The Floral Ship on the Strand

Floral Ship. Tauranga. B.P. N.Z. 3001.
Undated postcard, publisher unknown. Collection and courtesy of Justine Neal

A floral ship constructed in 1938 has graced The Strand ever since, it has no doubt featured in many holiday photos and many of those who live in Tauranga have fond memories of this iconic creation. The shape of the ship has changed over the years, in fact in some photos, it appears to have lost its trim lines altogether.

Floral Ship. Strand, Tauranga, N.Z.
Postcard sent March 1956, publisher unknown. Collection and courtesy of Justine Neal

 Bay of Plenty Times, 13 Feb 1941

The Floral Ship at Tauranga
by Kathleen E.S. Gunn. Wellington, N.Z.

A floral ship sits proudly on the Strand,
Dressed in a dainty cloak of cactus green,
She looks so stately with an air so grand,
And reigns o'er all our hearts like any queen.

Her passengers are little dancing elves so gay,
Her cargoes are made up of golden dreams,
And as she dails away, far-off to dreamland bay
She's bathed in shafts of sunlight's golden gleams.

No guns are there to mar the beauty of her decks
She seems to be symbolical of "Peace,"
And someday soon she'll harbour all the wrecks
When Love will triumph over hate and wars will cease.

For this is how this floral ship appealed to me -
A ship of Peace, arrayed in mother Nature's garb,
So perfect and so beautiful she sails along Life's sea:
No rocks of strife will pierce her with their barb,

O lovely floral ship I'll often dream of thee!
My ship of Peace, set in a garden gay with flowers
In fair Tauranga by the shimmering, deep blue sea
In memr'ys lane I'll wander by thy fairy bowers.

The Floral Ship. Strand Gardens. Tauranga.
Undated postcard, publisher unknown. Collection and courtesy of Justine Neal

The floral ship was built by Charles Cameron, the borough gardener for Tauranga, and Thomas Ross who worked for him. Wire netting, at a cost of 15s, was formed into the shape of a ship and covered a base of packed earth. It was planted mainly with succulents. By 1940 the Bay of Plenty Times reports the ship as having grown somewhat wider in the beam since it was launched a few years ago and Mr. Cameron and his staff were stripping the outer covering of plants and replacing them with smaller ones. Over the years the plants used to cover the floral ship have been Echeveria, lime-green Pyrethrum (never allowed to flower) and blue Lobelia.

Floral Ship, The Strand, Tauranga, New Zealand.
Undated postcard published by P.P.L. Hastings. P.705. Collection and courtesy of Justine Neal

In 1947 the Bay of Plenty Times reported that the floral ship was refitted and ready for sea again. Now very colourful the ship was built up of Echeverias, the smoke effect being achieved with pyrethrum and circled with a border of lavender.

The Floral Ship on the Strand, Tauranga, New Zealand, circa 1960.
Postcard published by Dow Productions No. 37. Photography Lyric Studios, Auckland
Collection and courtesy of Justine Neal

During January 1960 the floral ship underwent a complete rebuild and in 2005 a full restoration took place.

References
Papers Past.
Tauranga Library Kete.

The Brain-Watkins Garden Flora: Lily of the Valley

Elv Brain & Willie Watkins' wedding, 1963. Photo: Brain-Watkins House Collection

LILY OF THE VALLEY    Convallaria majalis

When Elva Brain married Willie Watkins in 1963, lily of the valley was her wedding flower of choice. The small delicate blossoms in Elva’s wedding bouquet complemented her lace wedding dress and pearl jewellery. An arrangement of lily of the valley flowers in a fine crystal vase was placed on the top tier of the wedding cake.

Lily of the valley, with its association of modesty and purity, has long being favoured by brides through  the ages. Catherine Middleton on her marriage to Prince William in 2011 carried a bridal bouquet of lily of the valley as did Princess Grace of Monaco at her wedding in 1956. In the  “The Language of Flowers’, its meaning of ‘luck in love’ and ‘a return to happiness’  reveals a traditional  significance of the flower within the wedding ceremony.

Lily of the Valley in Brain-Watkins House. Photo: Anne Marquand

Convallaria (of the valley) majalis (May) was established in gardens from medieval times onwards and became one of the many flowers associated with the Virgin Mary. Tradition relates how the plant sprang from Mary’s tears at the Cross and from those tears shed by Mary Magdalene on finding Christ’s tomb. The country name for the plant ‘Our Lady’s Tears’ carries this Marian association. A red flowering variety was recorded in the 17th century and the double variety, ‘Flore Pleno’ was grown from the 18th century onwards.

The lily of the valley is a hardy perennial native to Europe and North America and grows in cool, moist climates throughout the world. Dark green oval leaves appear in early spring followed by fragrant bell shaped white flowers in late spring-early summer. The plant has an indefinite spread and grows best in a moisture retentive, nutrient dense soil in partial shade. It is propagated by dividing the creeping rhizomes in late autumn when the foliage has died down.

A fragrant essential oil distilled from the flowers is used in the perfume industry. The leaves yield a dye when mixed with lime water - green in spring and a yellow bronze colour from the mature leaves in autumn. The plant has no culinary use as all parts are poisonous.

Lily of the Valley in Brain-Watkins Garden. Photo: Anne Marquand

A memory from the 2004 Conservation Plan for Brain Watkins House  recalls lily of the valley growing along the fence on the Elizabeth Street side of the house. It still grows nearby today, now confined to a small bed amongst other cottage favourites, montbretia and the shasta daisy. The old pink flowering climbing rose shades the plants from the hot Tauranga sun.

Perhaps when Elva opened her bedroom window on a spring morning, the soft fragrance of the lily of the valley flowers floated though her room and in her later years that gentle scent ‘comforted the heart and vital spirits’. (Culpepper)

Taffy Davies

Taffy Davies. Interviewed by Peg Cummins in 2007.

Taffy Davies (Senior) brought his family to Mount Maunganui in 1930 when Taffy (Junior) was 6 months old. The family had been living in a rehab. house in Ngaruawahia but the father’s quality of life was being adversely affected by shrapnel damage in WW1 and a move to the milder coastal climate was advised.

The Davies’ Donkeys, Mount Maunganui's Main beach, circa early 1950s.
Photograph by Alf Rendell, Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection

Mr Davies was on a War Pension and had the mind of an entrepreneur. He conceived the idea of running donkeys on the beach at the Mount as was done on the beaches in England. The Chamberlains of Ponui Island in the Hauraki Gulf had donkeys that were running wild. Four jacks had their legs tied up and were put in a long boat before being loaded on a 500-ton Northern Steamship Company boat. They were hoisted on and off with derricks.

Greg Oliver in donkey cart at Mount Maunganui c. 1962.
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library, Ref. 02-260

They were named for four of Mr Davies’ war cobbers. Snowy was the leader and light in colour. Next came Smithy who was light grey, then Murphy who was dark grey and Brownie always brought up the rear. The turning place was Donkey Rock, now covered by sand. The other donkeys always went around the rock abut in an attempt to keep up with the rest, Brownie would never go around the rock, no matter what anyone did. The cost was 3d (threepence) per ride so that each time the four donkeys made a trip 1/- (a shilling) was made. The price of a ride never went up over the years but the ride was shortened to accommodate the crowds. One of the donkeys once walked into the family’s kitchen and ate a ration book which was lying on the table. Disaster! Mrs Davies had to go to the Post Office to explain what had happened in order to get another one. That was one excuse they’d never heard before.

The donkeys took very little caring for. Now and again their feet would need clipping and they were brushed down from time to time. They ate grass and bread scraps in the main. However, every now and then they would go walkabout and walk through the tents in the camping ground fossicking for bread. Taffy commented that the campers never got annoyed about this but took it rather as an amusing part of camping at the Mount. Not so tolerant however, was the lady whose garden the donkeys would make for when given the chance. One can only imagine her fury to see her carefully tended vegetables being munched and trampled by four donkeys. The donkeys also ate cardboard and one Maori chap who saw Taffy feeding the donkey in this way said he bet they wouldn’t eat red paper and held out a ten-shilling note. He found they did!

When Murphy died in 1943 it was decided to send for replacement donkeys. The first four donkeys had cost £5 but the next two cost £20. Two donkeys were duly despatched on the Northern Steam Ship line again and the Davies decided to take the other three donkeys to meet the boat to make the job of bringing the new ones home easier. The boys set out on their bikes, leading the donkeys to the wharf not suspecting what was in store. No-one had told them that the new donkeys were jennys. Suddenly the jacks began behaving strangely, pawing the ground and hee-hawing, looking as if they were going to dive off into the water to meet the incoming boat. Having lived like monks for the last few years they were not about to let a stretch of water deter them. The journey home was a nightmare, with the jennys in the lead and the jacks following. From then on, the three jacks fought to establish who was the top donkey. They kept the whole village awake, causing the proprietor of the hotel to complain because his guests were leaving on account of lack of sleep.

Historical Society member receives New Year Honour

Heather at the repaired grave of WW1 soldier Robert Cooper, for which she was responsible as part of her work with WW100 Tauranga committee. Photo supplied by Fiona Kean.

Respected genealogist and Tauranga Historical Society member Heather McLean, has received a Queen’s Service Medal for her services to genealogy and historical research in the 2019 New Year Honours. In October 2018 Heather was the recipient of Tauranga Heritage Award.

Interviewed by the Bay of Plenty Times, Heather said that the QSM came as a “wonderful” surprise and that “Genealogy is a bit like a rash … It’s like an allergy. You start, and that’s it, you keep going.”

 “Heather … was born in Tauranga in 1937 and has lived here most of her life. She is an expert genealogist and researcher, with 46 years experience of collecting useful data and delving into family history. Heather is well known for using her super-sleuth research skills to help others in their quest for genealogical knowledge.” Western Bay Women: Celebrating 125 Years of Women’s Suffrage

Photographing the Military Presence in Tauranga, 1864-1866

In a previous article on this blog and in a presentation to the Society at The Elms in August, I’ve discussed John Kinder’s photographs of the Te Papa peninsula from 1863 to 1866, which fortuitously document the changes taking place during the military occupation. He wasn’t the only photographer to visit Tauranga during this period.

Caption: “Group of 68th Durham L.I. Regt., Tauranga, 1864.”
Albumen print mounted on card, attributed to Hartley Webster
probably taken c. Feb 1865-Jan 1866 at Tauranga
Image courtesy of Te Papa Tongarewa, W.F. Gordon Collection, Ref. O.011916

There are two group photographs of officers and NCOs of the 68th (Durham Light Infantry) Regiment, including Colonel Henry Harpur Greer seated at centre, purportedly taken in Tauranga. The version above is a print held by Te Papa Tongarewa – the handwritten caption identifies all of the individuals and states that it was taken at Tauranga in 1864.

Also handwritten at bottom left is, “Webster photo,” suggesting that it was taken by Auckland photographer Hartley Webster. However this mounted print formed part of a collection amassed around the turn of the century by William Francis Robert Gordon, and the lettering of the caption, pasted onto the original mount, is in his distinctive style (see examples held at Puke Ariki). W.S. Greene (seated far right) is ascribed the rank of Ensign in the caption of another version of this image, and probably wasn’t promoted to Lieutenant until after 1864. Likewise J.P. Cox (standing third from right) shown as a Captain was only promoted from Lieutenant in January 1868.

The caption was clearly compiled well after the event and, while the identifications of officers appear to tally well with other sources, it might be best treated with some caution since Gordon certainly wasn’t present when the photograph was taken, and must have deduced much of the information at the very least second-hand.

Caption: “Officer’s Mess Hut, Tauranga”
Albumen print (152 x 215mm) mounted on detached album leaf, attributed to Hartley Webster,
probably taken c. 1865 at Tauranga
Image courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, Greer Family Album, Ref. PAColl-7806-2-2

A second version of the group photo is very similar. Although an additional unidentified officer is present (standing fourth from right) and several of the others have moved positions, it was clearly taken on the same occasion, and therefore probably also by Hartley Webster. A number of prints exist: this full-plate albumen print held by the Alexander Turnbull Library originally came from the album of Colonel Greer, and other captions in the album suggest they were made by Greer himself (pers. comm. Mike Dottridge). This is important because it lends some authenticity to the caption, since we know he was there when it was taken.

In his history of the regiment Bilcliffe convincingly demonstrates that these two group portraits couldn’t actually have been taken in 1864, since Lieutenant Caldecott only arrived in New Zealand on 21 January 1865, and didn’t make it to Tauranga until 12 February. The bulk of the 68th Regiment remained at Tauranga until January-February 1866, when they returned to England. There were several periods during those twelve months when either or both Greer or Shuttleworth were in Auckland, but it has been difficult to pinpoint the date of the photo any further.

“Hospital, Tauranga” (former Native Institute), c.1864-1866
Albumen print mounted on card (carte de visite format)
by Hartley Webster, Auckland
Collection courtesy of Tauranga City Library. Ref. 03-0309

Was the photograph actually taken by Webster, as claimed by Gordon? Although I have been unable to find any direct evidence that Hartley Webster travelled to Tauranga during this period, a carte de visite format photograph depicting men (possibly soldiers) seated in front of the “Hospital” building in Tauranga (formerly the Native Institute) has his backstamp on the the card mount, and therefore makes it very likely.

"Photographed by H. Webster, Auckjland"
Reverse of carte de visite

Webster had begun his career as a photographer in Auckland (1852-1858, 1860), New Plymouth (1858-1859) and Napier (1860) before sailing back to England with his wife in late 1860. He returned to Auckland in early 1862, and probably set up as a photographer again soon after. Certainly by October 1863 he appears to have been taking advantage of the nascent fad for carte de visite portraits and the presence of increased customers in the form of Her Majesty’s soldiers.

An advertisement in January 1866 for Webster’s Photographic Studio and Emporium for Photographic Requisites, located on Queen Street, Auckland offered for sale:

“… likenesses of Officers of the Staff, 65th and other Regiments, Portraits of Distinguished Persons; also, Views, in the best style of Photographic Art, of some of the most picturesque Sites in the Colony, including views of the … Tauranga Harbour and Cemetery, showing the Obelisk erected to the Memory of the Officers of the 43rd Regiment, also of the Gate Pa …”

Webster was making the most of the imminent departure of many of the troops who had served in Tauranga by selling prints of the photographs which had most likely been taken there at some time between February and December 1865.

Acknowledgements

I’m grateful to have received valued assistance and direction from staff at the Tauranga City Library (including Stephanie Smith, Debbie McCauley, Harley Couper and Elisha Rolleston) and Tauranga Heritage Collection (Fiona Kean). Without the generous sharing of their knowledge of both history and the institutional collections, my research would be far more difficult. Keith Giles (Auckland Library’s Photographic Collection Librarian) shared his research on Hartley Webster. Colonel Greer’s great-great grandson Mike Dottridge has also kindly provided family information and photos and, as usual, I appreciate the various institutions and their funders for making their collections available online for research.

References

Blicliffe, J. (1995) Well Done the 68th: The Durhams in the Crimea and New Zealand 1854-1866, Picton Publishing, 347p.
Giles, Keith (2008) Hartley Webster, Auckland’s first residential professional photographer, New Zealand Legacy, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2008: 5-10.
Giles, Keith (2011) Cartes-de-visite in New Zealand, in Negative kept: Maori and the carte de visite, by Michael Graham-Stewart & John Gow, John Leech Gallery, p.7-15.
Papers Past Newspapers, National Library of New Zealand