Heritage et AL

There are several historic churches in Onehunga, reflecting the early European settlement of the area. Early Church Services in Onehunga The first church services in Onehunga were held on the first Sunday (21 November 1847) after the arrival of the first contingent of the Fencibles . There was an Anglican service in the morning and a Catholic service in the afternoon. St Peter’s Anglican Church St Peter’s Church was one of the earliest churches in Auckland, constructed in 1848. The first service was held on Saint Peter’s Day, 29 June 1848.The stone wall at the church was built in 1853, a part of which still stands. In 1857, the tower and the spire were moved to the south side of the church. As the numbers of people attending the church grew, the original wooden church was extended in the 1860s and 1870s. Ref: St Peters Church, Onehunga, 1860s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 957-192-1.

What must be one of New Zealand’s finest and most elaborate First World War rolls of honour is found upstairs at the Onehunga RSA , 57 Princes Street, Onehunga. Sir F.W. Lang MP unveiled the Onehunga soldiers’ roll of honour in the town’s Carnegie Library on 25 April 1919.  Ref: James D Richardson, Carnegie Library, Onehunga, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-1476.

Since Monday's post was all about keeping fit, it seemed a good idea to keep those motivation levels high and devote Friday's post to bowling. A gentle way of keeping fit but with benefits of all the socialising that goes along with it! Bowling can also have a heritage component too. Now for a look back in time at the large number of bowling clubs, which sprung up in the Auckland region over the years, particularly in the first decade of the 20th century. Check out the wonderful array of clothing worn by the Mount Eden and Ponsonby bowlers in 1900. It must have been pretty hard to bowl in those formal outfits! Grafton/The Domain: Ref: AWNS-19011031-1-1, Auckland Bowling Club's Grafton Green on opening day, 26 October 1901, Sir George Grey Special Collections Mount Eden: Ref: 1-W1220, looking SW from Mount Eden - showing Mount Eden Bowling Green, 1905, Sir George Grey Special Collections Ref: AWNS-19001012-8-2, opening of the Mount Eden Bowling Green, 6 Oct...