Here is early Wellington on a good day, looking north down Lambton Quay. On the left, with the veranda, is Barrett’s Hotel, the social hub for many. On the right is John Plimmer’s warehouse, known as ‘Plimmer’s Ark’, built on top of an old hulk. You can still see the remains of it underneath the […]
Here is William Barnard Rhodes (1807–78), the richest man in early Wellington, photographed in 1858 with his first wife Sarah, and Maryann, his Māori daughter from an earlier relationship. It is also one of Wellington’s earliest photographic portraits — a hand-tinted ambrotype, an early form of photography popular in the 1850s. The sitting was probably […]
Wellingtonians carry a sense of place everywhere we go. Our streets are dotted with locations of significance: hallowed Basin, gleaming Golden Mile. And then there are spots we leave off the maps: places where private passion runs as deep as any public sentiment. Purchased sex is an irreducible component of capital life. It was here […]
Few places in Wellington are as rich in social history as the Basin Reserve. Nowadays, it is regarded internationally as one of the world’s oldest and best cricket grounds. Since the 1860s cricket has always been its main purpose, but for much of last century it doubled as a venue for all kinds of other […]
Here is Dr Agnes Bennett (1872–1960), photographed with friends on a summer driving expedition in her new car. It was on the eve of World War I and they were off to climb Mt Taranaki. That is her on the right grinning at the camera. Bennett was born in Australia and trained as a doctor […]
Here we are at the Wellington Girls’ College in Thorndon. It is Parents’ Day, 1927, and the girls are demonstrating their skill at Swedish drill. This particular move was called the halfway side falling position and was designed to strengthen the side muscles. An instruction booklet of the time stresses that it should be done […]
Through the 1960s, photographer and architecture researcher Duncan Winder had a mission. He was an enthusiast for good architecture and set himself the task of documenting it, all around Wellington and in other cities. It is a fascinating archive of over 5,000 photographs, most of which can be seen on the National Library website This […]
It is always good to celebrate a successful Wellington business. Vance Vivian, Wellington’s very own top-of-the-range specialty men’s clothing store, has just turned 90. The company is still going strong, setting the standards for sharp suits and other fine male fashion. The firm was begun by George Vance and Harold Vivian in 1924. Vivian was […]
This month the All Blacks take on the South Africans at the Cake Tin. They are always our toughest rugby foes. This photograph is from the final test of the 1921 series against South Africa at Athletic Park in Berhampore. The series was locked, with one win each. This was the deciding game, and the […]
A hundred years ago, on 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. The following day, a hastily convened New Zealand Parliament pledged to help defend the Empire. Out on the Wellington streets there were spontaneous patriotic parades. Over the following weeks, thousands volunteered for military service at the Buckle Street military barracks. This photograph […]
