Russell Lights - Vol 10 Issue 7 - April 2007

On the North wall of the Russell museum’s main room is a small wooden case containing a member of the rail family. The bird has gazed through its glass fronted case for more than 150 years.

It dates from 1845, when during the Battle of Kororareka, citizens left the town for safety. A small girl from the Flowerday family managed to grab her cat which had just caught a bird in the creek near the boat ramp. During the voyage to Auckland, a sailor, an amateur taxidermist, stuffed the bird which several generations later was gifted to Russell Museum.

In 1987 New Zealand author, Dorothy Butler, wrote a delightful children’s book called Come Back Ginger telling the story which has been reprinted several times. Visiting schoolchildren still come in to see Ginger’s bird. It’s great to have a story for young ones set in our town. (on sale in the Russell Museum shop).

Russell Lights - Vol 10 Issue 1 - Jan 2007

This photo of a camera, set of binoculars and telescope once belonged to American game fisherman, Zane Grey. It was given by him to his boatman in the Bay of Islands, Peter William, and purchased by the museum from Peter’s daughter, Patti, in 1994.

Peter Wiliams’ boat was the Avalon. Zane Grey appreciated his skill so much he shipped launch and man to Australia to fish. Peter joined him in Florida, Tonga and other fishing Mecca. Zane Grey’s two books on fishing in the Bay really publicised the area as an ideal spot for sport fishing.

When Peter died in 1950 a flotilla of game boats with game flags at half mast escorted his ashes to their watery resting place between Ninepin and Red Head.

Russell Museum is glad to have such items that acknowledge an important aspect of our history.

Russell Lights - Vol 9 Issue 25 - Dec 2006

These battered and chipped but solid wooden bowls with a 20cm diameter are survivors of the skittle alley that used to be behind the Pacific Hotel (site of today’s Hananui) fronting on York St . The bowling alley was older than the hotel which was built in the 1870s. The bowling alley was also used for community dances, until a proper hall was built on the Strand.

Whalers when ashore did not spend all their time in grog shops and bordellos on the Russell waterfront – some no doubt enjoyed a game of skittle bowls, an ancient game played in Britain and Europe. In America it was later to develop into Ten Pin Bowling. In this earlier version 9 skittles were used.