OLD WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 184, 3 May 1934, Page 4

OLD WELLINGTON

Photographs and Prints MR. WARD’S COLLECTION Anyone the least bit Interested in early Wellington and the early settlers Should not fail to see Mr. Louis E. Ward’s collection of old photographs and prints, now being shown at the Concert Chamber of the Wellington Town Hall. Mr. Ward, who is the author of the book “Old Wellington,” has evidently always taken an interest in the city, and has preserved many prints and newspaper cuttings referring to the old times, which makes the collection valuably historic. _ There are to be seen Wellington in all stages of its development, from 1840 down to comparatively recent times. There are unique mails of the harbour, giving the native names of its chief features ; there is a plan of the foreshore setting out the names of those who owned the original town acres; and several views of the waterfront taken from the harbour, showing the business places as they were in 1870. Probably one of the quaintest deeds is one setting out the sale of an island in the Bay of Islands by J. Shungkee Heekee (one of the Hekes) in consideration for -IS “falling axes.” Heekeea signature —a facsimile of his tattoo mark—>s attached to this copy of the document. One rare print is a very well executed bit of work, which shows Wellington as it looked from the Wadestown hille in 1868. Immediately below the hills are the officers’ cottages, and on Ahorndon flat, to the eastward of Fitzherbert.Terrace, figures the barracks in which the British troops were housed. In those days the Princess Hotel was called the “Queen’s Head,” and opposite, on the site of the present church, stood a large Maori hostel. „ ■ . . There is also a collection of prints and photographs of vessels, the collection ot Mr. Fred J. Layton. ■ . Mr Ward is endeavouring to raise from the exhibition some money, for a young man injured in a football match. . At the conclusion of the exhibition on Saturday the collection is being handed over to" the Wellington Early Settlers ,; and Historical Association, and it is hoped that it will eventually find a home in the new Dominion Museum. The exhibition will continue each afternoon and evening. To-morrow afternoon at 3 o’clock Dr. Guy H. Scholefield will delived an address on “Old Wellington.”