Ko Ahau Anō Tētahi i Reira, Saltwater in our Veins is another Russell Museum to Tuia 250, the national commemoration taking place in October 2019.

An ambitious new exhibition charting the Bay’s long and remarkable maritime history and its enduring traditions. Early waka, the waka revival, Tall Ships old and new…regattas, racing, and sailing, sailing, sailing, it’ll all be in there.

Discover our nation’s remarkable voyaging heritage at this great new exhibition at Te Whare Taonga o Korareka, Russell Museum.

For a brief time today, Russell Museum was filled with music of a “historical kind” as its Harmonium or American Parlour Organ was put through its paces by a young visitor from Brisbane.  This imposing cedar giant, seven foot high, with a width at keyboard of 3 feet 8 inches is rarely played but something about it caught 14 year old student Soraya Cunningham’s eye and she asked, “What’s that over there” and “does it work”?  Of course, we had to help her find out.  It took a few tries for Soraya to get the single bellows which force air through the reeds to make the sound to work, but soon she was playing a composition of her own, much to the delight of other museum visitors and her family.

Once the property of the Atkinson family of Te Waimate (Waimate North), the harmonium came to Russell when Clara Atkinson married Otto Neumann, also from Te Waimate, and they made their home here in Pitt Street.  Bequeathed to Mrs Kathleen Brooker by her aunt Mrs Newmann, it was later purchased by the Russell Centennial Trust.  Although its age is uncertain, in books on period furniture, similar instruments are dated in the 1890s.

In 1791, the British whaler William and Ann, under American Captain Bunker’s command, hunted whales in New Zealand waters.  News that whales were plentiful spread and British and American interests began developing the South Pacific whaling grounds, with the British Government offering training subsidies in the hope of attracting seamen to the industry.  Convict ships returning to Britain from New South Wales began hauling whale product and the industry grew as venture capitalists entered the market. Whaling ships stopped at Kororareka/Russell to replenish supplies, make repairs and trade goods.  54 American, 14 British, 18 French and 10 Australian “whalers” visited the Bay of Islands in 1834.  This significant economic activity slowed as a result of duties and port charges imposed by New Zealand’s new government formed after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, 6 February 1840.

Only a small number of whaling stations still operated along Northland’s coastline in 1890, when the Cook brothers, Herbert (Bert), William and half brother, George Howe began their shore based whaling operation from the existing Whangamumu site.  Bert, who had served on an American whaler for ten years, observed how whales migrating northward liked to dislodge barnacles from their skin by rubbing against the bottom rock face of Cape Brett, and he patented a new technology to catch them.  The brothers constructed manila whaleline nets designed to break off in sections and entangle the whale when the yard lashings between the sections and the floating casks were broken.  They strung them from the Cape Brett cliffs to a nearby rock, now known as Net Rock.  Bert used this new method, as well as harpooning until 1910, when he bought the English steam trawler, Hananui. The largest Whangamumu catch was in 1927 with 74 humpbacks being processed for 388 tons of oil and 701 tons of bone dust. Enormous Norwegian factory ships began overfishing the migratory whales as they passed through Antartic waters leading to a decline in numbers, making whaling uneconomical and Cook’s NZ Whaling Co. Ltd closed operations in the 1940s.

New Zealand’s four legged friends owe their start in this country to Rev Samuel Marsden who in December 1814, arrived on his brig “Active”, at Rangihoua, just across the bay from Russell.  On board were 3 horses, 3 head of cattle, and 8 sheep, a gift from Marsden to the fledging missionary settlement. From then, New Zealand’s sheep population increased and in the 1980s, they outnumbered New Zealanders 22 to 1. Marsden’s foresight played an initial role in the development of farming, benefiting many including stock buying drover and farmer, Mathew J Whitelaw.  Father of Russell’s renowned game-fishing skipper, Jim (James) Whitelaw, Matty accomplished what may still be New Zealand’s longest stock drive by 3 people on foot: starting with 3000 sheep, from Napier to his Kamo farm (approximately 600 km), taking 3½ months to complete. Understandably the team lost a few on the way, but after 20 sheep were unaccounted for at Taupo, Matty backtracked to find several traps, “holes in the pumice flats that Maoris had laid sticks over”. Wiser, Mr Whitelaw and his drovers endeavoured to keep a keen eye for signs that the mob would split or wander.  However, sheep are notoriously unpredictable, and while camping overnight in Greenlane “where there were no houses at the time” some headed off at 4 am. The drover who followed them was found, still in his night shirt at 9 am, arguing heatedly with owners of the Remuera gardens the errant sheep had invaded.  Perhaps this is why Mr Whitelaw sold 1000 sheep while in Auckland.
Reference: 90/25 “Napier to Whangarei” a recollection by Jim (James) Whitelaw.

In February 1996, Russell’s old crane was placed on Russell Museum grounds where it currently stands, retired, but still in the public eye. Replaced by the Northland Habour Board with a newer model, Russell’s old crane was restored in a joint effort, sandblasted by NHB, painted by Jim Yearbury and erected by Graham Townsend.  Russell’s old crane is now inactive, motionless, but not too far from the sea.

Imported from the UK in the 1850s, the crane was installed in 1866 at the end of our town’s first wharf, just north of the police station.  When it arrived, it was put to work by its owner, Samuel Stephenson, offloading goods from trading ships into small trucks, which were then pushed into the warehouse.  Purchased by the government in 1880 and moved to their wharf, now our current wharf, the crane unloaded goods from coastal ships.  Coastal deliveries declined as automobiles and road access improved, and a new purpose was sought for the crane.  With increasing tourism in mind, especially game fishing, supports were added and the crane began hauling cargo of a different kind; gamefish for weighing-in.  Perhaps for that brief period, Russell’s crane was at the pinnacle of its public life as it attracted the attention of our local youth who saw the benefit of the higher vantage point it provided.  Much to the delight of tourists, the dismay of parents and local skippers, swimming off the Russell wharf was taken to a new level as Russell’s young bloods experienced the thrill of a high dive as Max Arlidge explains “…the daring ones amongst us would dive from the crane”.

For fourty-seven years the S. S. Clansman, owned by the Northern Steam Ship Company, ploughed through calm and stormy Northland waters, transporting passengers, and occasionally livestock, to coastal destinations further north.  In fog or fine weather the Clansman could be expected to arrive in Russell, Monday 8 am, where she would unload and reload, steam to Opua to take on more coal, then make her way to her first stop, Whangaroa.   From Whangaroa, the Clansman would steam to Mangonui where she would anchor overnight.  Passengers taking this northern run could book a cabin (saloon) with steward services, or, opt for the cheaper fare in steerage, with those quickest securing a sleeping spot in the lounge; the not so quick having to settle for a place on deck.  Deck passengers contended with drawbacks such as sea spray generated from the ship pitching in an easterly blow, and the smell of sheep and horses mixed with coal dust from the boiler. Still, there was a piano on board and sometimes Captain Farquhar, the Clansman’s first Captain, was tempted to share his fine singing voice in accompaniment.  On Wednesday mornings the Clansman made her way back, sometimes stopping at Matauri Bay for passengers, to Opua where she refuelled for her southern run to Auckland and Tauranga.  On her way out of the Bay, her last port of call was always Russell.  From 1884 to 1931, when the Clansman made her last run, her schedule and fares stayed consistent.  With an extra trip proving popular over summer, she was known to sometimes carry over 100 passengers.

 

It’s hard to believe that our very own Russell lights is some 25 years old. Started by Jacqui Knight, Russell Lights was published by the community organization Enterprise Russell, featuring articles written by Russell people for Russell people. There have been many changes and the occasional struggle along the way, but thanks to Resilient Russell picking up the publication, it is still going strong.

However, Russell Lights was not the first community newspaper in the area. In 1879, a Scotsman Francis McKenzie registered and established the Northern Luminary with the first edition being printed in April 1879. Initially focused on Kawakawa, it was renamed The Bay of Islands Luminary and Hokianga, Mangonui and Whangaroa Counties Gazette in 1910 and continued being published until 1951. Sadly, there are no scanned copies of the newspaper on Papers Past, but Russell Museum has copies of the original newspapers from the 1880s and clippings of articles covering events in the Russell community.

Printed in Kawakawa by owner/editor, a Scotsman Mr Francis McKenzie, the Northern Luminary built up “a good circulation in the northern districts”. Perhaps this was due to its weekly Public Notices or community events reporting, or the fact that the Luminary had a good deal to say about the mineral resources of the area, including coal in Kawakawa, manganese in Russell and silver at Puhipuhi. It also had a lively coverage of politics with reports of candidates at public meetings around the district including some lively letters to the editor, a writ for £1,000 being served on McKenzie for libel in 1905 and plenty of opinions being aired.

The Bay of Islands Country Council, which held its first meeting in Russell on 9 January 1877 also provided plenty of material to report on, with plenty of letters received from “Indignant Ratepayer”, Anti-Humbug”, “Pro Bono Publico” and others. According to Marie King, one of the first major Council rows that stirred the Luminary office and the whole community for that matter, was the great Russell Wharf Shindy. The story may seem remarkably familiar, with ratepayers revolting against the allocation of £600 funds towards the Government owned Russell Wharf when the much larger community of Kawakawa received a mere £150. More importantly once the railway reached Opua, the Russell wharf would become a white elephant. The £4,000 government grant was recut by Councillors to remove the Russell Wharf, leading to a revolt by the Russell Councillors. The Luminary agent Earnest Ford recommended local subscribers cancel their subscriptions, most of whom did, and an effigy of the Council Chairman Henry Williams was burnt at the end of the wharf, nearly destroying the structure entirely. Eventually the funding was reinstated, but not before the Luminary publicly disowned their Russell agent.

Russell Museum would like to lead the charge (so to speak) by launching a public appeal for funds and assistance to restore our Russell cannon and its carriage.  If you walk by our cannon today, you will notice it’s in poor condition.  Last time it was repaired was in late 1992 by Reg Mogford, a Russell Museum trustee at the time, and Trevor Sowry along with other Russell volunteers.  That was over nineteen years ago.  The cannon barrel was shot blasted and repainted and the old carriage replaced by a new one built from Eucalypt.  (Chronicle 1993)

During the recent successful “Blazing Cannons” events, organised by Russell Museum in conjunction with John Osborne DTT, FSG Commandant NZACFRS Inc. held on the foreshore in front of the Russell Town Hall and alongside our Russell cannon, many locals and visitors asked if our cannon was going to be fired as part of the event.  Upon learning our cannon has been silent since its last firing in March 1907 when Lord Plunket, New Zealand’s Governor General, who was standing right next to it, received “a violent start, and his top hat fell off’, the inevitable “why not fire it again” was posed.

Why should we restore our cannon?  Symbolically standing guard on our foreshore, it is a striking and tangible link with our past and is one “point of difference” that sets us apart from our neighbouring coastal communities.  What would its restoration bring to our community?  Imagine starting the Tall Ships Race, the Hone Heke Run or the first Birdman flight every year, with a blast from our cannon.  It would sweeten the experience that is uniquely Russell/Kororareka.

Russell Museum has found the expertise, we ask you to join us and make it happen.  Restoration of the cannon, belonging to the Russell community, is estimated to cost $12,500.00.  Any donations large or small will be gratefully received at Russell Museum, 2 York Street, Russell 0202.  Donations to the restoration of our cannon are tax exempt under Russell Museum’s charitable status.  For further information call 09 4037701.

One of the great things about spending winter in Russell is that the cooler weather brings a welcome bonus for local fishermen; the return of hungry snapper.  While it’s always nice to land a snapper that fits the pan nicely, it’s the exhilarating experience of hooking, fighting and landing a larger one that gets the heart pumping.  Although we occasionally hear about huge fish being caught in the Bay many tales of “The Big One” are unsubstantiated, simply, because the end goal of fishing is to “do away with the evidence”.

Not so in the case of Inspector of Fisheries for the Bay of Islands, Mr Les Mather.  Fishing off Howe Point near Marsden Cross on the 11^th March 1969 Mr Mather hooked and landed, what is estimated to have been, an 85 pound snapper using nothing but an old nylon hand line with about four knots to join the pieces.  As luck would have it, the event was witnessed by Mr T Jackson, an Auckland solicitor and Mr J Laidlaw, JP of Russell.  Being in the legal business they had the foresight to take a tracing of the contours of the fish and lodge it as evidence with Russell Museum.

First hotel licence, oldest surviving church and New Zealand’s first locally owned bank – Kororareka has had them all. The New Zealand Banking Co’s first bank opened its doors in Bank Square, Turners Terrace, (just south of  where The Strand meets Pitt St today) in September 1840. The Board of Directors included Russell identities James Reddy Clendon and Gilbert Mair. Shareholders were confident of good returns as advertised interest rates were 10% for short term, and 12% for long term loans. Depositors were promised 4% on current accounts and 5% on fixed deposits.

Sadly, projected profits did not eventuate. Unforeseen events intervened: New Zealand’s first capital shifted from Okiato to Auckland, the bank’s head office followed in 1842 and then the Flagstaff War sealed its fate. 1843 saw the directors alarmed by the “frightful amount of overdue paper” ¹ which was equal to the whole paid up capital of the bank – £8278. As one commentator put it, when the residents headed for Auckland, “ That created a run on the bank and along with injudicious advances already made on land in Kororareka, found it short of cash but long in land.” ² The Company was wound up in 1845 and 5/- per share was distributed to the shareholders. The last receipt was made out in 1850.

Although this bank did issue bank notes in denominations of £1, £2 and £5, none are now known to exist. If one was found its value is estimated as close to $20,000.

Sources: 1. Lee, Jack. I have named it the Bay of Islands

2.    http://www.banknotes.ws/New-Zealand-Banking-Company.html

Accession #: 11/150                 Print

Brief Description: Auckland’s First Bank. Limited Edition Print  No. 213 by JE Thomas of a series of 500. The New Zealand Banking Co.’s Bank was the first purely New Zealand Bank (ie New Zealand capital). It opened in September 1840. The Company was wound up in 1845. Text on the print reads: Opened in 1841, this charming little bank operated as a branch of the N.Z.Banking Company which had been established in the Bay of Islands in 1840. The building still stands in Bankside St off Shortland Street. Signed JE Thomas. 75. Mounted on matt board. W 39cm x H 28cm . Copy print Photofile no. 17002

From Port in the North

4 Sept NZ Banking Co. Head Office opened on Turner’s Terrace