Heritage et AL

A colleague was recently down in Christchurch at the New Zealand Historical Association conference for 2015 and has bought back news of the most recent winners of the J. M. Sherrard award in New Zealand regional and local history. The J.M. Sherrard Award is the only national award for local and regional history in New Zealand. Ref: Henry Winkelmann,  Showing men breaking down a pile of gum at L C Gillespie and..., August 1904, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1-W1156.

It’s that time of year again, the halls are decked and the streets are decorated. Ref: Eric W Young, Looking south along Queen Street..., 1980s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1021-52.

Auckland Weekly News photographs for the period August 1914 to December 1915 have now been more fully described so that they can be searched by description and subject. These photos were published in the Auckland Weekly News Supplement . There are 1,117 photos covering the period August to December 1914 and a further 7,684 photos for the period January to December 1915. Ref: Auckland Weekly News, A Christmas greeting from New Zealand to the absent one, 16 December 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19151216-35-1.

The WW100 commemorations have drawn renewed attention to our First World War memorials. This does not mean our Second World War memorials should be forgotten: 13 December 2015 is the 75th anniversary of the unveiling of a unique and spectacular memorial at Achilles Point , overlooking the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf. Ref: Bruce Ringer,  HMS Achilles memorial, St Heliers, 2014. 

To get into the spirit of the season we currently have a Christmas related display in the Special Collections reading room on the 2nd floor of the Central Library. On display until the end of December are two pop-up Christmas books by Robert Sabuda. Robert Sabuda has interpreted many classic children’s books including Peter Pan, the Wizard of Oz and the Little Mermaid in his renowned intricate pop-up style. First is his advent calendar-style alphabet, where small objects like a ribbon-decorated gift spring from behind paper ‘doors’. Robert Sabuda.  The Christmas alphabet.  New York : Orchard, 1994.

Carols by Candlelight was first held in Mt Roskill in 1958. Ref:  Aerial photograph of Mt Roskill, 1947,  MRB 029 1h,  Auckland Council Archives . By 1964 it was so popular that more than 16,000 people packed Three Kings Reserve to see a 200 strong choir which came from the Mt Roskill Municipal Youth Choir and local churches. The Herald reported that many in the large audience bought their own candles and most joined in the singing.  (NZ Herald 21 December 1964) Ref: Carols by Candlelight,  13 December 1975 ,  MRB 009 Item 705 Box 2 ,  Auckland Council Archives. The Roskill and Onehunga News interviewed Mr & Mrs C.H. Linden in 1967 about the festival. The couple and their son Don had organised the pageant since its inception in 1958. In this article Mr Linden, who at the time was the chairman of Mt Roskill Borough Council’s public relations committee, talks about the tremendous spirit of the project, “The co-operation and...