Lion tamer, 1873. From Wikipedia.
I've just added another bit from The Zoo War -- this one on early menageries in the country, from Foley's circuses through to Wanganui Museum. You can view it on Scribd.
The foundation stone of a new block of the Auckland general hospital was laid this afternoon by the Minister for Health (Hon. Sir Maui Pomare). The new building, which will be of six storeys, will cost £78,000 and it will contain accommodation for 140 patients. The first, second and third floors will be used as wards, there will be an outpatients' department in the basement, X-rays' and a dispensary on the ground floor and a pathological department on the top floor. The total accommodation in the hospital will then be 685, with 230 nurses. The block will be named the Wallace Ward in honour of the chairman of the board, Mr William Wallace.The Minister said the new building contained provision for another branch of specialisation, VD cases. He promised to do something in regard to this scourge. A Bill was on the stocks and he hoped to introduce it this session. It would be on the lines of the recommendations of the special commission on the subject of health. He hoped to introduce this session a Bill for the superannuation of nurses.
In a long discussion, Councillor H. P. Burton advocated modification of the statue on the ground of its possible effect on the youth of the community. He said the general attitude of the man in the street had been to make a jest of the statue, and not one per cent, of the public was artistically minded. There was no question of the quality of the sculpture—it was excellent— but he considered the statue wholly unnecessary in its existing form.
The Auckland Council of Christian Congregations, at its annual meeting tonight, discussed the statue of the nude athlete on the domain gates, but decided to take no further action in the matter in view of the inability of the council to obtain the support of church and educational officials who, according to the president, the Rev. J. A. Thomson, were loath to offer the subject again for public discussion. Without the help of such persons the council felt it would be futile to make any further move.Pastor Campbell said many persons were waiting for a lead and he moved, "That the council considers the nudity of the statue to be offensive to a considerable number of citizens and deleterious to the morals of passers-by and requests the City Council to take suitable steps to modify it." Mr T L Caley, seconder, said the statue was "unspeakably shocking and horrifying to many women." The Rev E D Patchett—-said it would be a mistake for the council to give undue publicity to the subject, as the meeting was not representative of the strength of the council. The motions were then withdrawn.
REPORTED MURDER OF MR. BENNET WHITE.We are indebted to the courtesy of F A Krull, Esq., who arrived from Auckland on Tuesday by the Taranaki, for the following information relative to another revolting atrocity reported to have been committed at Opotiki by the Hau Hau fanatics. When at Tauranga, the s.s. Taranaki was in company with the Government steamer Sturt, and a report was made by Captain Fairchild that Mr Bennett White, who, it will be remembered, gave the most conclusive evidence against the murderers of Mr Fulloon, had been brutally murdered, decapitated, and his head carried about in triumph. It was further said that a native mailman had also been murdered, and that the Arawas were anxious to proceed in search of the rebels, but were not permitted to do so pending orders from the Government. The atrocities must have been committed some days ago, as Captain Fairchild of the Sturt, previous to meeting the Taranaki, had proceeded to Auckland under hopes of meeting his Excellency the Governor, and only returned to Tauranga on finding H.M.S. Charybdis had sailed for Wellington.
"Friedrich Wilhelm von Driberg was Commandant of Mullaitivu at time of his death on July 6,1807. and was probably son by his 1st wife of Diederich Carolus von Driberg who was a Capt. Lt. in the Dutch Company's service at Chilaw in 1766 etc. According to Governor North they were Hanoverians and judging from their arms of baronial rank. Charles Driberg, a descendant signed a marriage register as "Driberg" and later as 'Drieberg''. The von was dropped early. Apparently this family is in no way connected with the family of Driebergs descended from Johannes Gerardus, who married Johanna Horn. The von Dribergs married into White with the marriage of Theodora .Eliz. von Driberg to Dr Abraham White. Note honorific VON not VAN the latter being the Dutch equivalent both denoting someone of importance.The above family was never VAN. It is supposed that this family was related to Abel Tasman. It would be interesting to learn how."
Mr. Samuel Cochrane will sell by auction to-day, at the residence of Mr. Alfred Scales, Anglesea street, Ponsonby Road, the whole of his valuable cabinet furniture, books, pictures, &c.; also at 11 o'clock, at his stores, 250 bags of Tamaki potatoes.
The death of Mr. Alfred Scales at the early age of 47 is announced in an obituary notice in our paper this evening: For many months Mr Scales had been a confirmed invalid, and for the past fire or six months has been closely confined to his bedroom. Mr. Scales, as a printer, has seen a good many vicissitudes. In the “palmy” days of the soldiers, when there was a large contingent of English troops in and around Auckland Mr Scales was, with Mr. R J Creighton, one of the lessees of the Daily Southern Cross, at a time when money was plentiful in Auckland. After spending some time in Melbourne, Mr. Scales returned to New Zealand and became reader in the Government printing office. Afterwards he joined his former partner, Mr Creighton, in the management of the New Zealand Times, and subsequently returned to the Government service. As we have said, for several months Mr Scales has been suffering from consumption, gradually sinking. Mr Scales had the reputation of being a printer possessing large experience and excellent taste in the promotion of printing work. He had many friends, who will regret his early death. Mr Scales leaves a widow but no children.
The removal of the barrack buildings likely didn't start until 1873 -- a bit later than the appearance of something substantial indicated at 18 Paget Street.“Right down to November 1871, it wasn’t certain what the reserve’s future would be. Finally, in December, the Albert Barracks Reserves Act of 1871 established a board of commissioners made up of the Provincial Council Superintendent, the Mayor of Auckland, the Speaker and the Secretary of the Provincial Council, along with James Farmer, Judge Francis Dart Fenton, Theophilus Heale, James MacKay junior, William Thorne Buckland and Thomas Macready."A second act in 1872 officially vested the Albert Barracks Reserve lands in the Provincial Superintendent, who in turn appointed commissioners to manage the property. This was the beginning of the City Improvement Commissioners who first met as a body on 2 December 1872, made up of the Superintendent, the Mayor of Auckland, Judge Fenton, G. M. O’Rorke, Provincial Secretary H. H. Lusk, W. T. Buckland, J. M. Clark, T. Macready, and Stannus Jones. A third act in 1873 vested the reserve with the Commissioners directly. Judge Thomas Gillies, who was also Superintendent at the time, opposed this third Act however, expressing his personal concerns that the Commissioners were being given too much power.”
“Mr. Richard Dickson, who was elected to a seat in the Auckland City Council in 1876, was born in Tyrone, Ireland, in 1829, and at an early age went to America, where he followed the trade of a cabinet-maker. He returned to the Old Country in 1850, and two years later sailed for Australia. After spending three years in Sydney and Melbourne he came to Auckland and established himself in the building trade. It was he who erected the New Zealand Insurance Company's Buildings, the Bank of New Zealand, the Lorne Street Hall, Tyrone Buildings, the Museum, and other noteworthy places. He was associated with the Oddfellows for many years, and took an active interest in St. Matthew's Church. Mr. Dickson was contractor for the Patea Breakwater, and was accidentally killed whilst working at the contract in 1879.”
Many of our readers will join with us in a feeling of regret at the sudden and unexpected death of Mr Dickson, contractor, recently of this city, and a member of the City Council. The particulars of Mr Dickson’s death will be found among this day's telegrams from Patea, from which it appears that Mr Dickson was assisting at the Patea Breakwater works, when he fell in front of the crane used for shifting blocks and other materials; his leg being taken off completely, and which was left hanging by a piece of skin. Medical assistance was immediately sent for, and two medical gentlemen were in attendance; but too late to render any real assistance. Mr Dickson died within five minutes of the accident. Mr Dickson was a native of the North of Ireland, and previously to coming to New Zealand, a quarter of a century ago, he worked as a labouring man in California. On settling in Auckland he pursued the business of a contractor with success. He was a man of upright habits of life, and was a useful member of the congregation of St. Matthew's, both as a parishioner and teacher in the Sunday-school. He was comfortably married, but had no family. Mr and Mrs Dickson, however, adopted and educated a little girl, now nearly a young woman, who, we understand, is still with the widow. Mr Dickson was elected a member of the City Council of Auckland on the 14th of September, 1876, a position which he creditably held until circumstances called him to the South in connection with contracts which he had undertaken. The melancholy and fatal accident has cast quite a gloom over the neighbourhood of Mr Dickson’s last earthly labours.
The death occurred at Onehunga on Thursday of Mr John Arthur Cramond, in his 91st year. Mr Cramond was born in London in the year 1830. As a young man he emigrated to South Australia, arriving at Adelaide in 1849 in his father's ship, the Brightman, commanded by Captain Cowley. He was engaged in business there for a number of years. In 1870 he arrived in Auckland, and made his home in New Zealand from then to the time of his death. After being with Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane for a time he entered the service of the Union Steam Ship Company many years ago and remained in that employ until 1900, when he retired from active business. One of his grandsons is at present Mayor of Adelaide.
"Anthony Mactier was the son of the former governor of the Bengal Province and destined for the Indian Civil Service but this was not to his liking. He trained as a doctor in Edinburgh but then emigrated to NZ. William Arrowsmith (a qualified pharmacist) was a close friend of Anthony Mactier, they travelled to NZ. Arrowsmith and Mactier arrived in NZ in 1858, both originally settled at Ramarama, but they surrendered their land to govt in exchange for 2500 acres at Awhitu. Mactier is mentioned in Thayer Fairburn's book on the Orpheus in connection with finding and burying bodies found on the coast south of the Manukau Harbour entrance in 1863. He was one of the original purchasers of land in the Awhitu Parish 1873, purchasing 203 acres. His homestead Puketapu is still standing near Hamiltons Gap. He left the district during the Land Wars, and Arrowsmith looked after his property. He returned and took a leading role in the affairs of the district. Both Arrowsmith and Mactier gave medical help to fellow settlers. After a period, Mactier sold his farm to Alfred Buckland and retired from farming. However he returned to Awhitu and taught giving his salary to the poor. Mactier was well off but had a social conscience."In 1886 he married Susie Seaman, daughter of Thomas Seaman, census enumerator for the north, chair of the Lake District Road Board etc. Anthony and Susie at first lived in Ponsonby - I dont know whether this matches any dates you have for Paget Street, I suspect a bit late. I haven't looked into where they lived in Ponsonby. They later lived in a very large house in Hauraki Rd Takapuna and had a large garden where they grew vegetables the proceeds of which went to Barnadoes."Susie Seaman was an early teacher in Takapuna, the first headmistress of Takapuna Primary School, also a poet and novellist, known as "the Takapuna Lake poet". I came across her as one of the women who started the Auckland YWCA."Anthony died in 1925 and Susie went to live in Rotoura and died there in 1936."So it seems Arrowsmith and Mactier may have been investing in land. Hope this is of some interest as a side-bar to the Paget Street saga."
"A 135-year-old cottage on death row for four years has finally been demolished by a business couple for a large four-bedroom house. David Elder and Wynnis Armour got a gang of workers to raze the Freemans Bay cottage this week ... The simple white painted cottage with a blue corrugated iron roof survived for the past four years but was removed this week - two months before the demolition consent expires in December."