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| Display on Early Printing in NZ , Cromwell Heritage Precinct. One of those wonderful early Printing Presses .Photo courtesy Chris Ball 2016 |
Packing a pile of
books, to fit only a 23 kg weight suitcase, for the return flight from
Canterbury/ Otago New Zealand. Maybe should not have bought so many from
those wonderful book shops down South? Maybe should have ditched them and
opted for a lighter suitcase of clothes?
This led me to
further thoughts on the return home, especially
looking at photographs of those wonderful old printing presses in the Museums and Art Galleries.
Yes books, paper, newspapers and printing, have certainly
been an integral part of my life, including inhabiting libraries. My father
used to have some great sayings that he ensured were passed down in my learning
vocabulary - " The power of the press is mightier than the sword" and " Anything you want to learn, can be
found in a book." With parents'
profuse readers, mother a newspaper correspondent , a godmother who was a very
keen librarian and contact with business
owners who read the daily newspapers literally from cover to cover, it was live
in a world of books and the written word.
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Michael O'Brien's Book Printery, Oamaru Heritage Precinct 2016- one of those places where a wonderful old trade of Book Binding is plied photo courstesy Chris Ball
|
Further thoughts
about how family members fared coming to New Zealand, way back then, for books were a
favorite. My mother introduced me to one of the
favorites she grew up with - " Norah of
Billabong." Became totally
caught up in the stories about sheep station life in outback Australia, written
by Mary Grant Bruce. ( Now why could not
my father have had sheep instead of cows on his Waikato farm? ) My father
introduced me to those early books of New Zealand History - books with
drawings of New Zealand Native plants or birds, tales of those early New
Zealand explorers - Buller, Kirk, Colenso, Williams.
Thought about how my
family - great grand - parents fared when they journeyed afar from " the
old country" - even the six times great grandparent back in 1788, as a
Marine to Australia. Same with the great-
great aunts and uncles. Back then, just as now books were expensive - and just
as me being limited for weight and room on an air flight, they would have been
limited with their luggage for onboard a ship. Some later
arrived family members were to set up bookshops and stationers - goodness knows
what freight and cargo costs would have
been back then.
Newspapers, books
and handwritten letters were awaited for by this "new wave of settlers
" to the colonies, in a sparsely settled land. These via the sailing ships berthing at the
few Ports. Reading log books or shipping
news of the arrival of those early sailing vessels of Henderson and Macfarlane to Ports, noted
was the popular arrival of newspapers. For these, the Henderson and ; Macfarlane
Circular Saw Line became renown.
It was the ships and newspapers that bought
news of gold discoveries in San Francisco in the America's , Victoria in
Australia, Coromandel, Thames, Gabriel's Gully in New Zealand , news of railway
construction.
One of the first New Zealand Gazettes was said to have been
printed in 1840 by William Colenso. Newspaper owners Henry Brett and William
Wilkinson started their journalism career as rival shipping reporters in the
early 1860s.
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| Printing Press and Timaru Herald exhibition at South Canterbury Museum 2016 Timaru Herald was founded in 1864 by founded by Alfred George Horton and Ingram Shrimpton. Horton went on to a partnership with William Wilkinson of the Thames Adverstiser in 1874. Photo courtesy Chris Ball |
Rev William Colenso F.R.S
Maori of Paihia, Bay
of Islands in 1835, saw Anglican Missionary, William Colenso, arriving and
setting up one of the first printing presses - a Stanhope press. Having a
printing press ,enabled religious passages and exerpts from the Bible to be
available for his missionary work. ( No doubt the use enhanced by Colenso's
knowledge and skills in printing )
One
of the forerunners of public New Zealand
notices dated 4 May 1836, was printed at the press for the Church Missionary
Society - notice of a Temperance Meeting at Kororareka. However printing
did not become a speedier process until
the arrival in 1842, of a Columbian Printing Press. No wonder that Colenso having served an
apprenticeship in the printing business and later working for Watt who was
printer for the Church Missionary Society in England, took up printing as part
of missionary work in New Zealand. ( think this is where my father's idea of
"the pen being mightier than the sword ' originated from) Colenso in later
years took a keener interest in natural history
and other topics.
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Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland
Libraries, AWNS-19250402-49-1
courtesy Auckland Libraries Heritage Images
|
In later years after
Colenso's death in 1899, a photo
appeared in a weekly news of a printing
press. The Auckland Weekly News
Supplement of 2 April 1925 carried a photograph of what was said to be the
oldest Printing Press inn New Zealand and said also to be then owned by a Mr.
Barker of Coromandel. Other than the photo nothing further to date has been
found on this press. However it gives a picture of what those early printing presses were like.
However it is known
that a number of printers and publishers had links with Coromandel town and
area. Coromandel was a place where
William Gorrie of Upton & Company ( Booksellers, Printers and Stationers
) had had goldmining interests, and with a family member- Morton Gorrie -
farming and playing a role in the community, during the first decades of
the 1900's.
New Zealand Institute
- Rev. Colenso F.R.S and others:
William Colenso, a
member of the NZ Institute ( now the
Royal Society ), Hawkes Bay Philosophical Society Branch , wrote
prolifically. Many of his of his papers
can be read online on the NZ National Library Site ,Transactions &
Proceedings Royal Society 1868 - 1961. His paper read to the Hawkes Bay
Philosophical Society Branch in 1877 explored the date Captain Cook took formal
possession of New Zealand. Colenso concluded it was 10th or 9th of October,
1769, at Poverty Bay, and not on the 15th of November following, at Mercury Bay
. Colenso, W 1877)
The New Zealand
Society was established in 1867. Publishing was expensive in those days and one
of the reasons for establishment was to enable papers presented by members to
be published through the annual volume - Transactions and Proceedings. Stewart
( my GGF) of the Auckland Institute who
apart from a short break over the years until death in 1914, remained a member,
on council of the Auckland Institute, President two terms and also from 1906 on
the Board of Governors of the New
Zealand Institute. During those years Stewart wrote sixteen published papers - not as prolific as Colenso - however
useful topics.
Several other
printers were also active members of the
Auckland Institute, amongst them John Henry Upton and William Gorrie ( of Upton
& Co. along with Robert Leslie Stewart of Brown & Stewart ( Wholesale
Manufacturing Stationers and Paper Merchants) William Forsyth Stewart and Hugh Whitcombe ( Whitcombe
& Tombs ) . Although none of these four
are recorded as authors of papers, W Gorrie was recorded as Auditor for the Auckland Institute for a
number of years until the year of his death in 1911. J. H Upton was recorded as
member and on council of the Auckland Institute for a number of years, and
president 1894 and 1911.
The Library of the Thames School of Mines and
Waihi School of Mines were recorded
as recipients of the annual volumes presented by the Governors of
the New Zealand Institute. No doubt many of the papers would have been useful
to the students studying at the School of Mines. Copies of the Transactions and
Proceedings were distributed to Institutions throughout the world.
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| Book - Cromwell Heritage Precinct |
Carruth, Gorrie and Morton - early pioneer settlers in
the North
Back in 1839, there
was one William Carruth, a newly arrived
immigrant to Kamo, near Whangarei and brother of John Carruth who married my great grand aunt, also a
settler in the area initially. William Carruth
kept a hand written diary. Today we are able to read excerpts in various
modern history books, from that diary , which were written in the down to earth
manner of this Scottish born Renfrewshire man. Gives us a good account of what
things were like then and good to see the written word of 176 years ago
retained today.
In the 1860's. Sophie Wall, was to become wife of William
Brown Upton, who set up one of the first booksellers and stationers in
Auckland. Sophie Wall was grandaughter of
William Gorrie Snr. , who also settled in Whangarei area in 1840 and
whose second wife Mary was sister of John Carruth's wife - both nee
Morton. Mary Gorrie (nee Morton) was to
see her son William Gorrie Jnr. and son - in-law John Henry Upton heading the
longstanding firm of Upton and Co - Booksellers, Stationers and Printers.
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| Upton & Co Auckland, New Zealand - from family photo collection |
Upton and Co - Booksellers, Music Sellers, Printers & Stationers
William Brown Upton
arrived at Port of Auckland, a passenger
aboard the ship Evening Star in 1858. By the beginning months of 1865 Upton
and Co were advertising a move to new
premises in Queen Street ( three doors below the Brunswick Hall ) All manner of
stock was advertised - books, music , stationery and including among the books,
a selection from Bohn's Standard, Scientific, and Illustrated Libraries.
Helpful to trade, schools and teachers,
would have been the discount offered.
William Brown Upton
died suddenly in 1870. His brother John Henry Upton was joined in partnership
by his brother - in-law William Gorrie jnr. whose family were early settlers to
New Zealand in 1840 - William having been born on arrival at Kororareka ( Russell
). Upton and Co continued to sell
books
Approval was read to
the Thames Borough Council in 1880, from the Board of Education for purchase of a list of books for
the Thames Free Library ( handed to Upton and Co). This would have been the
first official free library established in the goldfields town of Thames. Also found in papers past that Julius Vogel sent " a contribution of books, pamphlets, etc to the Thames Free
Library, paying all charges to the Thames for them"
As with Upton and Gorrie, many of the
gentlemen from Auckland were involved in some way with the goldfields and
supported community activities such as libraries. In 1905 the old Thames Library was removed to make way for a new Carnegie Library, gifted by iron and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. ( Wonder if any of his steel went into printing press manufacture? )
Upton and Co also
gained a reputation for their interesting window displays .
In 1865 an
escritoire made from various woods by A
Seuffert for the Dunedin Exhibition.
In 1871 two vases
one presented by Messrs Shaw,
Saville and Co. to the Auckland Regatta Club; and the other given by Capt
Shera, for competition by the Auckland Troop of Cavalry Volunteers. ( Auckland
Star, 22/12/1871p2)
An illuminated
address presented to Sir William Martin.
Paintings of water colourist John Barr Clarke Hoyte.
A number of books
were published by Upton and Co over the fifty years of business. Amongst them
that, one in 1892 by Williams, Archdeacon of Waipu. (Hocken, T.M. 1909)
William Gorrie died
in 1911 . John Henry Upton retired, handing over the reins to his two sons
Parker Taker Upton and Selwyn Upton. On
16 December 1916 ( during the war
years) the Auckland Star reported on
the changing of hands of Messrs Upton and Co. by
publishers and booksellers, Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs. Thus ended over
fifty years of business as Booksellers, Music Sellers, Publisher and Stationer
for Upton and Co .
As to the Upton
and Co business property on the corner of Queen and Durham streets -
Whitcombe & Tombs had new plans of building modernisation - a new era.
Parker Tasker
Upton moved into an engineering firm
partnership which morphed into firm
ownership. Brother Selwyn Upton became commercial manager of the Brett Printing
and Publishing Company until he filled the vacant post of secretary to the
Auckland Gas Company ( previously a
position held by William Forsyth Stewart, who, in 1929 went to Sydney to join
the firm of Dymock and Company as secretary and director - a shortlived term due to death in 1931.)
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Printing machinery Cromwell Heritage Precinct 2016 - photo courtesy Chris Ball
|
Whitcombe and Tombs Booksellers and Publishers
From a small shop in Market Square, George Hawkes
Whitcombe, morphed into a partnership with George Tombs - Whitcombe &
Tombs. The Company grew and moved to
Cashel Street, Christchurch. Following retirement of Tombs , a Limited Liability Company was formed and
growth continued. When Upton and Co
changed hands to Whitcombe & Tombs, Bertie Ernest Hawkes Whitcombe was
general manager and in 1916, then based in London. He had married Fanny Allingham
Morrow, from Christchurch New Zealand, and was running a publishing house St. Andrew's Hill, London.
Bertie's sister -in law
Arabella Colquhoun Vickerman ( nee Morrow) had also joined them . Arabella's husband,
Hugh an Engineer, was with the New Zealand Tunnelling Company and had been
posted to France. Hugh was son of Charles Vickerman, also an engineer who had
had a role with Waihi Railway, in his
capacity as District Engineer Public Works Department . Hugh's uncle
was Alfred Vickerman - married to
Elizabeth Charlotte ( nee Gorrie - niece of William Gorrie Jnr.) Bertie Whitcombe was no stranger to WW1
having four brothers on active service.
Following the war,
Whitcombe and Tombes were chosen publishers for a number of New Zealand
campaign and unit histories of WW1 - including that of The New Zealand Tunnelling Company, 1915-1919
by Neill, J. C. as editor. A number of
tunnellers from the Coromandel Peninsula had carried out active service during
WW1. Also published by Whitcombe and Tombs, was,
"Countess of Liverpool Gift Book." to aid
patriotic funds, and latterly, a record of the New Zealand hospital
ships.
From 1911 to 1931
Whitcombe and Tombs also became well known for educational publishing,
amongst them the famous Pacific Reader.
Bertie Whitcombe
died in 1963, ending another era of booksellers and publishing companies In 1971 the Whitcombe and Tombs merged with
the printers , Coulls Somerville Wilkie Limited and became known as Whitcoulls.
Institute Civil Engineers and IPENZ - Papers
Hugh Vickerman,
brother- in-law of Bertie Whitcombe by marriage, had gone to war with the rank
of Captain . He returned with the rank of Major and officer commanding the
Tunnelling Company in France in 1916.
Vickerman was president of the New Zealand Institution
of Engineers for 1935-36. Another body that also published papers under
transactions and proceedings of this professional body of engineers. In 1960
Victoria University of Wellington were recipients of a bequest providing a scholarship, bursary or prize to
students enrolled at the University to pursue professional engineering studies.
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| Auckland Star, 23 May 1896 courtesy Papers Past National Library NZ |
Brown and Stewart - Wholesale Manufacturing
Stationers and Paper Merchants
Established in 1895
by Messrs Thomas George Brown and Robert
Leslie Stewart The firm imported largely
from America and Europe, news and all kinds of printing paper, and also all
descriptions of writing paper in the flat. specialty of manufacturing account
books and school exercise books. Paper, a needed commodity for our daily news
and there were plenty of newspapers. A search of Papers Past found Brown and Stewart advertising for book binders, cutters and women for the stationery department.
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Old Imperial typewriter - my mother used to use similar as a first typewriter
when reporting for newspapers. Photo courtesy Chris Ball |
Newspapers
William Wilkinson,
with Corlett, launched one of the first newspapers on the Thames Goldfields,
first published on 11 April 1868 -
the Thames Advertiser and Miners’ News.
In 1872 Alfred Horton joined William
Wilkinson as co- owner of this newspaper. Horton originally founded the Timaru Herald with Ingram Shrimpton - first printed on 11 June 1864 Horton sold his
interest in the Thames Advertiser in 1876 and moved on to the New Zealand Herald, joining forces with Wilson
- Wilson & Horton.
Today
Have
come a full circle . Some of my queries have been answered. Some are still
" brick walls" yet to be solved. Now it is live in a digital age with
E Books, Kindle and websites such as Google that have digitised books and
Libraries that have digitised those old newspapers. Yes can read online about
those printers, publishers and book sellers of part of the past of
New Zealand History .However it is the feel of a book and smell of the
paper that is still enjoyed .
Enjoyed now is the opportunity to see that old
printing equipment used to print those early books and Libraries and Archives such as those at
Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Dunedin, Timaru where can research in books of
way back then - to when Colenso a printer arrived in 1834 with the Stanhope
Press - the start to my wider family
involvement in printing, publishing and book selling.
Reference Sources:
Neill,
J. C. (ed.), The New Zealand Tunnelling Company, 1915-1919 (Auckland: Whitcombe
& Tombs, 1922)
-
-
Transactions
and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961
Page
3 Advertisements Column 5 Daily Southern Cross, 22 March 1865, P 3
Untitled New
Zealand Herald, 13 September 1870, Page 2
Page
4 Advertisements Col 3 New Zealand Herald, , 18 May 1871, Page 4
THAMES
BOROUGH COUNCIL. Thames Advertiser, 27 August 1880, 3
DEATH
OF MR. W. GORRIE. New Zealand Herald, 18 April 1911, Page 5
BUSINESS
CHANGE. Auckland Star, , 16 June 1916, Page 6
OBITUARY. Auckland
Star, 4 March 1931, P 5
