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Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => Topic started by: Fresh Fields on Sunday 07 September 25 11:23 BST (UK)
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Hello there.
I have been sent a high resolution scanned copy, of what I am told looks like a NZ photo [opossum sleeved power poles] clipping, from a glossy magazine, which the recipient, in Scotland, saw fit to laminate, and save. The recipient died in 1998, and the laminate is now in the procession of his only daughter, living in Holland. She would like to know of its location. She knows little of her Father's NZ heritage, or of his older brother who was a NZ airman, who did not return from WWII. I have been able to supply copies of a few items of WWII correspondence between her uncle, and my Mother, before he was KIA.
The copy has been sent to me because the recipient was born in the suburb of Melville, Hamilton New Zealand, and went to the same school as my mother. His parents were Irish immigrants who emigrated there in the 1920’s and who, in retirement, lived at Green Bay, Auckland NZ.
Being familiar with their Melville home, and having visited their retirement home at Green Bay, I can confirm that the home in the photo is not of their family home, as both were on residential sections.
Yet on the reverse of the laminate, someone has written “Home – Long Acre.” But it may be that of a Uni colleague.
In 1958 following obtaining a degree at Auckland university, he emigrated first to work in an English University, and then most of his professional life was spent working in universities in Scotland.
While the steep valley land behind the home in the picture, is not unlike farm land that can be found within a half hours drive from Hamilton, I can find no home references to “Long Acre" or "longacre” in our Papers Past Archives, in the Waikato province, during the period he was living in NZ.
While several hundred PP hits can be found, nearly all in some way referenced the NZ term “longacre” referring to grass roadside verges. The two exceptions were a few to Longacre Valley, Wanganui. And to an establishment in London UK, called LONGACRE.
So my question is, does this photo look familiar to any reader of this post.
Alan.
PS I have not used surnames, as I do not have permission to go public with them. The posting here I have instigated.
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There is a Longacre Farm near Te Mata Peak. See page 12 of the report
https://www.pggwrightson.co.nz/sites/default/files/2021-10/PGW%20Half%20Year%20Report%202018.pdf
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Thanks.
A good find. Perhaps I should have a better retentive memory, and not be so quick to delete all the PGG Wrightson promotional material that arrives in my farming inbox.
I will follow that up in due course. Time for dishes and bed now.
Alan.
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The only one I have heard of is the one in the Okoia area near Whanganui. There was a farm there originally called Longacre I believe. Quite a long road now up a narrow valley.
Quite a few different families mentioned on PP as being from that area, especially if you just look in the Wanganui Chronicle or Wanganui Herald.
Have you tried going up Longacre Road on Google Maps to see if anywhere looks similar.
Ian C
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Thanks for your reply.
I had a quick look at the G Maps very late last night, after giving a detailed reply to the two ladies who have been forwarding material to me, because of my Mother having grown up on one street over, from the family concerned.
Five boys whom she went to primary school with, lived less than a half a mile apart, and flew in WWII. But only one survived active duty in the UK. Two were brothers.
In her estate, I discovered to my surprise, she had saved correspondence that she had had with them, after they had joined up.
So I can emphasize with family members who chose not to dwell on their past, and thus did not hand down part of their heritage, to future generations.
I am in the process of approaching Land, and Stock, agents in any area that I can find a LONG ACRE reference.
Alan.
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I put it into Google lens, incase it was a stock photograph from a calendar or similar, and it came back with this one
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/property/taranaki/hurworth/562-frankley-road/gJaD6
Mind you it also suggested Hobbiton, and I know it’s not there!
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Thanks for trying, but it is not that one.
The person who forwarded a copy of the image to me, said it was definitely a NZ photo, because of the sheep. But the only thing that confirmes that for me is the shiny SS selves on two power poles in the high resolution photo which I asked for. Most of the trees, in the image are deciduous.
Unfortunately they were such high resolution copies in hml, that my overloaded computer said it was unable to process through it's spam checking down load system. But I found a workaround that worked for the glossy colour image, but not for the one of the hand written note on the back. So I too am assuming it was possibly in a Land Agent or Livestock Agent calendar, and relatively recent, eg post 1980. I saw my first possum in the mid 1950's here in the Waikato pastoral farmland. I took it to the local school, and was asked to show it off in all five classrooms.
Last night was not able to find when the SS selves became a common installation by local power boards.
Alan.
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Do you mean SS (Stainless steel) sleeves, placed around power poles to stop possums climbing up?
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Do you mean SS (Stainless steel) sleeves, placed around power poles to stop possums climbing up?
Yes he does.
I remember them as a child. So 1960s. But Otago.might have been more of an issue there earlier?
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Most places in NZ had the sleeves on the wooden power poles to stop the possums. The pesky animals were a regular cause of power cuts, mainly in rural areas. Was usually the power lines being arced together by a possum touching two wires at the same times, usually resulting in instant electrocution and blown fuses. Not so prevalent these days with concrete poles.
Ian C
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To me it looks like a farm on land around Te Aroha looking towards Mt Te Aroha
or
Mt Tauhara near Taupo
and yet
the sidings/house/vegetation looks like land around Whanganui, on the right coming into Whanganui from Sanson etc but not sure what the hill/mountain might be in the background
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Thankyou for taking the trouble to post.
Yet to receive a reply from local agencies, in the areas that look most promising.
But you will never know, unless you post a request, who might offer to assist you.
In the past I have received a reply from the most unlikely of places.
Many years ago a director of the TOMSK STATE UNIVERSITY, sent me some Russian research papers that I was trying to hunt down, as they discussed the application of a Kiwi invention.
Then there was the problem of getting them translated, as there were/are several different keyboard configurations used, to digitize the Cyrillic font.
Then more recently on a remote West Auckland beach, I passed the time of day with an elderly gent who told me he had emigrated from a far Eastern village, in the Soviet Union. I said I had no knowledge of the area he was talking about, but had, in the past, received a reply to an international request for help, from TOMSK University Library.
His eyes lit up in surprise, and he stated that was the university he was sent to for further education, at great distance from his home. Then he asked if I remembered the name of the librarian who had taken the trouble to reply, and was doubly surprised.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he explained to me that his best mate, through his years of study at that university, had married the lady who had emailed me.
The world is a very small place when it comes to research.
Alan.
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Looking again I feel that it is around Whanganui. It may not be on the RHS going from Sanson but the LHS has pine trees in the light soiled dune country to the west. The second idea is that it is on one of the back roads east or north of Whanganui. Even accessing the Parapara.