Te Papa's Blog

Mitchells Cottage, Central Otago, 1960 s – 1980 s, Clutha-Central Otago. Brian Brake. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa

Many of you have been helping identify the locations and places in some of the mystery photographs in Te Papa’s collection. It has been very enjoyable hearing from people, checking the information offered and updating the results on the database.

All the images in this post have been identified by the public via this blog site and Te Papa’s social media sites. In some cases we have also been able to add a link in the record on Collections Online to the same scene today via google street view (see examples below).

Thank you to all of you who have helped identify the photographs shown in this post and for sharing your knowledge of Aotearoa.

Children’s Park, Greymouth, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa

The photograph above (previously known only as ‘Children’s Park’, Greymouth) has been identified as Dixon Park (Greymouth) with the house in the background the Italian consulate and residence of the Perotti family. Sometime after 1952 the house was demolished and the Trinity Church and Centre now occupies the site on Tainui Road.

Whangaroa, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

The above image is my favourite of the mysteries so far. Previously it was only known only as “Coastal scenery, Northland” but thanks to some astute local knowledge this shot of Whangaroa was located to the same point on the road where the same tree still hangs over. No idea what happened to the car though!

Post Office, Timaru, 8.54am, Timaru. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa

The old Timaru Post Office was a bit tricky as the clock tower has now been removed and a similar larger Municipal Building (also with a clock tower) stands opposite.

Private house and surrounding garden, circa 1930, New Plymouth. Oakley, William. F B Butler/Crown Studios Collection. Gift of Frederick B Butler, 1971. Te Papa

All that remains of these houses at 104-106 Pendarves Street, New Plymouth is part of the stone fence.

Golf House, One Tree Hill, 1913, Auckland. Robert Walrond. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa

The ‘Golf House’  is at 9 Fern Avenue, Epsom. The house was originally built of kauri as rooms for the Auckland Golf Club. At the time this photograph was taken the house was owned by the Kingswell family who had purchased it in 1909. Percy Kingswell (1870-1928) added bay windows on both floors and the turret to the original house. Originally from Invercargill, Kingswell made money mining on the West Coast of the South Island but in 1928 facing bankruptcy he committed suicide in the house.

Below are some more views located and identified by the public:

Lake Ohau, looking north, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa

Opua, Bay of Islands, circa 1957, Northland. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Railway Station, Greymouth, 1900s. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa

Ravensbourne, Dunedin. Burton Brothers. Te Papa

Maketu (European settlement), 1886, Dunedin. Burton Brothers. Te Papa

Kuaotunu, 1880 s, New Zealand. Burton Brothers. Purchased 1991. Te Papa

Sunnyside Station Homestead, Waiau. Mr and Mrs Cuthbert, 10.1917, New Zealand. J.B. Gilmour. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa

Rail bridge, South of Picton, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa

The earlier posts published last year were: Unsolved mysteries, Object unknown and Lost houses.