Thames (NZ): Big Pump area views

     Still thinking about the previous post and changes that took place on the land north of Coromandel Street.  Here a a selection of views that give us a timeline from the photograph that was found at Webb's auction site.

Grahamstown - Big Pump centre left.

1902 View

1902 View towards Big Pump

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19020227-10-1

1905 View 

1905 View towards Big Pump

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19050119-2-2

During the 1890s, 1900s the land was cleared of  old buildings - hotels, residences and mining related.

Lets take a look back to the 1870s and remember the 'glory days'. 

 

1870s Moanataiari - Kuranui, Grahamstown

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19170802-35-1

Below the Moanataiari area 2020

Thames (NZ): View to Grahamstown revisited

 Looking for 'new' old photographs of Thames?

Have you checked the auction catalogues?

This week we got a tip off that there was an old Thames photo for sale in a Webb's upcoming auction. (photo below)

You will have seen this view before,  the photograph captures early mining activity along the Kuranui - Moanataiari - Grahamstown foreshore.

 

In the first few years after the goldfields opened 1 August 1867, residences were built to accommodate the influx of miners and their families. 

What amazes me most about the two photos above is the reality that when the population left and the golden dreams subsides, houses literally disappeared.

 

Did you spot the little house in the foreground? I wonder who the occupants were, and what they thought of the changing landscape.

Keep looking at the auction sites and we may discover more photographs of early Thames.

Thames (NZ): Take a second look in Colour - Moanataiari Creek

The Moanataiari Creek Valley
The view for today is of the Moanataiari Valley. Personally special as it was home to my Great Great Grandparents Clement and Barbara Cornes and their family. In total they had thirteen children - three passed away early and are interred at Shortland Cemetery, Thames.

     Clement Augustus Cornes was at various times a miner, mine manager and mine owner. Around 1868, Cornes was working the Just-in-Time Claim, Moanataiari Creek. By the 1875 Electoral Roll, Clement and his brother Alfred (and their families) resided at the Golden Calf Claim, which was to the south of the previously mentioned claim.

1875 Thames Electoral Roll 

Source: Ancestry.au., Thames Library Edition

Moanataiari Creek, Thames (c1869)

Source:  'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A16668' 

PHOTO Description

Looking along Moanataiari Creek, Thames, showing gold mining activity. The rail line going off to the left is going up to the Victoria Battery. This is the original rail line that Tookey put in from the beach to the battery and sold to the government when they began building the extension proper of the Moanataiari Tramway up the upper part of the valley to Punga Flat in 1869. One of the buildings in the distance is the (Grand) Junction Hotel. The track going up the valley to the left is to Eureka Hill.

A Second Look in Colour

 What Do You See?

• People walking along the tramline heading to Grahamstown or beyond. Perhaps going over the hills to Eureka or Waiotahi Creek School.
• Devastation! The landscape dominated by mining, adits, tree stumps and wooden buildings perched on the valley wall.
• A lone tree, but a memory of how the land was before the hunt for gold took over.
• Piles of cut timber far left - is someone building a new hut, or for use in a nearby mine?

Above: The children and women are immaculately dressed, while the men take a break. 

Below: A miner is seated on the right, beside a small hut.

Principal Buildings at the Moanataiari Creek Settlement

     Previously I confess I hadn't taken a great deal of notice of the buildings at the far right of the original photo. I was surprised to see the description which stated that one of the buildings was the (Grand) Junction Hotel. In the past I wrongly assumed the buildings were soley mining related. Look at the photograph snips below and follow the tramway up to the buildings. Not a place for the less fit!

     The steam driven Victoria Battery is nestled at the base of the hill, the battery's large chimney visible above the roofs.

     In the Thames Directory 1870, three businesses operated up the Moanataiari Creek: A general store (Mr T E Bush), Grand Junction Store (Mr R B Mason), and the Junction Hotel (Mr R S Browne).

  

 Above & Below: Various snips of the full colourised photo labelled 'Moanataiari Creek'.

The Grand Junction Hotel & Store - Which is Which?

      The dilemma is which building is the Grand Junction Hotel? My money is on the 'larger' building, as accommodation would have been a core part of the hotel's business. We do know that a store was located directly adjacent to the hotel (more on that later) and that both were by the Victoria Battery.

    In the colourised view it appears there is a lamp outside the larger building, a requirement for hotels of this era. Does the writing say hotel or Store? (see enlargement below)

The Grand Junction Hotel

     Hotels on the goldfield often took their name in relation to the nearest mine, so we would assume that the Grand Junction Hotel was named after the nearby Grand Junction Claim.

     The hotel opened c1868 and closed 1880. Known Publicans were: Matthew Vaughan (1868-69); R S Browne (1870); Sarah Jane Vaughan (1871); Louis Segar (1871-72); Elizabeth Isaacs (1872); George Burdett (1874-75); William Hetherington (1875-76); Samuel Barrett (1876): and Michael Driscoll (1878-80).

    Maori War veteran Mr Matthew Vaughan, built and operated the hotel . He married his barmaid in 1869, who subsequently left him for another man. Around 1869, Vaughan moved onto other hotels at the Thames while a string of new publicans graced this hotel up the Moanataiari Creek.

     The Grand Junction Hotel was used as a meeting place by the residents of the Moanataiari Creek. In 1871 for instance they gathered there to discuss the matter of town boundaries.

THAMES GUARDIAN AND MINING RECORD, 19 AUGUST 1872

     Early in the morning 23 March 1874, there was a fire which burnt the Grand Junction Hotel and Bennett’s adjoining store to the ground. The fire reportedly started by a spark from one of the engine furnaces in the area.  Its not clear when the new hotel was built, but Publican George Burdett was in residence by 7 February 1875, when the sad news was published that his one year old son George had died at the Grand Junction Hotel.

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS,  24 MARCH 1874

     

     For many years the owner of the hotel was Ehrenfried Bros, who owned the majority of the hotels in the town. It was therefore the norm that hotels leased. Each hotel had a publican who was required to gain a license from the local licensing board.

     Another common use for a hotel on the goldfield was to act as a 'morgue' for the recently deceased. The person's body held at the hotel until the police arrived and / or an inquest was held. This was the case in October 1878, when there was a fatal accident at the Moanataiari Mine. Tributer Thomas Pugh was crushed to death by several tonnes of earth - his body was taken to the Grand Junction Hotel until the police arrived. The late Mr Pugh was then conveyed to his residence in Pollen Street awaiting an inquest and interment. Thames Advertiser 4 October 1878.

    In January 1880, there was another fire at the hotel leased at that time by Michael Driscoll. That appears to be the end of the Grand Junction Hotel!

Grand Junction Store

     The store was owned by Mr Richard B Mason (c1870), and then operated by Mr T A Bennett (c1872-1880). There were two major fires at the store (outlined above) in 1874 and 1880. There are no details found (as yet) for the store trading after the last devastating event.

THAMES GUARDIAN AND MINING RECORD,  26 JANUARY 1872

Comparative Photographs

     There is another photograph of the Victoria Battery and the view up the Moanataiari Gully which compares the landscape changes. Then there is another one of the 'same' view.  Both are below, notice anything?

Photo 1 (Left): Showing the Moanatairi Gully near Dauntless Mine, Thames  Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 3681-45

Photo 2 (Right): "Showing the Victoria Battery at the Moanataiari Creek , Thames near the Dauntless Goldmine" Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 4-3678

Did you spot the difference? A flipped image...the correct one on the right? This matches the landscape landmarks in our photo of the day at the beginning of the article. [Auckland library have been notified regarding the images]

Take the Challenge:

     Do you know the names of any of the mines / claims in the Moanataiari Valley area.

Check out The Thames Illustrated Mining Map (part below) for some clues.

    Did you say: Auckland Consolidated, Belfast, Caledonia, Duke of Edinburgh, Galatea, Golden Calf, Grand Junction, Hazel Bank, Just in Time, Kellys, Morning Star, Otago, Pai Marire, Redan, Tookeys, or Young American? And many more!

Thames Illustrated Mining Map

Source: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZ Map 4531

Below: Crop of the above map.

1. Victoria Battery; 2. Just In Time Claim; 3. Golden Calf Claim

Suggested Reading:

Goldrush to the Thames New Zealand 1867 to 1869, by Dr Kae Lewis. Parawai Press 2017.

SIDE-BY-SIDE - Colourised & Original

Moanataiari Creek, Thames (c1869)

Source:  'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A16668' 

Thames (NZ): Mining Maps & Plans

Thanks to Dave for the alert regarding a site that specialises in mining plans - the details are below.

NZ Mine Plans
"NZ Mine Plans is a purpose-built database with an interactive GIS webmap. It provides free access to a catalogue of plans for recent and historic mines in New Zealand."
    Yes they are free! And the resolution of the downloadable plans are significant! Not all the plans have as yet been digitised but there are instructions about how copies can be obtained.
    A 'user guide' is available.

How the site works?
I searched with 'Thames' and received many hits for the wider area. Understandably many of them were for the Martha Mine at Waihi.
     I selected the 'Bendigo Mine' at Thames. Looked at the preview, then selected to download the file. At this stage I was asked for my email address - which I submitted. Immediately I received a verification code, that I entered and the file began downloading.

     The plans cover not just the Bendigo Mine, but adjacent ones and their workings. Drives, reefs, adits, crosscuts, different levels are also included.

     I am sure you will not be lost for plans to look at, and hopefully for those of us less familiar with the mine location details, it will help us come to terms with what was happening at The Thames, which included a lot more than just a name on a map!

Using the interactive Map

     

     An easier way to check out the plans is to use the map, zoom into to the Thames area and then select the mine of choice. In the example above I selected the Cambria Mine. If nothing else this feature allows you to explore the locations of several Thames mines.

Other Resources:
Remember also to go back and visit some of the previous sites we have looked at, as they are updated from time to time.

• Heritage maps available from Auckland Council Libraries Kura website. Use the advanced search option to select historical maps and the area you want to search "Thames"
• Heritage maps available via the Auckland Libraries Heritage Images site
• Digital NZ is an easy way to search across many resource providers. Here are the results for the terms "Thames Maps"

Thames (NZ): Another look at the Waiotahi Aqueduct

A quick update on yesterdays post. I came across one of my postcards that gives us a birds-eye view of the aqueduct. What an amazing and imposing structure that dominated the landscape for decades (along with others).

If it was there today, the Waiotahi Aqueduct would be located on the north side of Burke Street - to the right of the building at the far right in the photo below.

A close-up of the 1910-20 view, shows men walking along the structure, maybe doing repairs or checking the integrity of the aqueduct.

Thames (NZ): UPDATE Grahamstown a Second Look in Colour

Part of the original photograph - Grahamstown

Te Papa Tongarewa

Yesterday we looked at Grahamstown, focusing on a colourised version of a Daniel Mundy photograph taken c1871. The question was raised about the large pond like structure.

"Fascinating to see the detail of the "pond" in the photograph. Initially in the original format I thought it was tailings or waste from one of the industrial sites in the area. The colourised view however shows incredible details of a sandbag type construction, was it therefore more likely a water reserve for public or business use?"

Discussion:

Thanks to feedback from David and Russell we can look again at the 'pond' thanks to their knowledge and understanding of mining history.

Point 1: When looking at these colourised images, we should be weary of the colours portrayed and how we may consequently influence what 'we see'. The change process is automatic so wrong colours may be assigned to an area. Is the 'pond' area actually a pond containing water or bare land. Given the sandbag like construction, the possible reflections, shape of the structure with banks it would appear a reservoir of some nature is correct.

MyHeritage has details on how the colourisation process works, plus they have added a new facility that allows the researcher to modify / correct colour mistakes.

Point 2. A reliable water supply was vital, and without it batteries were unable to operate. During summer therefore, many batteries were unable to work, thus leading to the urgent need for a reliable water source for the town and businesses. (The water race opened in 1876) The Prince Alfred Battery is an example of a battery having a salt water reservoir.

"Steam was the major power source for the operation of batteries on the flat. In lieu of sufficient running water, wood resources (for fuel) were exploited very quickly.  As the battery numbers increased, coal soon became the main fuel (imported from the Northland coalfields)...The batteries that had water wheels tended to be further up in the valleys where the water supply, while less, was more easily able to be tapped into as batteries were generally very close to the streams." Skeet, R

Point 3. Using salt water to power machinery was not without its challenges and accidents! As was the case in the Kuranui boiler accident in 1874.

In the Daily Southern Cross 18 December 1868, there was a comprehensive report on the Kuranui Battery, which also gave details on the use of water reservoirs on the Thames Goldfield - in this instance sited on the beach. Part of the report follows: "A large reservoir has been cut in the rock on the beach, which serves to store about sixty thousand gallons of water, to supply the machine when the tide is out." 

Daily Southern Cross 18 December 1868,

Reservoirs

There are numerous reports in the newspapers on the construction of reservoirs related to mining activities. For instance, the Thames Crushing Company's reservoir was completed March 1869 and the Kuranui Company's reservoir was enlarged and lined with timber in June 1869.

In the Daily Southern Cross 23 October 1869, the importance of  quality water was discussed in relation to the new reservoir built for the Prince Alfred Battery on the flat at Grahamstown. The new reservoir under excavation was planned to be a hundred feet square and eighteen feet deep.

The use of water was regulated and applications for use were necessary. While this is off topic, there are full details in the newspapers of the day along with parliamentary papers and acts.

A great example is published in the Daily Southern Cross 6 March 1868. The subsection for Water Rights outlines rules and regulations.

Closing: 

Following review and discussion we have been reminded of certain key points.

• Water was vital on the goldfield for mining activities, while getting rid of underground water often hindered mining operations.
• Salt Water was better than nothing, but its use posed problems to the integrity of the machinery.
• Lastly, while enjoying the colourised photographs, be open to the fact that colour selection and display is not necessarily correct without further fine tuning and modification.

Sources:

Skeet, R and Wilton, D - Email communications 18 May 2020.

Wilton, D: THE THAMES WATER RACE (1876 - 1947) Treasury Journal.

Thames (NZ): Grahamstown a second look in colour

Industrial Grahamstown & beyond:

Grahamstown
Te Papa Tongarewa

Do you have a favourite view of the Grahamstown and Moanataiari area during the goldrush? It may depend on whether you are looking for examples of housing, trying to identify shops or mining activities or some other landmark?

One of the best examples is this image taken by Daniel Mundy c1871 from the vicinity of the Eureka / Shotover Road, south of  present day Kuranui Bay. (photo right)

You can almost smell the smoke and hear the noise of the mining operations dotted along the narrow section of land between hill and sea - unrecognisable today following decades of reclamation.

Grahamstown through colourised lens:

Would colour make a difference to your perception of the view?

Thanks to Tom B for labelling some of the landmarks. To help get your bearings, the Moanataiari Battery (in the centre) would present day be located on the intersection of Ferguson Drive, SH 25 and Dickson Street.

Colourised View of Grahamstown courtesy of MyHeritage.

From left to right (east to west) the following landmarks are marked: Golden Crown Mine (behind Tookey's Shaft), Tookey's Mine, Caledonian Battery, Souters Battery, Kuranui Battery, United Pumping Association / Big Pump, Smale's Folley, Moanataiari Battery, Holdship's Wharf, Grahamstown Tramway and the Kuranui Hotel.

Fascinating to see the detail of the "pond" in the photograph. Initially in the original format I thought it was tailings or waste from one of the industrial sites in the area. The colourised view however shows incredible details of a sandbag type construction, was it therefore more likely a water reserve for public or business use? (see image crop below)

Now to the study of a miner's house, their pride and enjoy and a place to escape the madness of the goldfield. A small cottage, probably divided into two rooms, one living one sleeping, plus a large covered front veranda. The property is fenced with a front and side gate. A large chimney providing a fire for cooking and warmth. The window on the side, appears to be boarded rather than glassed as those of the neighbouring houses.

Washing hangs on a line, plus larger items are draped over the northern fence. Where is the outhouse? A pick or shovel lies at the back of the house by the chimney, alongside a panning dish.

The house is in danger! A rock slide threatens to engulf the backyard and the house, it has already broken part of the back fence.

Remember to stop and take a second look, find something new to focus on 

and piece together possible history scenarios.

Background:

Caledonian Mine: Started in 1867, and experienced a short bonanza. Over the years, expanded under various ownership groups. Total output 55,529 tons of quartz, which yielded 277,166 oz. bullion valued at 764,676 Pounds. (Downey, page 81)

Golden Crown Mine: First successful find in 1868, then only achieved success for the 'usual' short period. Expanded and later taken over by the Caledonian Company and finally the Waiotahi Company. Total output 32,483 tons of quartz, which yielded 91,760 oz. bullion valued at 248,896 Pounds. (Downey, page 274)

 

Thames Lions Club Heritage signs for the Caledonian and Golden Crown Mines.

Grahamstown Tramway: A tramway that ran from near the wharf at Albert Street along the foreshore to Tararu. thousands used this mode of transport, it was a surprise to many that this was not extended to Shortland Town. Tramways were essential for mining companies to transport their ore for processing and disposing.

Holdship's Wharf: Holdship's Mill was located at the corner of Beach Road and Cochrane Street. Previously the site of an old Maori pa, and where Mr R B Smith opened a store known as the “Pah Store”. The Holdship Timber Company owned the wharf.

Kuranui Battery: When the battery was sold in 1916 the contents included 20 head of stampers, 10 berdans, two pelton wheels and an assay room.

Kuranui Hotel: Located on the foreshore, the hotel opened March 1868. In January 1875, the hotel was placed for mortgagee sale, described as being on Land parcel 1132, Moanataiari Number One, Tookey’s Flat. Land size approximately 28 perches. On 27th August 1876, a destructive fire occurred which destroyed the Kuranui Hotel and several adjoining properties.

Smale's Building aka Smale's Folley:  A long corrugated iron building extending from Pollen to Queen Street, the site of the present Post Office. Built to provide accommodation for miners, but proved unpopular as a boarding house option. Temperance meetings were held at the building, by 1871 often called Temperance Hall.

Tookey's Mine: Daniel Tookey was an early miner on the goldfield, his claim located near the mouth of the Moanataiari Stream. Total output 9,401 tons of quartz, which yielded 16,049 oz. bullion valued at 41,275 Pounds. (Downey, page 282)

United Pumping Association / Big Pump: Constructed in 1872, and replaced around 1895 by the Thames-Hauraki Pumping Association's plant in Bella Street. Pumps were vital on the Thames goldfield to drain the water out of mine shafts. (Wilton, 2012)

References:

Gold-Mines of the Hauraki District, J F Downey. Cadsonbury Publications Reprint 2002.

The Big Pump Site Revisited in 2012, David Wilton. The Treasury Journal.

LIST OF KNOWN BATTERIES Battery Name/s	Location
Albion Battery	Grahamstown
Alburnia Battery	Moanataiari
Anchor Battery	Thames
Arrundell Syndicate Battery	Karaka
Atlas Battery	Karaka
Aurora Battery	Tararu
Australasian Battery	Waiotahi
Ballarat And Clunes Battery	Tararu Creek
Bedford Battery	Hape Creek
Berdan Battery	Thames
Berrys Plant	Tararu
Bleazard's Battery (previously Pactolus)	Thames
Break O'Day Battery	Thames
Brighton Battery	Waiotahi
Brissenden And Co Battery	Thames
Brown And Campbells Battery	Tararu
Bull's Battery	Karaka Creek
Caledonian Battery	Thames
Cambria	Thames
Captain Ninnis Battery	Thames
Carfrae, Stewart and Russell Battery	Thames
Central Italy Battery	Moanataiari
City Of London Battery	Grahamstown
Clarkson's Battery	Shellback
Cornstalk Battery	Waiotahi
Coulabah Battery	Karaka
Criterion Battery	Waiotahi
Crown Princess Battery	Grahamstown
Dart Battery	Thames
Dayspring Battery	Thames
De Hirsch Battery	Waiotahi
Deep Lead Battery	Kurunui
Eaton and Dewolf's Battery	Thames
Eclipse Battery	Tararu
Eglington Battery	Waiotahi
Ethel Reefs Battery	Hape
Fairmile	Shortland
Fame and Fortune Battery	Thames
Farmer's Battery	Thames
Fearnaught Battery	Thames
Flora Mcdonald Battery	Tararu
Gibbon's Battery	Thames
Golden Calf Battery	Moanataiari
Golden Crown Battery	Grahamstown
Goodall's Battery	Moanataiari
Great Expectations Mill	Thames Goldfields
Greenville's Battery	Hape Creek
Greenway's Battery	Hape Creek
Grove Battery	Hape
Halcyon Battery	Karaka Creek
Hape Battery	Hape
Hauraki Battery	Waiotahi
Herald Battery	Thames
Hokianga Battery	Karaka
Holdship And Co Battery	Karaka
Homeward Bound Battery	Kuranui
Imperial Crown Battery	Grahamstown
Judd Battery	Karaka
Kauaeranga Battery	Karaka
Kuranui Battery	Grahamstown
Ladybird Battery	Thames
Launceston Battery	Moanataiari Creek
Little And Good Battery	Karaka
Little Lizzie Battery	Karaka
Lord Nelson Battery	Hape Creek
Lucky Hit Battery	Karaka Creek
Manning Battery	Hape
Manukau Battery	Grahamstown
Massey's Battery	Thames
May Queen	Thames
McIsaac's Battery	Karaka
Middle Star Battery	Moanataiari
Missouri Battery	Tararu
Moanataiari Battery	Moanataiari
Morning Star Battery	Moanataiari
Nonpareil Battery	Moanataiari
Onehunga Battery	Karaka Creek
Pactolus Battery (later Bleazards)	Thames
Pahau Battery	Grahamstown
Partington's Battery	Tararu
Perry Battery	Karaka
Piako Battery	Grahamstown
Pioneer Battery	Moanataiari
Planet Battery	Karaka
Price Brothers Battery	Grahamstown
Prince Alfred Battery (aka Goodall's)	Thames
Prince Imperial Battery	Grahamstown
Punga Flat Battery	Punga Flat
Pyrites Company Battery	Grahamstown
Queen Of Beauty Battery	Grahamstown
Queen Of May Battery	Waiokaraka
Raithby And Muir Battery	Hape
Russell's Battery	Tararu Creek
S H Smith's Battery	Thames
Savery And Co	Tararu
Saw Mill Hape Creek Battery	Shortland
Sawyer's Battery	Waiotahi
Scottish Chief	Upper Tararu
Shotover Battery	Kurunui
Sir William Wallace Battery	Karaka
Souter's Battery	Waiotahi
Spencer's Battery	Thames
Sprague Battery	Thames
Star of Polynesia Battery	Thames
Star Of The South Battery	Moanataiari
Sunnybank Battery	Tararu
Sylvia Battery	Tararu
Tararu Battery (Campbell, Brown & Co)	Tararu
Test & Specimen Battery	Karaka
Thames Battery	Moanataiari Creek
Thames Foreshore Plant	Thames
Thomas Battery	Hape
Thwaites And Co Battery	Grahamstown
Tookey's Battery	Tookey's Flat
Tramway Battery	Moanataiari Creek
Una Battery	Karaka Creek
United Pumping Association Battery	Thames
United Service Battery	Moanataiari
Vickery's Battery	Karaka
Victoria Battery	Moanataiari
Vulcan Battery	Upper Tararu
Waiotahi Battery	Waiotahi
Waitemata Battery	Moanataiari
Westons Battery	Waiotahi
Whau Battery	Moanataiari
Wild Missouri Battery	Tararu

Thames (NZ): Karaka Road homes 1868 / 1870s - a Second Look

Description: Looking over Karaka Creek, Thames, showing Bulls Battery (centre foreground); St Georges Church (right rear); miners' tents, raupo huts (left foregound and centre), privies, and cottages.

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 4-RIC134

Description: Shortland, view from Irishtown over Karaka Creek to Karaka Road. Block 27 (up to the right), and over to Sandes Street and Edward Street. Lower right centre is Rolleston Street and Shortland Town in the distance. George Bulls Battery front right.

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 536-Album-285-12-1

Take a Second look! Do you sometimes look at an old photograph of Thames, and mentally just say, "Oh yes, I have seen that before - nothing new to see!?"

Stop, have another look at the two photographs above from Auckland Libraries Sir George Grey Collection. While the angles are slightly different, you can see homes of varying construction material. There are tents (large and small), thatched roof huts, timber shops and houses, plus a mining battery in the lower view. Even a tramway track from up the Karaka / Una Hill.

Within a few months you can see how buildings were constructed to line Karaka Road.

If you need to get your bearings, here is a named photograph.

What fascinated me most when I had a second look, was the Thames' first pole houses!!! No time to dig out the site and get a level plot of land...just build and have the front half on piles resembling stilts! Also look for the houses and see if any changed over a couple of years in the early 1870s.

 

 The fenced sections on the south of Karaka Road make it easy to find the houses and what development has taken place. The two houses on the far right proudly standing on their 'stilt' piles. Did you notice that there is a front door? but no steps. Definitely have to use the back door until there is money for a front verandah and steps. Can you make a judgement on the weather in the photo far right? Check out the washing, its blowing and flapping on the long lines, no doubt supported by a good old ti-tree prop.

Lastly, to finish our second look, check out the businesses in Karaka Road. The two-storied one (with the rear entrance visible is almost definitely a hotel. Several up this road had accommodation on the second story, which was actually only tall enough to crawl in for most patrons.

Part of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 536-Album-285-12-1