The Tauranga and Bay of Plenty Photo News

On the last day of June 1962 a new magazine appeared on the shelves of a wide range of stationers, newsagents, bookshops, photographic studios, dairies and general stores in Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and other towns throughout the Bay of Plenty. The Tauranga Photo News joined a stable of seven similar regional publications from Gisborne-based Logan Publishing Company. Robert Logan had started with the Gisborne Photo News in June 1954, followed by editions in Whangarei, Rotorua, New Plymouth/Taranaki, Wanganui and Nelson. Initially Bob Logan was processing images from a darkroom in his home, but by 1969 their printing plant in Gisborne put out 60,000 magazines each month.

Tauranga Photo News, No. 1, 30 June 1962, Cover
Courtesy of Tauranga Library, Nga Wahi Rangahau

The company used a single photographer-cum-editor based in each town or city, whose role was to gather and photograph the local news, assembling photographs, captions and storylines into a magazine published every fourth Saturday. The first issue of the Tauranga edition was compiled by staff from Gisborne with the assistance of local photographers, while the newly appointed editor Tony A’Hern and his wife June, newly arrived in town, were settling in. One of those local photographers was Adrian Orr, whose Renwood Studio on Cameron Road was used as the magazine’s temporary address, and who most likely provided photographic and logistical support at least for the first few issues.

Tauranga Photo News, No. 1, 30 June 1962, page 1
Courtesy of Tauranga Library, Nga Wahi Rangahau

Their stated intention was to provide a balanced pictorial record each month of the local news at work and at play, with “25 percent to social life” and the remainder covering “general and feature topics, sport, scenic views, children’s affairs, etc.” A “willing band of boys” was recruited to distribute copies of the magazine to at least 32 outlets throughout Tauranga and the Mount, and other means were used to deliver them to towns as far-flung as Waihi in the north to Whakatāne and Nukuhou in the south-east. Each issue had full colour front and back cover photographs, but black-and-white half-tone print images were used through the rest of the 68 pages. The first issue sold out within a few days, and set the tone for a very successful run, following in the footsteps of its siblings in the Logan Publishing stable.

Bay of Plenty Photo News, No. 53, 15 October 1966, Cover
Courtesy of Tauranga Library, Nga Wahi Rangahau

In October 1966, with issue number 53, the monthly became the Bay of Plenty Photo News, better reflecting its area of coverage. It also gained a new cover and had substantially more pages, but the increase in size apparently did not prove to be economically viable and it was reduced to 68 pages after a couple of years. In a typical issue there were around 270 black-and-white photographs, of which 80 to 90 per cent were taken by Tony and June A’Hern, and the remainder by other named local photographers or studios.

Oropi School Calf Club Day in Bay of Plenty Photo News, No. 91, 13 Dec 1969, p. 32

(Right) Unpublished image: “Donald Wright, who gained several prizes,” scanned from original 35mm-format negative, Courtesy of Tauranga City Libraries, Logan Publishing, Tauranga and Bay of Plenty Photo News Collection, Image pn-5285

A partial collection of the A’Herns' negative archives that were donated some years ago to the Tauranga Library have recently been digitized and are in the process of being made available online via that institution’s new digital platform Pae Koroki. Tauranga City Library also holds ten bound volumes of the 100 issues of the Photo News which can be browsed in their Research Room/Nga Wahi Rangahau. It is worth mentioning that between a third and half of the photographs taken did not make the final cut, and many are now appearing in public for the first time since they were taken fifty years ago.

The final issue of the Bay of Plenty Photo News, No. 100, 19 September 1970
Courtesy of Tauranga Library, Nga Wahi Rangahau

On 19 September 1970 the last issue (No. 100) of the Bay of Plenty Photo News was published. With increases in production and printing costs and magazine sales providing the sole source of income, it had become unviable. Over the previous eight years they had published 40,000 photographs and produced a significant photographic record of life in the Bay of Plenty. The Gisborne Photo News and other regional issues lasted a few years longer before they too succumbed. In partnership with local associates, Tony and June A’Hern started up the Bay of Plenty News, a weekly newspaper which became the Bay of Plenty News Mirror, published daily from 1974 as the Bay of Plenty Mirror. Tony was still working as a photographer in Tauranga as late as 1978.

Bay of Plenty News, No. 22, 3 February 1971
Courtesy of Tauranga Library, Nga Wahi Rangahau

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful  to staff of the Tauranga City Library in Nga Wahi Rangahau who have given freely of their time and expertise in ferreting out the details of this publication, and have given kind permission for the images to be used. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of John Logan, son of the founder of the firm Logan Publishing, who graciously provided vital background information on the magazine’s formation and operation.