Heritage et AL

Sheep, the cornerstone of the agricultural industry in New Zealand since the 1850s and a very important part of the economy. Sheep have shaped the farming environment throughout the country and spawned many a joke. Where would we be without New Zealand lamb and merino clothing? When refrigeration on ships became available in 1882, meat was able to be shipped around the world, including to Britain, and the industry flourished. The population peaked in 1982 at 70 million but has steadily reduced over the years as other industries have come to the fore such as dairy farming and the timber industry. With around 40 million sheep, that is still a whopping 10 sheep per person. Over half the sheep in New Zealand are Romney, which is an English breed used for both meat and wool. What to find out more?  Te Ara has a great section on sheep farming and its importance . Now you are all set to wander through the sheep of yesteryear, drawn from the heritage collections at Auckland Librar...

Located on the western banks of the Ranitopuni River, below the Riverhead Bridge, is an old mill site. Initially a timber mill, the mill was powered by water (1845-1856). Subsequently, the Waitemata Flour Mill was built on the same site in 1855/1856 and was operated by J. Brigham (until 1859). J. Lamb took over the site after Brigham and ran it until around 1888. The mill was vacant for 2 years before the Riverhead Paper Mill opened and ran until its closure in 1923. Ref: 80-BIN247, John Lamb's Waitemata Mills at Riverhead, c. 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections The paper mill company that took over the site had examined several old flour mill sites before choosing the former Lambs Mill. The site was particularly attractive because of the plentiful freshwater supply and access to cheap harbour transport. Before opening, the mill under went major reconstruction. It was entirely steam powered, with coal brought up the harbour and unloaded at a special wharf at the site. T...