Egmont and Ruapehu

The volcanic cones of Mounts Egmont and Ruapehu have been favoured scenes from early on for New Zealand photographers. Charles Spencer was no exception.

The first two images are of Egmont, taken from New Plymouth and from the Mountain’s slopes. The last two images are of Ruapehu from a point near workers accommodation.

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Mount Egmont from the New Plymouth recreation grounds 


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Mount Egmont from The Mountain House


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Mount Ruapehu from the service road above the Spiral (see also the close-up below).


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        In this close-up crop you can see workers’ huts on both sides of the road.    On the right hand side a woman looks like she is fetching firewood. At the end of the road is someone on horse back. Pretty good resolution in such a pre-digital age.

Auckland – early 1900s

About ten years later than the London photographs in the previous post, Auckland is much more placid.

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North Head, North Shore

The photograph doesn’t name the photographer but it is probably Charles Spencer.

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Takapuna Beach

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Auckland Harbour?

Auckland Harbour.  Neither photographer nor date are known, however it could not have been taken before August 1902.

The vessel in the foreground is the screw ship  ss Young Bungaree of Auckland. The sailing ship in the distance has a short name which is impossible to read but just might be “Lara” or “Lana” or maybe “Laura”. The building in the centre-background is a boiler makers.

Built in 1887 the Young Bungaree ended up as the Devonport Steam Ferry Company’s tugboat. As the name suggests there is an Australian connection as explained in this article from the Auckland Star of the 25th of July 1902:

NEW STEAM TUG FOR AUCKLAND.

The steam tug Young Bungaree, well known in the port of Newcastle (N.S.W.), has been purchased by Mr George T. Niccol, of Auckland, for towing purposes in connection with the Kauri Timber Company’s fleet of vessels. The Bungaree is a wooden screw steamer of about seventy tons gross register, and was built in I887 at Williams River, N.S.W.. The steamer was specially constructed for towing purposes, and is capable of steaming ten knots per hour. For a number of years the Bungaree has been engaged in towing vessels between Newcastle and Sydney. Since being transferred to her new owner the steamer has been docked and completely overhauled at Newcastle, which port she is expected to leave for Auckland tomorrow. She should arrive here the following Saturday.

The tug ended her days in 1926, taken to Brown’s Island and beached, with the ship’s timbers being salvaged for fencing.

Maori life

Two of the three images below were taken by Charles Spencer at unidentified times. The third, entitled Tametekapua Meeting House, has no photographer credit. If you know anything about Rueti Watea please let me know. Thank you.

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Rueti Watea


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Unidentified Maori Pah (but most likely in the middle or upper North Island).


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Tametekapua Meeting House (with the dates 1872 and 1904 above the doorway)