Heritage et AL

Local M ā ori were in charge of fishing in the early days of Auckland, but as more immigrants arrived fishermen from other countries entered the trade. They were unused to the Waitemat ā and Manukau Harbours’ estuaries and tidal flow, and from the 1860s a vessel suitable for these conditions began to evolve - the “mullety”. Ref: Fishing mullet boat off North Head, 1900s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 37-173.

The few weeks over Christmas and New Year are a popular time for many in New Zealand to take some time off from work and, weather permitting, enjoy some fun in the sun. So whether you’re working through the summer holidays, at the bach or even in a different hemisphere we hope you enjoy this collection of images of New Zealand summer holidays. Last week we wrote about the interesting story behind the Riverhead Dump photograph collection . All of the images in this post are also from that collection.  Ref: Sports car, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1055-136. Ref: Auckland Harbour Bridge, 1960s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1055-109.

Sir George Grey Special Collections recently acquired a wonderful collection of colour slides taken by Ron Clark mostly in the nineteen-fifties, sixties and seventies. They are accessible via the  Heritage Images  database. Ref: Ron Clark, Oakura Bay,  1950s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1227 Ref: Ron Clark,  Muriel Clark at the wheel of a Humber Hawk ,  about 1956, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-12 Photographs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are a strong part of the Sir George Grey Special Collections image collection. The Ron Clark slides span the mid-twentieth century, filling a time period gap in Auckland Libraries' photograph collections. Life in New Zealand is captured in wide-ranging ways. There are scenes showing urban and rural activities, family gatherings and outings, interior shots of homes, churches and hospital wards, beach visits, overseas holi...

Have you been enjoying the beaches this summer? Relaxing, paddling, swimming, fishing and having picnics on the beach are all part of a great Kiwi summer. Enjoy these heritage images from Auckland Libraries as you kick back and plan your next trip to the beach. Having fun at the beach: Ref: T0213, passengers from the SS Condor alighting at Takapuna Wharf, Takapuna, c. 1910, North Auckland Research Centre Ref: 4-618, looking east along Okahu Bay, 1901, Sir George Grey Special Collections Ref: 35-R349, having fun on the beach at Sumner, Christchurch, c. 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections Ref: T0502, Milford Beach looking south east towards Rangitoto Island, 1922, North Auckland Research Centre