Old Thames Telephone directories

Genealogists often want to find out more about the lives of the ancestors eg. where did they live, what did they do? Well how about did they have the telephone or not? What was their number? Were they on a party line?

Like me you may find your family weren't on the telephone, but I can see neighbours who probably took emergency calls for them.

 Here are some business examples from 1937 Thames Telephone Directory:
 SURNAME FIRSTNAME OCCUP, BUS Details ADDRESS Phone No.

ABATTOIRS Parawai 135
ADAMS L R Chemist Pollen St 18
ARBURY J W Draper & Mercer Pollen St 230M
BAG-WASH LAUNDRY (S.B. Baker) Karaka Creek Rd 279S
BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES Pollen St 30
BANK OF NEW ZEALAND Pollen St 1
BANK, POST-OFFICE SAVINGS 94
BATEMAN A Butcher Rolleston St 84
BATTSON J H Plumber & Electrician Pollen St 3
BONGARD Chemist 258
BOROUGH COUNCIL Albert St 5
BOWLING-GREEN Baillie St 61
BRAEMAR PRIVATE HOSPITAL Queen St 254
BRIAN BORU HOTEL (J Twohill) Pollen St 82
BROKENSHIRE & ROSS Plumbers Pollen St 52
BROKENSHIRE Arnold J Bookseller & Stationer Pollen St 212S
BROKENSHIRE Arnold J S P Q R Stores Pollen St 181S
BROWN Edwin & Co Cycle dlrs Plln St 77
CARSON W Bookseller & Stnr Pollen St 207
CO-OPERATIVE FISHERIES (NZ) Ltd Retail Shop Pollen St 42M
CORNWALL ARMS HOTEL (J Alwinger) Cochrane St 98

Click here for full 1937 Telephone Directory and 1939 Telephone Directory

Thames Library have full copies of the 1937, 1938 and 1939 Telephone directories. (Archives collection) The Directory covers many outlying areas around the Peninsula, Hauraki Plains and Bay of Plenty.

Battson Plumbers Phone Number in 1837 was 3