Page 9 – Flaxmilling – 6 b/w photos & 1 b/w photo postcard
Top to bottom (L to R) - a) ‘Bringing Flax down the Manawatu River’, c.1918 (?). {copy} 2 horse & carts in water beside punt, 2 men standing in cart (left), man seated in cart (right), man standing on steam launch, 2 men standing on punt each holding a bundle of flax. Sand dunes in background indicates possibility of the punt being unloaded at Foxton. The use of steam launch & punt for flax transport began in 1889, peaked between 1900 & 1919, almost vanished by 1930 (replaced by road transport).
b) “Miranui Group” – senior men, c.1920. {copy} Left to Right: R.H. Webb (manager, Miranui), Alfred Seifert (chairman of directors), S.A. Carter (manager, Weka), F.C. Litchfield (secretary), A. Yorston (swamp manager). (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0008a original mounted photo) (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0008b additional copy)
c) Mr H. Moore with 3 horse team pulling cart loaded with flax. {original, mounted}
d) Bales of flax fibre being loaded on to railway wagons at Shannon, c.1920. {copy} 2 horse drawn wagons loaded with bales of processed flax fibre waiting to be unloaded onto railway wagons for export. 3 men with the wagons, identified as (left to right) – Reg Tippler, Bert Tremewan and Kerehama (Keri “the Maori”). Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 23, with caption - (34) Right lower: Unloading bales of “Miranui” fibre at the Shannon railway station. About five bales of fibre weighed one ton. The men are, from left, Reg Tippler, Bert Tremewan and Keri “the Maori”. Photo: V. Tippler. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 96, with caption - Bales of flax fibre being loaded on to railway wagons at Shannon railway station c. 1920. (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0003 additional copy, damaged)
e) ‘The Mill, Seifert’s Flaxdressing Co., Miranui, N.Z.’, 1908. {original postcard} The 7 stripping sheds, with engine house between the 3rd & 4th stripping shed from left, made Miranui the largest flaxmill in N.Z. Construction of the mill began in January 1907 and was officially opened on Saturday, 16th November 1907. (similar to photo (16) on page 15 in “Miranui” booklet, and to Acc.#2000.018.0030)
f) Mr Charles Lee, flax worker, standing among the flax, 20 August 1928. {copy} Wearing his “Sunday best” at Webb’s Nursery.
g) Another view of Mr Charles Lee, flax worker, standing among the flax, 20 August 1928. {copy} Wearing his “Sunday best” at Webb’s Nursery. (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0005 additional copy)
Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”
