I have just got hold of a Wm Coad (Thames bookseller) card - that is taken at the north end of Queen Street, and shows the mining activity around the Moanataiari / Grahamstown area.
ABOVE: From the vicinity of Moanataiari Creek Road looking South. Pollen Street left, Queen Street centre, then Davy Street and Owen Street / Brown Street far right (out of view).
William Coad, was a bookseller at the corner of Sealey and Pollen Streets, where an optician currently occupies the building. It was quite normal for the booksellers in town to publish their own postcards - they were popular to send to people in New Zealand and overseas.
A closer look at the Coad Postcard.
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| Top left of Postcard: Prince Imperial Mine, Saxon Mine along Pollen Street. Top left is St George's Church and centre right is the St James Church. |
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| Centre of Postcard: View along Queen Street. Past the Queen's Hotel, Government Buildings - to Chas Judd Ltd centre left. Top right the South / Shortland Railway Station and the Shortland Wharf. Totara Point can be seen top left. |
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| Lower left of Postcard: The area now known as the Gold Discovery - Hauraki Prospectors' Association.
THEN & NOW: 1880s to 2018
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ABOVE: Changing views from the North end of Thames - looking south.
Transportation Theme for Heritage Week 2019.
What is disappointing in many postcards is the lack of activity! I was hopeful that enlarged views should show a horse and cart along the road, but alas nothing. What can we see?The footpaths are wide along Queen Street, and appear in good condition, so the 'walker' appears well catered for.
The deep drains on the side of the verge would have posed a problem for walker and driver if they ventured close to the edge of the road!
The roads tend to be used in the middle, and the edges appear rough and even grassed in parts. This would no doubt have made travel a challenge at times - especially during winter. As you get to the Moanataiari area the road is very much just a dirt track and the cart lines are clearly visible. Are they even tramlines? or the remnants of lines.
The deep drains on the side of the verge would have posed a problem for walker and driver if they ventured close to the edge of the road!
The roads tend to be used in the middle, and the edges appear rough and even grassed in parts. This would no doubt have made travel a challenge at times - especially during winter. As you get to the Moanataiari area the road is very much just a dirt track and the cart lines are clearly visible. Are they even tramlines? or the remnants of lines.
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