Picnics

Ah summer .. long days of sunshine, trips to the beach and of course, the all important picnic. Summer wouldn't be summer without at least a few picnics. Despite the sand in your food and the insects buzzing around, eating food outside never fails to bring a sense of excitement to a meal. From simple sandwiches to grand affairs, picnics are always popular with everyone, whatever their age.

Ref: 4-7028, group picnic, no date, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Take a look through these heritage images from the Auckland Libraries collections and see how people went picknicking in the past!

From the small to the grand:

Ref: AWNS-19091216-14-2, having a picnic under the fruit tree, Bay of Islands, 1909, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19050223-2-6, The Countess of Onslow and Sir Maurice O'Rorke at the Mayoe's water picnic, 1905, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Formal attire was a must:

Ref: 4-4767, picnic party on slopes of Mount Wellington, 1927, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19000420-1-4, Ellimman's new accomodation house on the Nihotupu picnic ground, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: 31-70714, picnickers, c. 1910s, Sir George Grey Special Collections

A more relaxed but still stylish dress code characterised 1930s picnics:

Ref: AWNS-19360527-49-2, a picnic luncheon, 1936, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19310204-38-1, picnic parties at Mothui, Auckland's beautiful island marine park, 1931  Sir George Grey Special Collections

Formally arranged picnics:

Ref:Ref: AWNS-19100331-12-2, Auckland tramway employees' Annual Picnic, Motutapu Island, 1910, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19000420-2-2, the Scenery Conservation Society's picnic party at a Waitakere bush shanty, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Some picnic destinations were quite an adventure to get to:

Ref: AWNS-19390215-53-4, all aboard for a picnic trip, 1939, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19100127-10-1, popular North Auckland gathering: Launches conveying guests to the annual picnic held on the shores of Whangaroa Harbour, 1910, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19011024-11-1, Landing passengers at the Wanganui Railway Employees' Labour Day Picnic, 1901, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Picnics in the bush:

Ref: 4-6989, picnickers on a bush track, no date, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Picnics at the seaside:

Ref: AWNS-19410409-30-3, picnic lunch at Bethells/Te Henga on the West Coast near Auckland, 1941, Sir George Grey Special Collections