March 22, 2015 by Clare

Mansion House, Kawau Island: Governor Grey’s legacy

Mansion House, Kawau Island

A week ago I visited Kawau Island, near Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf. I’ve been keen to go there for ages but something has always interrupted my plans – too little time in Auckland or bad weather. However, Monday was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for taking the Royal Mail cruise to the island and seeing Mansion House, the one-time residence of one of New Zealand’s most important historical figures, Governor (later Premier) George Grey, and the reason I was so keen to visit Kawau.

Governor Grey (nzhistory.net.nz)

As a librarian I’ve always had a special fondness for the Governor as he donated a magnificent collection of early New Zealand publications and other important works (over 15,000 volumes) to the city of Auckland and today it forms the basis of the Sir George Grey Special Collections. It’s one of three major heritage library collections in the country; the others are the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington and the Hocken Library in Dunedin.

The Special Collections Librarian at the University of Otago, Donald Kerr, has written a fascinating account of Grey’s collecting and collections titled Amassing Treasures for all Times: Sir George Grey, Colonial Bookman and Collector. It wasn’t only New Zealand who benefitted from Grey’s collecting zeal – he also donated collections to Australia, where he was Governor of South Australia, and South Africa, where he was Governor of Cape Colony. But I’m digressing as this post isn’t about the man, a servant of the British Empire if ever there was one, but the house he built.

Mansion House, Kawau Island

When Grey bought the Kawau Island in 1862 copper mining had been undertaken there for around 20 years and parts of the island were crowded with miners’ homes, centred around several mining villages. Evidence of the mining can still be seen on the island today.

Remains of copper mine, Kawau Island

Mansion House was originally the 10 roomed mine manager’s home which Grey transformed into a stately home. As well as Mansion House he built farm buildings, dwellings for his staff and their families and a school for their children. The school, which has been extended and is now a private home, can be seen in Schoolhouse Bay.

Old Schoolhouse, Schoolhouse Bay, Kawau Island

Governor Grey spent a large part of his personal fortune on Mansion House and its grounds. Grey had a wide range of interests, including history, literature, natural history, maths, astronomy, ethnology and languages. On Kawau he extended his collecting enthusiasm to include exotic plants and wildlife from all over the world. The informative captain on the Royal Mail catamaran told us that the two Brazilian palms growing in the grounds of Mansion House are said to be the best examples in the world today.

Brazilian palm trees, Mansion House gardens, Kawau Island

As well as plants from all over the world Grey also collected animals and imported over 30 species from zebras to monkeys. Most did not flourish (in a slightly ghoulish decorating touch there’s a zebra skin on the floor of the library) but some did. There are still wallabies, rosellas, kookaburras and peacocks on the island carrying on the legacy of Grey’s collecting passion.

The house is now owned by the Department of Conservation and has been extensively restored in keeping with the period during which Grey lived there. Another of Grey’s collections was of Maori artefacts and some are displayed in the reception room.

Reception room, Mansion House, Kawau Island

The kitchen is in the original part of the house and so has a lower ceiling, giving it a cosy feel.

Kitchen, Mansion House, Kawau Island

Grey’s niece, who lived with Grey, married the estate manager and they and their growing family also lived in Mansion House. The nursery wing was up its own flight of stairs.

Nursery, Mansion House, Kawau Island

There was also a schoolroom where the children could take their lessons.

Schoolroom, Mansion House, Kawau Island

Grey’s bedroom was immense with beautiful views out to the sea.

George Grey’s bedroom, Mansion House, Kawau Island

Of course I’m always interested in a library ….

The Library, Mansion House, Kawau Island

Mansion House was everything I’d hoped it would be and is a fascinating part of New Zealand’s colonial history. Well worth a day out if you’re in Auckland.

March 19, 2015 by Clare

Wearing Empire: 1950s vintage novelty prints

In the 1950s and 1960s novelty prints were popular – in fact I remember a dress my mother made me with cats around the bottom I wore when I was 10.

These novelty prints were either made into dresses, or designed for, and made into skirts; remember the old photos of girls in skirts and bobby sox? The subject range of the prints was extensive – animals, people, places, geometric patterns, – there were dozens of designs to choose from. A popular group of skits with vintage lovers today are those based on famous landmarks such as the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the Oregon Trail, Versailles, the Spanish Steps – the list goes on. It’s easy to identify the location on these skirts as long as you know your famous landmarks!

Skirt with Taj Mahal design (private collection)

Other fabric designs were also of places – but imaginary or artistic interpretations rather than actual places. My daughter recently bought an interesting novelty print skirt in a vintage shop in London which at first glance seemed to fall into this latter category.

However, a bit of research revealed that there’s a lot of historical detail in this skirt. It shows a stylized map of England with place names which appear to have been in use in the 16th century. For example Hampshire is “Hantshire” and the English Channel is “the British Sea” There’s also “Downe Hundred”, The Manhode” and many other places marked – fascinating.

At the bottom edge of the skirt are coats of arms and a plaque saying “William Fitz William created Earl of Southampton by King Henry 8”. William Fitzwilliam was indeed created 1st Earl of Southampton by Henry VIII in 1537.

And those the are the First Earl of Southampton’s coat of arms reproduced on the skirt, to the right of the plaque.

Coat of arms of William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton (from http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/hantsmap/hantsmap/topics/blazon04.htm)

Of course what is represented on the skirt is all before Queen Victoria’s time, but it does almost coincide with the beginnings of the British Empire. It was in 1584, in the reign of Henry VIII’s daughter, Elizabeth 1, that Sir Walter Raleigh set off on his exploration of the Americas.

It’s amazing where you find a slice of history!

March 18, 2015 by Clare

Greetings from Malta: the story behind a postcard

I’ve recently started to collect old postcards – the tinted ones of the 19th and early 20th centuries. I started my collection when my daughter and I did a vintage road tour of the South Island last year and I needed something to look at in the vintage shops as she tried on vintage clothes. My collecting obsession soon became as great as hers!

There are hundreds of tinted postcards for sale but I don’t collect cards of just anywhere instead selecting ones of places I’ve been to, or places I’m interested in going to. After my visit to Malta I looked at various online sites for postcards and bought a few. The one I was most interested in arrived today and from the front is a typical holiday card to be sent back to friends and family at home. It shows Strada Reale (now Republic Street) in Valletta and a girl in an Edwardian (the postcard is dated 1901 on the front) swimming outfit ready to plunge into the Mediterranean.

The postcard came from a dealer in Paris called Francis, who sent me a lovely note with it. Despite this it didn’t occur to me that the card had originally been sent to someone in France and not Britain. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the back, saw the entire message was written in French and the date was 12 March 1915.

With my rather rusty schoolgirl French (and some help) it seems likely the card is from a soldier in Malta, writing to his aunt, uncle and cousins. He talks of “attacks” and “a miracle”. He also talks of taking the card to catch “the courier”. The card has not been sent by post but probably in an envelope which could mean it was one of a few he wrote to be dispatched to France via the courier. I’ve had a quick look on the internet and over 100 French soldiers from the First World War are buried in Malta, so it fits. Dated March 1915 this card pre-dates the beginning of the Gallipoli campaign and the huge influx of wounded to Malta, although it’s not positive from the card that he was wounded; he may have been there for another reason.

It seems such a lovely coincidence that this plopped into my letterbox today.

The Wandering Historian

Queen Victoria, her Empire and me

Mansion House, Kawau Island: Governor Grey’s legacy

Wearing Empire: 1950s vintage novelty prints

Greetings from Malta: the story behind a postcard