A wet afternoon and a box of old photos needing labelling and sorting, but soon I found myself remembering back to the 1940s. One memory led to another and though the photos are still largely unsorted, I had a fascinating afternoon, even going right back to commencing school during the early days of WWII.
Blockhouse Bay Historical Society
Do you have personal memories of Blockhouse Bay? Or perhaps stories and memories related to you by a family member or a friend?
We would love to hear your memories, if you wish to share them. No detail is too small, as the Society endeavours to record the rich history of the Blockhouse Bay area.
If you have memories you would like to tell the Society about, please contact: Brian Goodwin on 626-5809.
Travelling by public transport in the late 1920s was not without occasional hazards, especially on the long journey from Auckland City to Avondale South (Blockhouse Bay) on the other side of the isthmus.
One evening at sunset, the fully laden motor bus set out as usual and was just making its way through Morningside, when the rim on the back wheel flew off without warning and went rolling on along the street. The driver pulled in to the side of the road and, retrieving the rim, set it back in place as the passengers waited, then slowly and skillfully the vehicle set off for home. Morningside Hill was negotiated successfully as was the downhill run into Mt Albert, and everyone began to relax and think of the dinner awaiting them.
At the December meeting, Vice-President Bill Glen invited members to take part in a short story competition. The subject was to be either a historical incident regarding the Blockhouse Bay area, or an incident pertinent to the beach and Yacht Club. Several anecdotes had already been related at the meeting, many very humorous, and the narrators of these were urged to “put it down on paper” and enter the contest. It was felt that all the members would almost certainly have something to contribute, and all the entries would be preserved in the archives. Ray Howlett was appointed judge and the contest closed at the end of January.
Mr Norman Bissett at Blockhouse Bay is the owner of this pair, Brownie and Pansy. The latter is regularly led back to the paddock by the dog after milking.
In the photograph the pair are walking west along the unformed Gilfillan Street, with the Bissett Tearooms and Store on the corner in the background.
Photo published in the Auckland Star, 7 December 1928. Photo courtesy of Heather Bissett O’Shaughnessy.
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