trust."






Meanwhile, across the road -- another painted box.




Saturday, February 19, 2011

The experimental history of Riversdale Reserve

Riversdale Reserve, Avondale, today is made of from three parts: part of lot 19, all of 20 and part of 21 of a subdivision of one of the original Crown Grant allotments, No. 11 on Rosebank Peninsula. The late Murray Becroft came up to me at Henderson library about three years ago, and said, “There was an agricultural experimental station on Riversdale Reserve, once.” Land and horticultural historian John Adam, working on a research project commissioned by the Avondale-Waterview Historical Society confirmed that there was indeed such a trial area, deep in the heart of Rosebank: 103-121 Riversdale Road.

Riversdale is a name which appeared in records for Avondale’s history back in the last days of our district being known as the Whau; John Buchanan, member of the local Road Board, suggested it as a name instead of the by-then unwanted older one. Probably because of his Riversdale homestead, off St Georges Road, probably because of his plans to start up a tannery soon after also known as Riversdale. His suggestion came to nought, though.

Then, in April 1885, John Bollard put most of his Avondale farm up for auction in a subdivision of 68 lots (Deed Whau 59, LINZ), ranging in size from just over a quarter acre fronting Rosebank Road to 3¼ acres closer to the Whau River. Carving through the subdivision were roads named Wharf (now Ash) and Canal, showing that he was still optimistic that the Whau Canal idea was alive. Another road, Wicklow (Wairau) was named after his place of birth. To the west, the boundary of his subdivision was called Riversdale Road, originally part of a set of lines marked on earlier deeds for the area and labelled then “wharf road” (Deeds index 20D/425, LINZ) (again, in the hopes of the completion of the canal scheme). The name “Riversdale” would have come, therefore, from Bollard’s subdivision – although, curiously, Riversdale Road itself was still not properly dedicated as at 1919. One reason for this may have been that the sales for Bollard’s estate were slow. Slow enough for him to sell a large chunk of his property to the Avondale Jockey Club at the turn of the 20th century.

Meanwhile, the north-west side of Riversdale Road had a complicated history. Part of Allotment 11, which was subdivided sometime between 1859 and 1867, Doctor Thomas Aickin eventually ended up as owner of the land extending from Lot 20 (the site of the Riversdale experimental station) down to the river. The rest belonged to Oliver A Rayson, until around 1871. (Deeds Index, 10A/173, LINZ) Aickin’s land along the road weren’t sold off until 1895 (Deeds Index 13A/787), while those which Rayson once owned were subdivided only from 1903. (10A/173) At some point before 1919, local orchardist and market gardener Edwin James Cairn obtained title to land which included Lots 19 and 20 (former Aickin land).

“One of the best orchards is to be found on the banks of the river, and the owner, Mr Cairn, deserves credit for the clean and tidy appearance of the trees, which consist of almost every variety from the mellow peach to the luscious persimmon. Mr Cairn has always been most successful in carrying off a number of prizes at the annual show.”
(Auckland Star, 28 August 1903)

Lot 21, the former Rayson land, ended up by at least 1930 in the hands of Auckland farmer Harry McLeod. The McLeod family were to retain ownership down to the 1990s.

Lot 20, more or less, became known as “Lot 1 of 16/20 of 11, DP 13292”, and seems to have had just as much of a patchwork history as the rest of that side of Riversdale. In 1919, DP 13292 noted that the occupier of the land was an “F Howson”. By 1927, it was owned (according to the Council valuation fieldsheets, ACC 213/145f) by Percival Gardner, retired, who sold it in 1929 to another retiree, Frederick Thomas Martin, for £1300 – a good sum for the just over 4 acre farmlet. Martin apparent lived somewhere along Wicklow (Wairau) Avenue. His tenant on the Riversdale property by the following year was gardener George Booker Barrister, who took out a lease for a three year period from 21 April 1930.

The market garden was in full swing by 1933, and Council valuers noted “old shed here” in 1934. In the 1940s, it was described as “Market garden, level”, with implement shed and tool room. No one actually lived there. Martin had died by 1936, but his estate retained ownership until 1949 when the government purchased the farmlet for £700 and designated it as meant for future state housing purposes.

Perhaps because that 4 acre sliver was all that was on offer in the vicinity to the Crown, it was decided to lease the site out to another government department, Agriculture. The use of the land as a trial area seems to have started by 1952, although officially things didn’t start until 1953. The following comes from successive annual volumes of the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives, as part of the reports made to the Minister for Agriculture by the Director-General of the department.

1952
H-29 p. 75

TRIALS AND EXPERIMENTS

Kumaras

"A number of imported American and Australian varieties of kumaras are being grown in rows alongside the New Zealand standard varieties New Zealand No 1 and New Zealand No. 2 at Avondale and Gisborne. To date there has been little to indicate superiority of imported material over imported types."

1953
H-29, p. 108

"On a recommendation of an inter-departmental committee set up to consider the utilisation of organic wastes, an area of some 4 acres was leased at Avondale, Auckland, and experiments under semi-commercial conditions are now being laid down to assess the value of using municipal compost in vegetable growing as compared with standard fertilisers. Opportunity will be taken to study the nutritional level of this compost, and its effectiveness in improving soil structure.

"The experiments will last at least six years and as this is the first work of this nature to be carried out on a somewhat controversial subject, the results will be awaited with interest. If it can be proved that composted town wastes are of real value and compare favourably in cost with standard manorial treatments, a worth-while avenue will be opened for waste disposal.

"Other work to be done at Avondale includes trials with different varieties of tomatoes and kumaras.

"T.C.A. 90 was proved to be most successful in eradicating twitch, with which the area was heavily infested when first taken over."

1954
H-29 p. 138

"At Avondale long-term trials were laid down in April 1953 to compare the effects on vegetable crops of mature compost manufactured from city garbage, pulverised town waste (not composted), Waikato peat, and sawdust. These materials are applied on their own, and with varying amounts of artificial fertilisers added, and the plots will be compared with similar plots manured solely with artificial fertilisers. Cropping is as nearly as possible on commercial lines and detailed records are being kept. Other vegetable experimental work is also being carried out at Avondale, the total trial area being approximately 4 acres."

1955
H-29 p. 97

"A number of trials with vegetables are being undertaken on a 4-acres section leased from the Crown.

"The main experiments, in a long-term vegetable trial conducted under semi-commercial conditions, are designed to evaluate the worth of mature compost manufactured from city garbage, Waikato peat, and Pinus radiata sawdust as soil conditioners and sources of plant nutrients.

"The commercial value of 5 kumara varieties, selected from a number of varieties grown in previous years, is being assessed.

"Four commonly grown commercial varieties of pole bean are being grown to compare yield and resistance to rust (Uromyces appendiculatus).

"A number of therapeutants are being tried to control carrot rust fly (Psila rosae), and various commercial weedicides are being compared to control weeds in carrots.

"Semi-permanent improvements to the area included laying 350 ft. of 1 in. water piping, the construction of compost storage bins, and the erection of fencing and a gate."

1956
H-29 p. 103

"At Avondale the long-term compost trials continued. Various insecticides are being tested for control of carrot rust fly (Psila rosae) and four varieties of carrot are being grown to test their resistance to the rust fly.

"In a comparison of weedicides for carrot crops CIPC at 4lb. per acre applied at pre-emergence gave reasonable control of weeds except Amaranthus spp., but a proprietary petroleum-based material applied at the recommended time (two- to three-leaf stage of growth) was not as successful, as weeds had become too firmly established.

"Growing pole beans for late crops in the Auckland district has been hazardous owing to attacks of bean rust (Uromyces appendiculatus), and trials of different varieties of pole beans demonstrated the superiority of Westralia to resistance to rust.

"In the past year five varieties of kumaras were grown to provide propagating material for release to commercial gardeners and nurserymen. The trial area provided over ½ ton of seed kumaras in 10 lb. lots to thirty producers. The demand for Owairaka Red exceeded the supply available.

"Produce harvested from the various trials was sold to the Avondale Mental Hospital."

1957
H-29 pp. 68-69

"Two separate compost experiments were started in April 1953. In the first, mature compost produced by the Auckland City Council at the Point England works is compared with a standard fertiliser mixture containing 35 per cent blood and bone, 35 per cent superphosphate, 10 per cent mixture of potash, 10 per cent dried blood, and a mixture of sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda are adjusted each year so that the amount of sodium added in the fertiliser mixture corresponds with the amount of sodium added in the mature compost.

"There are nine treatments in all, based on the actual amounts of the major plant nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium applied and designed to give valid comparisons between them. Each set of nine treatments is replicated five times.

"In the second experiment a number of organic manures are compared in nine treatments, with and without added fertilisers, to give a series of comparisons based on the actual amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium applied. The organic manures are pulverised city garbage (unmatured), matured compost as in the last trial, Waikato peat and pine sawdust. There are six replications in this trial.

"In both experiments the organic materials and two-thirds of the fertiliser are put on in autumn, and the remaining third of the fertiliser is put on in spring.

"Two crops are grown each year, the indicator plants being cabbage, beetroot, winter spinach, potatoes, silver beet, onions and carrots. The produce from each plot is carefully graded and recorded, and an attempt will be made to interpret the results on a monetary basis. Physical and chemical examination of the soil in the various plots is also carried out. The effect of the treatments can only be assessed after a minimum period of six years, after which the results will be considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Utilisation of Organic Wastes.

"Five varieties of kumara were again produced for distribution to commercial kumara growers. About 1½ tons of tubers were supplied to more than thirty applicants in 1956. The varieties were: Owairaka Red, for which there has been greatest demand; Gisborne Red, because of its apparent earliness; and Tauranga Red, New Zealand Pink, and Owairaka Pink.

"An experiment to control carrot rust fly is being conducted in cooperation with the Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Following the results of previous work, this experiment is investigating the period of effectiveness of lindane and dieldrin as seed dressings.

"In a trial of rock melon varieties, the most promising varieties from last season’s trial are being grown again to get sound information for making varietal recommendations to growers.

"Another trial in progress is to assess the worth of weedicides in nursery stock."

1958
H-29 p. 112

"Long-term trials, started in April 1953, to assess the relative worth of mature compost made from city garbage, pulverised waste, Waikato peat, and pine sawdust, compared with artificial fertilisers on vegetable crops were continued in 1957.

"Carrots – Chantenay Red Core were sown in spring 1956 and satisfactory crops were harvested from all treatments at the end of February 1957. Treatment of seed with 80 per cent lindane w.p. (2 per cent of seed weight) before sowing prevented attack from carrot rust fly.

"Cabbage -- Savoy Best of All followed the carrot crop in autumn 1957 and again yields were satisfactory from all treatments. Superlative (approved seed) swedes were sown in spring 1957 but were not harvested until February 1958, when again crops were satisfactory.

"Rock Melon Variety Trial – Varieties which showed merit as a commercial crop in Auckland were Californian Cream, Early Hackensack, Hale’s Best, Sydney Market, and Yates’ Surprise.

"Cabbage Variety Trial – Of four selections of Savoy cabbage tested C.R.D. Best of All proved the most likely as a commercial proposition. Other varieties tried were Omega C.R.D. No. 56, Omega-Commercial Strain No. 59, and Sutton’s Rearguard No. 60.

"Distribution of Kumara Tubers for Propagation – Five varieties of kumara were again produced for distribution to commercial growers. Slightly in excess of half a ton of tubers was sold to about 25 applicants. Since the scheme began in 1955, 2½ tons of tubers have been distributed. The demand fell in 1957 and as a result no distribution will be made in 1958, but nucleus stocks of all varieties are being held at the trial area."

1960
H-29 p. 152

"Two long-term trials were started in 1953 to compare composts and other readily available organic materials with artificial fertilisers in the growing of various vegetable crops. The results were consistent for all crops grown during the six-year period, namely, that the addition of fertilisers to the organic materials resulted in increased yields.

"Other trials carried out in the area during 1959 were on cauliflower varieties and mosaic diseases of lettuce.

"A trial showed that tagetes had no beneficial effect on the growth of roses by inhibiting eelworm when grown together."

1962
H-29 p. 117

"The long-term compost vs. commercial fertilisers trial in growing vegetables, begun in 1953, was terminated in autumn 1961. A report was submitted to the Inter-Departmental Committee on Utilisation of Organic Waste toward the end of 1961."

1963
H-29 p. 48

"Trials on weed control, varieties, therapeutants and plant management were carried out on vegetable crops and nursery stock.

"Stocks of kumaras were raised and distributed to nurserymen and growers."

1964
H-29 p. 52

"Trial work was continued on problems of disease and weed control, plant management and plant selection in vegetable crops and nursery stock under Auckland conditions."

1967
H-29 p. 38

"Long-term trials on kumara propagation, spacing, nutrition, weed control and crop quality continued on the Avondale trial area. Other trials included vegetable varieties, economics of soil sterilising for late outdoor tomato crops, anemone cultural techniques, control of silver leaf disease, and propagation techniques for roses."

1968
H-29 p. 47

"Work on kumaras included propagation techniques, plant spacing, nutrition and crop quality trials. Other work included vegetable variety trials and assessment of levels of halo blight in bean seed from Blenheim commercial areas.

"Also investigated were cultural practices and effects of plant diseases on anemones, and rose propagation techniques."

1969
H-29 p. 45

"Long-term trials covering spacing, nutrition, weed control, and crop quality of kumaras were completed. The results provided information on which to base better advice to commercial growers.

"Three varieties of raspberries are being tested for Auckland conditions.

"Samples of commercial bean seed lines grown in Blenheim were again grown to check the efficiency of field inspection for halo blight.

"With the completion of the kumara trials the area will be closed down."

1970
H-29 p. 48

"This area was closed on the completion of the kumara trials during the year. Now that the Pukekohe research area is being developed, the usefulness of the Avondale area has diminished. With the spread of housing in Avondale this area has also become less representative of commercial vegetable-growing land."

John Adam thinks that while the Department of Agriculture left the land, it was a short while later occupied by the Ministry of Works, conducting soil experiments. I’ve yet to find the reports on this myself.  What is known at this stage is that by 1976, Lot 19 beside it (owned by the Garea family), Lot 21 (owned by the McLeods) and the former test area at Lot 20 were designated as future open space under Auckland City’s District Plan Scheme of that year. Lot 20 was leased to the Garea family, possibly from the last years of Crown control, and their lease was continued by Auckland City Council from 1982, and formalised as a lease worth $2600 per annum from 1989 for both the Garea land (purchased in 1988) and the former agricultural trial site. Once part of the McLeod land was purchased in 1990, plans for developing today’s Riversdale Reserve began, and Avondale’s part in the development of late 20th century commercial horticulture was gradually forgotten under lawns and sports fields.

Sources (other than those named above):
Draft Management Plan, Riversdale Reserve, Auckland City Council (1990s)
“Riversdale Road Reserve”, ACC 266/326/32 Part 1, both courtesy Auckland Council Archives

An update (21 February 2011): Liz from Mad Bush Farm kindly gave me permission to add her image of a kumara promotional sign from Northland ...


... while in other news, I've just realised that Owairaka Red, one of the five kumara varieties trialled at Avondale, was introduced from Maori introduced strains in 1954, and today comprises around 80% of the total crop.

Friday, February 18, 2011

More postcards


These were bought in an antiques shop on Garnet Road in Westmere named Babushka Antiques. As I said to the proprietor there yesterday, antique shops are beaten only by second-hand bookstores as places where my wallet gets lighter.

Above is a card sent from Carterton 20 December 1913, from C Dudson to "dear Mrs Draper & family."


No date on this one, and nothing on the back. Card from Cambridge, Waikato.


A colourised photo of the Square at Feilding, lower North Island, with the date above 22 September 1907. Sent to Miss N Draper in "Judgford via Wellington" from Dannevirke.

"Dear Kate,
I don't think I ever answered your last postcard. Lily (?) was at a dance in Ngapaeruru last Friday night. We played a hockey match against Woodville last Saturday. They beat two to nil. How are you getting on down there, you ought to come up, have a holiday, yours ever, 
Nellie."


Old Government House, Auckland. The card was received in Napier 26 December 1904, sent to Miss Baker there. "Love and best wishes for Xmas from Florence."


Waikato Hospital. No date on the postcard, but there's a tantalising impression of a postmark on the left side, as if the card had been under another one as the postmark had been slammed down. Unreadable, though.

"Dear Annie,
You might post me down my big prayer Book as I am thinking of goingb to Auckland at Easter. There is an Excursion from Hamilton to Rotorua & back on Good Friday, it is six shillings return from Hamilton. Jane is going if you & Eva would like to go. Write to Dave and their [sic] will be a chance of your accompanying him. I was at Church today & I got a piece of Palm which I have not had for years."


Another undated card, this one of Wellington Hospital. Below, a detail from the card, three-wheeled carts for invalids?


Last but not least -- Ngauruhoe having an episode.

"Dear Mrs Goldie,
This PC is a volcano we passed on out journey to Wellington. I don't care for Wellington at all, it was awfully windy & dusty while we were there. Coming from Wellington to Lyttleton Mother & I were very sick. Today I am going to a party & also the Fete, so I hope it keeps fine. Father goes to Court every morning & to Lyttleton once a month. I have been to Burwood, Linwood, Sydenham since I have been in Addington. We have been here a week."

It's anyone's guess when the postcard dated from. There's no date on the card, and Ngauruhoe had a busy time of it in the first two decades of last century.

An outburst of smoke and ash from Ngauruhoe occurred at 9.30 a.m. on the 22nd. The snow on the north-east side is completely covered with falling ash, and the crater seems pretty active.
Otago Witness 30 November 1904

[Ruapehu active.] Ngauruhoe volcano, which is adjacent, is also very active, sending out volumes of smoke and ash,  ... there is unusual volcanic activity at present.
Poverty Bay Herald, 22 March 1906

The Ngauruhoe volcano, Taupo, which has been showing signs of increased activity during last week, gave a line display on Thursday and Friday. Huge volumes of ash and steam were pouring. out of the two craters of the summit, rising to a height of about 4000 ft above the cone, and forming a beautiful sight. The eastern side of the crater has been blown away, and this has altered the shape of the summit.
Poverty Bay Herald 14 February 1907

WELLINGTON, to-day. The post office has received advice from the postmaster at Karioi, stating that Mt. Ngauruhoe is in active eruption. Large clouds of smoke are being emitted and sulphurous dust has fallen, covering the ground in a thin coating to a depth of one-sixteenth of an inch. [Lasted through to August].
Bush Advocate 9 March 1909

AUCKLAND, January 27. The Herald's Taupo correspondent telegraphed last night that during the past week Ngauruhoe volcano has been getting more active than usual, and this morning at 10.45 there was a magnificent outburst from the crater which sent up columns of smoke and ash to a height of about 6000 feet. The ash was carried by the light south wind across Tongariro and soon obscured it from view. The ash is now drifting across the sky in a northerly direction like a black pall. The Ohinepango and Waihoponu rivers are now a black swirl of water.

Hawera & Normanby Star, 27 January 1910

NGAURUHOE IN VIOLENT ERUPTION.
AUCKLAND, October 26. After many signs of activity, Ngauruhoe broke out into violent eruption last week, culminating in an alarming outburst on Tuesday night. Huge black clouds ol ash, steam, and tongues of lurid flame were seen in the early part of the evening issuing from the crater, to the accompaniment of the deep rumbles of subterranean explosions. Earth tremors were frequently felt, causing a good deal of apprehension in the Native settlements near the base of the mountain. A large area of open country on the windward side, together with the snow fields of Tongariro, has been covered with a deposit of light pumice ash. The night staff at the Waimanno railway station and residents who witnessed these displays on Saturday and Tuesday night, state that Ngauruhoe luls never before shown such unabated violence. Clouds have obscured the upper heights of the volcano for the last few days, and though an occasional rumble is heard, it is impossible to say if the eruption continues on the same scale.
Ashburton Guardian 27 October 1917
Babushka Antiques

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Birds on boxes in West Auckland


Bill and Barbara Ellis submitted the above image yesterday, taken "somewhere in Henderson". Thanks folks!

Much more colourful than these ...


This set of power boxes are on Henderson Valley Road, between Great North Road and the entry to the train station. Very hot day last Sunday, I was in the midst of a trudge down from Sturges Road to the  interchange to get a bus home, when I spotted them. This sort of thing is fairly well down to force of habit. No matrer how hot, bothered and knackered I was, I had to spot, fish for the camera, and take shots for the blog. Then headed around the corner, up the stairs (puff, puff), across the walkway, down the escalator, and my bus was virtually waiting there. The birds may have brought me luck.







NZ genealogy links on Ancestry website

The Howick branch of the NZ Society of Genealogists were all abuzz over the links last Saturday. I thought, though, that unless you paid a hefty sub to Ancestry.com, they were fairly well inaccessibly short of a trip to the central library.

Then, yesterday, I attended a talk by Helen Wong at said central library on Chinese New Year past and present (great talk, by the way). Helen asked if I'd heard of the links, I repeated my belief re the subs etc., and was told that no, there was a limited access for free online via the Aussie site for Ancestry.com.

And then she sent me the links, which is wonderful. Thanks, Helen!

New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981
"Electoral rolls are valuable “census substitutes” and they become even more important in countries like New Zealand where census records are not available. Electoral rolls were also published fairly consistently nationwide and can provide a useful way of tracking individuals over time and place. Over 20 million names have been indexed in this collection."
"Māori voter rolls for 1908 and Māori electoral rolls for 1919 are contained in this database. Those listed in the voter rolls are men and women of half or more Māori descent over 21 years of age. Because it was not compulsory for Māori to register before the 1908 election, this roll is a list of those who voted rather than those who registered as electors. In 1919 electoral rolls were compiled prior to the election to determine the names of all eligible individuals."

Canterbury, New Zealand, Provincial Rolls, 1868-1874
"Electoral rolls for Canterbury province, New Zealand years 1868 to 1874 are contained in this collection. The rolls were compiled during election years and include the names of individuals from each electoral district who were qualified to vote for the provincial superintendent and members of the provincial council."

New Zealand, Jury Lists, 1842-1862 
"The jury lists were compiled from newspapers and do not necessarily represent a complete list of all persons who served as jurors in New Zealand from 1842 to 1863. The lists are organized by locality or province and year."

New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980 
"As recorded by the New Zealand Parliament, this index contains Māori claims made for land from 1858 to 1980. Information listed includes claimant (person, group, or tribe), year of claim, description of claim, and additional notes. This database is not a comprehensive list of all Māori claims to the New Zealand Parliament for land. Only the petitions that were tabled are included. All claims or reports of claims by Māoris for land or land loss compensation are included, but no Pakeha (European) claims for Māori land are included. Petitions requesting changes to the Native Lands Act, those asking for an increase in rent, or those correspondences negotiating a land sale are also not included."

New Zealand Naturalisations, 1843-1981 
"This database contains an index of persons who were naturalised or given citizenship in New Zealand from 1843 to 1981. New Zealand citizenship did not begin until 1949, but persons who were not born within the British Commonwealth and applied for naturalisation were given British citizenship prior to 1949."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Women of the Treaty

Image from Wikipedia.

Last week, I attended one of the Auckland Central Library's lunchtime talk sessions, "Honoured Māori women who signed the Treaty of Waitangi (Ngā Wahine Rangatira i hainatia i te Tiriti o Waitangi)" by Anahera Sadler, Auckland Libraries Pou Whakahaere - Māori Advisor. In her talk, she told us that out of the over 500 names of Maori leaders around the country who signed nine copies of the treaty during 50 hui, 13 were women. As Anahera told us, leadership roles in pre-1840 New Zealand Maori culture were not necessarily restricted to men. These were:

Takurua
Ana Hamu
Marama (ancestor of Dame Whina Cooper)
Ereonora (ancestor of Dame Whina Cooper)
Koroniria Haunui
Kehe te Rau-o-te-Rangi
Pari
Rangi Topeora
Kehu
Nga Raurekau
Rere
Hoana Riutoto (ancestor of Princess Te Puea Hirangi and Tuaiwa Eva Rickard)
Te Wairakau (ancestor of Princess Te Puea Hirangi and Tuaiwa Eva Rickard)

For more information:
Auckland Library's website: Treaty of Waitangi, and Nine Treaties
Ministry of Women's Affairs website: Having a say before the vote (Maori women before 1893)