Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Thames (NZ): Bird-in-Hand Hill Panorama c1940s

Just a little filler, while I'm occupied with some oral history abstracts for the Coromandel Heritage Trust Oral History Recorders at Thames.

The three photos below are taken from Bird-in-Hand Hill and Irishtown area, Thames. Virtually the boundary line of the old goldfield towns of Shortland and Grahamstown, which ran down Karaka via Pahau Street to the sea.

Photo One: Looks over the Karaka Road to Block 27, where the miners originally were given the right to camp on the days when the field opened in 1867. The Una Hill is on the centre left, with the Kauaeranga area beyond.

Photo Two: Looks south, down the roads of Rolleston Street (left) and Baillie Street (centre). A portion of Baillie Street has been closed, to allow expansion of the Thames High School campus. The large two-storied building in the centre of the photo (on left hand side of Baillie Street), is the Nurses' Home (later known as the old Nurses' Home).

Photo Three: Looks south-west over the old Shortland town, Thames. The Thames Hospital campus dominates the centre left, with the St George's Church towering above. To the right of that on the corner of Mackay and Mary Streets, is the Thames Men's Club, the home built by Reverend V. Lush.
PHOTO ONE
PHOTO TWO

PHOTO THREE
Suggested Sources of further information:
Old photographs, postcards and Street Directories are available at The Treasury, Thames.
Street Directories also available via ancestry.au
Hunt for photos at: Auckland Libraries, National Library of New Zealand and via Digital NZ.