Russell, Northland, Part 2

by Sean D'Souza | New Zealand, Photography, Street Photography

The view from near the flagstaff. Some Māori in the Bay believed that the Union Jack was a symbol of their loss of authority and prosperity and they believed terms of the Treaty were not being honoured. The first four flagstaffs were cut down by Hone Heke and his cohorts as an objection to British sovereignty sparking the Northland wars.

Houses overlooking the bay and the policeman’s house in the distance.

Some Māori in the Bay believed that the Union Jack was a symbol of their loss of authority and prosperity and they believed terms of the Treaty were not being honoured. The first four flagstaffs were cut down by Hone Heke and his cohorts as an objection to British sovereignty sparking the Northland wars.

The policeman’s house. The Gothic Revival building was built mostly of kauri and designed by colonial architect, William Clayton. Its first occupants, customs collector Edward Laing and his family, planted the huge Moreton Bay fig tree at the front of the property.

The Gothic Revival building was built mostly of kauri and designed by colonial architect, William Clayton. Its first occupants, customs collector Edward Laing and his family, planted the huge Moreton Bay fig tree at the front of the property.

The Gables is New Zealand’s oldest operating restaurant, built from pit-sawn Kauri in 1847 on whalebone foundations. The Gables was built by Joseph England, an immigrant shoemaker who purchased the land for 30 pounds from Moko, a Maori chief. In the mid 1800’s the Gables was most likely a brothel and after 1860 was a shop, bake house, and Salvation Army Boys Home until it reverted again to a restaurant.

The waterfront at Russell. Quiet in winter, with only a handful of tourits. Most restaurants are closed and the few that reamin open do so in an agreed upon system.. One will stay open to “corner all the diners” and the others will stay closed. In turn, when the other one opens, the rest will stay closed.

The ferry wharf at Russell.

Visitor near the whale boat at the Russell museum.

The supermarket near the wharf and overlooking the bay.

The “mandatory” Four Square. However, usually the Four Square stores tend to be rather small. This one is pretty “huge” in comparison to most Four Squares across the country.

The mini-tour covers most places than can easily be covered on foot. Even so, it seems to have a clientele. Here it is in front of the Pompalier, a French-style printery and tannery. Built in 1842, Pompallier Mission originally housed a printery where Church texts were translated from Latin to te reo Māori, then printed and bound. It is just one of several buildings, including a chapel and various outhouses, which once stood in this crowded enclave. Today the Printery stands as New Zealand’s oldest industrial building, as well as the oldest of rammed-earth construction, distinctly French in style and making use of local materials including sand, rock and timber.