Thames early photos - J A SHAND

While searching for information on JAMES ARTHUR SHAND, I found three early photos at Papers past of early Thames (published 1917). The quality is poor, but description makes them worthy of a view.

1. THE EARLY DAYS OF THAMES. View of Shortland from Karaka Creek, taken in 1871. In the right foreground is where the Thames Hospital and Thames High School buildings now stand. , The large building in centre is old St. George's Church in Rolleston Street. Note the barren appearance of the business centre of to-day. (Block kindly lent by J. A. Shand.)

2. THE EARLY DAYS OF THAMES. " View of Grahamstown portion of Town, taken in 1871. In the right foreground the tents mark the spot where Messrs. A. and G. Price's foundry stands to-day. Curtis' wharf in centre (Block kindly lent by J. A. Shand.)

3. THE EARLY DAYS AT THAMES. View showing lower portion of Moanataiari Valley, Eureka Hill on left foreground. On the other side of the spur, on left, was where the famous Shotover Claim was located. ' (Block kindly lent by J. A. Shand.) '

So who was J A SHAND? James Arthur Shand was a war correspondent in the Boer War, who settled in Thames and was editor of the THAMES STAR newspaper. The clipping below tells of how Mr Shand was responsible for getting the nurses to the front. He later served in WWI and reports of his efforts as a Boer war correspondent are detailed in this doctoral report by Oostermann.

Thames Star 12 March 1901

Shand was later asked by the New Zealand Government to write a history of the war. The details are: J. A. Shand, ‘O'er Veldt and Kopje, The Official Account of the Operations of the New Zealand Contingents in the Boer War (Years 1899–1902)’, manuscript, n.d. [1931], Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, MS-1790-1793.

The later site of the Thames Star Newspaper, and present location of the Hauraki Herald Newspaper office
(Sealey Street, Thames)
Thames Star 14 April 1949