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.”

Page 10 – Flaxmilling – 6 b/w photos

Top to bottom (L to R) - a) Man (unidentified) using scutching machine, Miranui Mill, c.1910. {copy} Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 95, with caption - Inside the scutching shed at Miranui mill about 1910. The man is holding hanks of fibre in the scutching machine, which removed short fibres, dust and the rough ‘tails’ (non-fibrous leaf tissue). Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 23, with caption - (28) Above: Men working in the scutching shed at “Miranui”. The “scutcher” poked one end of the hank through a slot in the front of the box-like machine while holding onto the other end. Inside the machine a beater with six arms revolved at about 200 rpm inside a six foot diameter drum, and flailed the fibre to remove any remaining vegetation. Once the fibre was thoroughly beaten it was pulled out and the other end put in to complete the process. Photo: Palmerston North Public Library.

b) Horse drawn wagon loaded with bales of processed flax fibre, Shannon, c.1920’s. {copy} 2 unidentified men with the wagon at Shannon Railway Station waiting to be unloaded onto railway wagons for export. (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0004 additional copy)

c) Flax cutters in swamp, Shannon, 1908. {copy} Identified as: G. Butterfield, J. McLaughin, J. Johnston, J. Maslin, D. Harris. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 94, with caption - Flax cutters at work in the swamp in 1908. Left to right: G. Butterfield, J. McLaggan, J. Johnston, J. Maslin, D. Harris.

d) Mr Charles Lee on horse outside cookhouse in swamp, 1928. {copy} Wearing his “Sunday best”.

e) Flax train crossing Tokomaru River, c.1908. {copy} Barclay saddle tank steam engine hauling wagons of green flax leaves from swamp to Miranui mill, pauses while crossing the Tokomaru River. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 94, with caption - A Barclay engine hauling wagons laden with green flax leaves over the Tokomaru River. Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 13, with caption - (12) Below: The locomotive with a full load of flax pauses on the bridge over the tranquil Tokomaru River. Photo: Palmerston North Public Library. Information on page 3 in “Miranui” booklet states: A unique feature of the mill was the 3ft gauge tramway which ran from the mill three and a half miles into the swamp. A small five ton steam locomotive was bought from Bagnall and Co. of England in 1907 to haul the specially built flax wagons. Unfortunately even this tiny machine proved too heavy for the tracks across the swamps and it was sold to work later on bush tramways on the Waitakere coast near Auckland and near Raetihi in the central North Island. Teams of horses therefore took over on the flax tramway from 1910. (see also – Acc.#200.018.0028 HHS Mounted Collection)

f) Miranui stripping shed workers, c.1916. {copy} 30 unidentified men in front of stripping sheds. Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 17, with caption - (20) Below: Some of the “flaxies” employed in the stripping shed about 1916. Photo: Palmerston North Public Library.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Written on back with blue ballpoint pen - Charles Lee 1928.

Stamped on back with purple ink - Reproduction Peter Sinclair Photos Shannon

Charles Lee, flax worker, wearing his “Sunday best” standing among the flax, 1928 1 B&W photo print, copy

Grandfather of: Robert Lee, Noelene Clayton (nee Lee), Donald Lee, Lila Lee (married name unknown).

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Page 11 – Flaxmilling – 7 b/w photos & 1 stereoview

Top to bottom (L to R) - a) Mr Charles Lee, flax worker, standing among the flax, 20 August 1928. {copy} Wearing his “Sunday best” at Webb’s Nursery, row 43.

b) Loading flax onto punt on Manawatu River, 1901. {original stereoview} Bundles of flax leaves sent down wooden shute from top of riverbank (left). 2 men load flax on the punt while another man waits on the steam launch. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 91, with caption - Green flax leaves being loaded on to a punt, propelled by a steam launch on the Manawatu River in 1901. The tall bush that covered a wide area can be seen clearly.

c) Miranui Mill – cookhouse, billiard room & men’s living quarters, 1920’s. {copy} Car (left), 5 buildings (right), 2 women & 2 children (right), 3 men (centre) standing in road. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 101, with caption - This neat little village scene of the 1920’s is the Miranui Mill’s cook house, billiard room and men’s living quarters. (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0006 additional copy)

d) Locomotive with dignitaries passing under Main Trunk Railway Line, Miranui, 1907. {copy} Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 93, with caption - Opening day at the Miranui mill, 16 November 1907. Bowler hatted dignitaries, guests and members of the press toured the flax swamps. They rode on a flax train pulled by a Barclay saddle tank locomotive, nicknamed ‘Sandfly’, and are shown in the subway beneath the main trunk railway line. (Photo courtesy J.F. Spall). Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 9, with caption - (4) The mill’s five ton “Bagnall” locomotive carrying guests and members of the press on the day of the official opening. They are returning from a tour of the Makerua flax swamp. The engine is passing beneath the railway line owned by the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company which passed the mill. The mill owners paid the railway company the sum of 1 pound for many years for the right to pass beneath the line. Photo: Palmerston North Public Library.

e) Mr Charles Lee, flax worker, standing among the flax, 1928. {copy} Webb’s Nursery ?

f) ‘Poplar Flax-Mill, Moutoa, New Zealand, 1915’. {copy} Buildings with ‘cone-stack’ of treated flax fibre at right.

g) Unloading flax train in storage yards at stripping sheds, Miranui, c.1908. {copy} Used in booklet – “Miranui – The story of New Zealand’s largest flax mill”, page 14, with caption - (14) Below: Journey’s end. Unloading the flax at the storage yards in front of the stripping shed at Miranui. Photo: Palmerston North Public Library.

h) Miranui Flaxmill employees of A & L Seifert’s Flax-dressing Co. Ltd., c.1908 Group photo outside stripping sheds. Man (centre, foreground) sitting on ground holding child, has been identified as Mr R.H. (Dick) Webb, the mill manager. Used in book – “From Bush & Swamp”, page 99, with caption - Some of the employees of A & L Seifert’s Flaxdressing Co Ltd about 1910, photographed outside the stripping shed of the Miranui mill. The man sitting on the ground in the centre (holding a young child) is R.H. (Dick) Webb, the mill manager. (see also – Acc.#s2002.019.0010a & b additional copies, dated c.1910) (see also – Acc.#s2002.081.0007 original, mounted)

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”