Early Tauranga Photographers: Charles Moeller, c.1870-1872

“Artillery Detachment of Armed Constabulary. Command of Capt. Crapp. Tauranga 1870”
Glass half-plate negative, 120 x 165mm, A.J. Mirrielees (attribd.), after “Bartlett Photo (from a Copy),” after Charles Moeller (attribd.)
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library, Ref. 01-128

An article about the road-making exploits of the Armed Constabulary by Stephanie Smith published on this blog in December 2018 (Armed Constabulary Roads) was illustrated with a photograph from the Tauranga Library collection. The print (original Ref. 1504) was created from one of a number of glass plate negatives donated to the library by Tauranga chemist Leslie Woods. The negatives were almost certainly originally created by Woods’ predecessor, Alick J. Mirrielees, who operated a chemist shop on the Strand from 1910 to 1929.  This particular negative appears to have been copied photographically from a framed image which, as evidence by the inscription “BARTLETT PHOTO. From a Copy” at lower left, was in turn copied by Auckland photographer Robert Henry Bartlett from an earlier image. Bartlett was based in Queen Street, Auckland from 1865 until 1888, but he did pay a visit to Tauranga to take carte de visite portraits in the autumn of 1876, when it’s possible the copy may have been made.

Plan of attack on the Maori position at Gate Pah … reproduced from an old plan, (author unknown), by Lt. Col. G.A. Ward, 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles and Capt. A.J. Mirrielees, 6th (Hauraki) Regt., Tauranga, 1913
Glass half-plate negative, 165 x 120mm, Attributed to A.J. Mirrielees
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Library

In December 1911, a year after Mirrielees’ arrival in Tauranga, and shortly after he had taken command of the newly formed G Company of the Sixth (Hauraki) Volunteer Infantry Regiment, he mounted a display in the window of his chemist shop in The Strand, as described in the Bay of Plenty Times of 13 December.

“THE PAST REVIVED. PHOTOS OF IMPERIAL TROOPS. There are at present on view in the pharmacy of Mr Mirrielees, Tauranga: a number of photos, which give to the present generation an excellent idea of the dangers and hardships passed through by those who pioneered this territory … The photos above referred to include 'Colonel and officers of the 68th light infantry, 1864,' taken in the Redoubt, 'A group of Imperial and Colonial soldiers awaiting orders to advance,' and 'The Militia at work forming Chadwick's cutting, 1869.' The whole of the features in the photographs are very distinct. Included are those of Captains Crapp Davoren and Kerr, R.N., and many privates, a few of whom are still resident in Tauranga."

The glass plate negatives corresponding to the abovementioned prints “Colonel and officers of the 68th …” and “Awaiting the order to advance …” are also in the group donated by Woods. This suggests that Captain Mirrileees, his involvement with the militia extending to an interest in Tauranga’s military heritage, made the copies from prints which were probably owned by local residents, such as Captain Crapp. Likewise in 1913 he collaborated in the copying and reproduction of an old plan of the attack at Gate Pa, shown above.

Armed Constabulary Parade in front of redoubt, Tauranga. Samuel Crowther seated in front of Armstrong gun wheel at far left
Copy albumen print mounted on card, attributed to Charles Moeller, 1870
Collection and courtesy of Suzanne Johnston

Bartlett made the first copy, but seems unlikely to have taken the original photograph, or he would presumably have printed it directly from the negative. So who did take the photograph? A significant clue was provided by Bruce Crowther who got in touch after the original image was published on this blog. He is descended from former Armed Constabulary member Samuel Crowther, and the extended family own another copy of this photograph, pictured above. Crowther served first as a private with the Wellington Rangers against Riwha Tītokowaru at Te Ngutu o Te Manu, South Taranaki for 3 months around August-September 1868, during which time the notorious Von Tempsky was killed. He then joined the Armed Constabulary No. 8 Division in March 1869 as a corporal and took part in the infamous invasions into Urewera Country, with attacks on Te Whāiti and Ruatāhuna in May 1869, and further incursions in 1870.

This too is a copy print, as evidenced by the detailed retouching visible on the men’s faces and on the profile of trees against the skyline. A letter written by Samuel Crowther in July 1913 to Captain Henry Crapp (pictured in the right foreground) in support of a NZ War Medal application, not only gives the identities of all the men pictured, but also provides a year and asserts that it was:

“… taken by Moeller or Muller the old German photographer in 1870 on the Parade in front of the redoubt at Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.”

After travelling widely in the North Island the late 1860s and early 1870s, producing landscape views of the Rotorua and Taupo districts and portraits of its inhabitants, the first record of Charles Moeller in Tauranga was his advertisements in the Bay of Plenty Times in September and October 1872. He didn’t last long here, and it seems very likely that he sold his photographic equipment to James Bodell, who opened his studio towards the end of November that year. Little further is known about Mr Moeller, although it is possible that he is the same Charles Moeller (c1826-1923) who is recorded as having arrived from Holland in the early 1860s, was engaged on active service throughout the Land Wars, including at Gate Pa, in the Waikato, Poverty Bay and Taranaki, present in the action at Te Ngutu o te Manu in 1869, and later worked in the lighthouse service until his retirement.

Tauranga Militia roadmaking at Chadwick’s Cutting, May 1870
Albumen print (185 x 238mm) on card (208 x 263mm), attributed to Charles Moeller
Collection of Alexander Turnbull Library, Ref. PAColl-3386

Few of Moeller’s photographs seem to have survived, at least not with his name on them – perhaps his output was so small that he didn’t have printed cardstock. Given his connection with the militia, a print in the Alexander Turnbull Library collection depicting members of the Tauranga militia engaged in roadmaking at Chadwick’s Cutting, Tauranga in May 1870 (see BOPT article above), seems to be another potential candidate, since there weren’t many other photographers working in the Bay of Plenty at the time.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Bruce Crowther and Suzanne Johnston for sharing photographs, documents and family stories. I’m also grateful to staff at Ngā Wāhi Rangahau, Tauranga City Library, including former archivist Stephanie Smith, for their ongoing assistance with research.

References

The Bay of Plenty Times on Papers Past, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

Obituary of Charles Moeller in Personal Items, Hawera & Normanby Star, 14 August 1923, Courtesy of Papers Past, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HNS19230814.2.20

Auckland Libraries Photographers Database, http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/photographers/basic_search.htm

Colonial troops invade the Urewera, 6 May 1869, https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/colonial-troops-invade-urewera, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 14-Dec-2016

Te Ngutu o te Manu memorial, https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/te-ngutu-o-te-manu-memorial, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 2-Aug-2017

MacDonald, D R, active 1965?. MacDonald, D R :One mounted photograph of Tauranga Militia roadmaking at Chadwicks Cutting. Ref: PAColl-3386. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22656876

Payne, Brett (2015) Tauranga Photographers: James Bodell, Tauranga Historical Society blog, https://taurangahistorical.blogspot.com/2015/08/tauranga-photographers-james-bodell.html, accessed 14 May 2020

Rackstraw, Tony (2012) BARTLETT, Robert Henry, on Early New Zealand Photographers, http://canterburyphotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/bartlett.html, accessed 14 May 2020

Smith, Stephanie (2018) Armed Constabulary Roads, Tauranga Historical Society blog, https://taurangahistorical.blogspot.com/2018/12/armed-constabulary-roads.html, accessed 14 May 2020