What a delight to find a 'new' book that has a section on Thames Booksellers.The book is Turning the Pages: The Story of Bookselling in New Zealand by Anna Rogers and Max Rogers. Published in 1993 by Reed Books - hardcover, 300 pages. (cover right)
The Thames section is on pages 134-35.
The heading is COROMANDEL! The introduction is: "The Coromandel town we know as Thames was originally two settlements called Grahamstown and Shortland." There are some discrepancies, such as stating the amalgamation of towns took place in 1870, please note that it was in fact 1873.
Early Booksellers named in the book are:
Edward Wayte , J Jefferson (Pollen St); J F Carter, T Watters (Brown St).
The highlighted booksellers' in the book are:
Robert BURRA, John NODDER, William COAD, William CARSON, Stan BROWN, Pat MRAVICICH Arnold & Phil BROKENSHIRE.
Mr John Nodder & Mr Robert Burra.
ROBERT BURRA, came to New Zealand in 1863, and Thames in 1869. Robert ran a bookshop from 1874 to the 1890s in Brown Street, Grahamstown. [The business then moved to Pollen Street opposite the Salvation Army Barracks.] While it was a bookshop, these early shops were typically much more than the seller of books. For instance the shop sold stationery, fancy goods and music items. [Burra drowned at Devonport June 1910.]
JOHN NODDER, was from England and several years after his arrival settled in Thames in 1869. Nodder's bookshop opened in 1872 and continued until his retirement November 1913.
WILLIAM COAD, started in 1904.. (See W C Gribble below). The business was later run and named Mrs Coad's; the business was sold to F A Springhall in 1929.
CARSON'S BOOKSHOP, situated north of the Pollen & Mary Street intersect the business was started in 1906 by Mr William Carson. The shop was later run by Carson's children Ross and Beryl. In 1975, Stan Brown bought the business and later it was sold to Pat and Vince Mravicich. The shop moved to the corner site previously occupied by Court's. The business still operates today.
BROKENSHIRE'S BOOKSHOP. The business was started by Arnold Brokenshire at the north end of town, in a shop by Battson's plumbing premises. The business moved south to the central part of Pollen Street in the late 1930s, and new premises were built in the 1960s. The business was later run by Arnold's son Phil Brokenshire. The premises remain as a bookshop in 2020.
Left: The shop at 554 Pollen Street, Thames. Right: Inside the shop 1941.
OTHER BOOKSELLERS Pre 1930 - Not mentioned in the above book:
- ARDERN, Mrs: Pollen Street, was Mrs Jefferson's, then sold to Gribble. Mrs Ardern had the shop around 1885-86.
- DUNNAGE's VARIETY DEPOT: Pollen Street, Established 1913 and continued through to 1925, when W H Richardson took over the business. While a seller of books, Dunnage appears to have specialised in Stationery plus other variety items.
- GRIBBLE, W C: Near the Karaka Bridge Pollen Street, was Mrs Ardern's old shop, operated from 1886 to around 1904 when it was taken over by Mr Coad. It was at that stage located at corner of Pollen and Sealey Streets.
Lots of goodies apart from books at W C Gribble's of Pollen Street, Thames.
THAMES STAR, 6 FEBRUARY 1896 at Paperspast
- MCLIVER, C: Brown Street, a bookseller and tobacconist 1879 to 1886 when he went bankrupt. When the Thames Orphanage and Training School opened in 1879, Mr McLiver supplied maps and schoolbooks for the school.
- OSBORNE, J Miss: Pollen Street, was previously the Manager for Mrs Jefferson before she started her own business in 1885.
THAMES STAR, 29 APRIL 1885 at PapersPast
- WEEKS, Mr: Brown Street, open for business around 1875-76.
- WOOD, H J: Brown Street, was open c1868 to around 1870. Typical of many business owners who came to the goldfield to make their fortune, while the miners hunted for gold! Many lasted but a few years before moving on.
In conclusion, the above names are just a handful of the booksellers of early Thames. As can be seen, many businesses had a wide range of products, if we were to add Stationers, the list would explode!
