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Tales from the Crypt: bewitching stories from the cemeteries of West Auckland

by Matthew Gray


Hardcover. 176pp. 297x168, Illus. Full colour.

ISBN: 9781877431418

$15.00
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More about the book

Yes, its finally here. The book of Matthew Gray's much loved column of the same name in West Auckland's Western Leader. It brings together already-published stories, plus many many more, and all in full colour.
Matthew Gray really loves the West. So much so that he's spent many hours photographing many of the gravestones in the area's cemeteries, then digging deep through the dusty files and footnotes of history to uncover the rich vein of lives lived and lives lost. Its a fascinating read for all.
The people in the book are the famous, infamous, the unlucky, the tragic, the naughty and the nice. And Matthew has brought them all to life in gorgeous living colour.

As Sandra Coney writes in her Foreword:
"The history of early Auckland is one of adventure, struggle, larger than life characters and not a little human tragedy. Matthew Gray approaches this colourful legacy through graveyards. Like me, Matthew is a lover of cemeteries, and west Auckland is richly endowed with these windows on the past. ... Matthew has wandered through them all ... Through these personal stories we gain a better understanding of the life of Aucklanders ... For some time, readers of the Western Leader have been entertained and informed by Matthew's tales. Now, with many new additions, they are available in a more permanent form ... It is a great addition to the social history of Auckland."



And its an ideal gift for anyone in the family, especially anyone interested in genealogy. This is because it could be a treasure trove of ancestral discovery as well as a compendium of the times.

From Adams & Ornstein, and Aickin; through to Urquhart, and Wilson; this book brings 75 such fascinating histories to life. A easy and enjoyable read for all, young and old alike.

For example






ERRATA
1. Page 73. The captions for Charles Hawkins and James Cross grave stones should be swapped.
2. Page 116. The "Margaret" in paragraphs 4 and 5 should be "Myrtle".
3. Page 134. The "three young men" in the first paragraph should be "four young men".
These thanks to Richard Glover, Glen Eden.

  • Table of Contents

    The Waimauku and Muriwai area
    Waimauku Village, 1950s. Where you found people and places
    Chapter 1. Mâori arrive in Kaipara
    ......Ngâti Whâtua o Kaipara
    ......Te Kawerau â Maki
    Chapter 2. Getting around Kaipara in the 1820s
    ......The waka
    ......The travels of Samuel Marsden
    Chapter 3. Kauri and the destruction of the forest
    ......Kauri gum: an ancient treasure
    ......The legacy: No going back
    Chapter 4. The Europeans arrive
    ......Profile: Samuel Frost. Ararimu Valley, 1863
    ......Profile: Robert Annett. Waimauku, 1868
    ......Profile: Allan Kerr-Taylor. Waikoukou Valley, 1869
    ......Profile: Joseph Wilkins. Waikoukou Valley, 1869
    ......Profile: John Foster. Muriwai Falls, 1870
    ......Profile: Stanley Lester-Jonas. Waimauku, 1880
    ......Profile: James Fletcher. Waimauku, 1885
    ......Profile: William Morgan. Ararimu Valley, 1886
    ......Profile: William Moore. Muriwai, 1888
    Chapter 5. Flax
    Chapter 6. Kaipara’s sea of streams
    Chapter 7. The railway arrives, 1875
    ......The Waimauku station
    Chapter 8. Waimauku Village
    ......Foster’s Waimauku general store
    ......Billiards and hairdressing
    ......Bill Good’s pub
    ......The artisan
    ......The Coronation Hall / Waimauku War Memorial Hall
    ......St Martin’s, the little church with a big history
    ......Other denominations at St Martins
    ......The Waimauku Peoples’ Church
    ......The post office and the telephone exchanges
    ......Electric power
    ......Ernie Burns’ garage
    ......Cyril Tong’s bakehouse
    ......The great name change folly
    ......Gossip columns
    ......Victory bonds: Waimauku’s victory
    ......The doctor
    ......The RSA
    ......Bomber Galloway - a tragedy and a tribute
    ......The music makers
    ......Population size
    Chapter 9. The dairy factory
    Chapter 10. The evolution of Waimauku’s roads
    Chapter 11. Waimauku School
    Chapter 12. Sporting life
    Chapter 13. The Kaipara after the Treaty
    ......Wally Wikaira: a local identity in Waimauku
    Chapter 14. Farmers arriving in the 20th century
    ......Profile: The Wightmans, 1912
    ......Profile: The Houghtons, 1919
    ......Profile: The Robbs, 1937
    Chapter 15. Villages apart: Kumeu ascendant
    Chapter 16. Orchards and vineyards
    Chapter 17. Muriwai Beach
    ......Catherine Moore’s story, 1893
    ......Profile: Edwin Mitchelson. Muriwai, 1901
    ......The state of the Muriwai road
    ......Korekore pa
    ......Racing on the beach
    ......Fresh water, changing sheds and other luxuries
    ......Fishing at Muriwai Beach
    ......Muriwai House
    ......The Trans-Tasman cable
    ......Fighting in the dunes
    ......Sewage in the sand
    ......War games
    ......Surf life-saving
    ......The volunteer fire brigade
    ......Carnage on the beach, vehicles in the modern era
    ......Aftermath of the 2023 storm: Two tributes
    Chapter 18. Diary of a country kid
    Chapter 19. Endgame
    Notes