Island Songs – #137

Island Songs – #137

Otehei Bay’s wharf  – it’s on many a picture and postcard. Iconic? Arguably so. Ironic? Maybe. A witness to change? Definitely. Constructing the wharf was one of the first tasks of a private company, registered 14th October 1926, the Zane Grey...
Russell in 1913 – #138

Russell in 1913 – #138

A hundred years ago Laurie Coates was born and the first service was held in Russell’s newly built Methodist Church. What else happened that year? Big news was the bitter two month long waterfront and general strike involving up to 16000 unionists, scab labour,...
Historic? Or not? – #139

Historic? Or not? – #139

What’s historic and what’s not? According to the Historic Places Trust register the Customhouse is but next door, the Duke’s not, even though its licence is. Just visible at the top of this photo on opposite sides of  York St -Williams cottage is,...
Of Cats and Birds – #141

Of Cats and Birds – #141

Here’s a tale for Gareth Morgan’s anti-cat file. In the Russell Museum we have on display a small bird called a Putopu. A member of the rail family, it is now extinct, but we have a remarkable story about the bird and how we came to have it in our...

Bye-bye Big Tree – #142

Big Tree – it’s an advertisement for benzine. You can only just make out the words on the roof of the wharf shed. They were on the other side too for a few years. This “new” Government wharf  opened in 1927. Several years later Lord Bledisloe,...