This photograph was taken in November 2023 of the footbridge at Holben/Te Wharangi Reserve in Foxton Beach. The bridge linked the playground with the public toilets and bicycle course and spanned the wetland/pond in the Reserve.

In 2023 a weight limit was put on the bridge due to its age and condition. At the time of writing (12th of March 2024) the bridge was being replaced with a new one of a different design. 

This photograph was taken by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie using a 1960 Agfa Flexilette camera loaded with Fomapan 200 film. This was a family camera of an unusual design where the photographer looked down into a viewing hood which showed what was and was not in focus (i.e a twin-lens-reflex). This design was not uncommon- but it was in 35mm cameras like the Agfa.

On the 30th of November 2022 Radio Foxton's station manager Xan and announcer Zeb installed a new aerial on the top of Coronation Hall. Thanks to the aerial (and brand new cable) the signal on 105.4FM can reach Tokomaru, Linton Camp and many other towns in the Manawatu-Horowhenua districts. The old aerial was felled by a storm and the temporary replacement had a much reduced range.

This photograph was taken by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie. Jacob used a 1984 Praktica TL3, a solid camera built in what was then East Germany. Prakticas were no frills SLR cameras aimed at the amateur, and this one had a 28mm wide angle lens fitted. The photograph was taken at the back of Coronation Hall near the old Foxton jail.

Teunis Bleijenberg is a trained traditional miller from The Netherlands who came to Foxton in 2023 to train local De Molen millers and volunteers.  Safely operating a mill is a big job, with traditional millers usually training for two years to equip them for all types of mills- plus an extra four months learning the specifics of each new mill they work at.  With Foxton's De Molen being the only traditional Dutch windmill operating in the Southern Hemisphere, expert help has to come from far afield!

This photograph was made by local photographer Jacob Brookie as part of a series of photo-stories highlighting the work of local volunteers- including the millers Teunis was training. The photo was made with a 1966 Marshal Press camera and Kodak T-Max film.

On the 28th of March 2024, Save Our River Trust and Horowhenua Pop-Up Eats combined forces to host a community Easter Egg Hunt with the support of Foxton New World and Foxton Barber and Beauty. Over five hundred people attended, and hundreds of children searched for the hidden rabbits at the Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park.

Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph of the Easter Bunny awarding chocolate treats at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom. Save Our River Trust volunteer Pou is taking a photograph and Horowhenua District Council staff member Grayson is handing out chocolate eggs behind the table.

Jacob used a 1958 Mamiyaflex C2 to take this photograph, part of a series about Foxton's volunteers made with vintage cameras. Jacob climbed the stairs to Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom's overhead walkway to take this picture. When he did, the event was almost over and the table, once full of treats with more waiting to be placed, is almost empty.

 This photo shows Foxton Beach Surf Lifesaving Club volunteers Holly, Kelsey and Thomas conducting a rescue drill just beyond the waves at Foxton Beach. In another IRB was Jacob Brookie, a photographer using a vintage 1950s Agfa Silette camera. A freak wave had already wet the lens of the Silette, and the lens was a bit damp despite Jacob’s best efforts which explains the slight lack of focus in this image!

The 2023/2024 Foxton Beach swimming season was plagued by bluebottle jellies- lifeguards on the observation deck saw huge ‘mats’ of them out at sea. There were a few painful stings felt by swimmers onshore, but no emergencies as a result. 

This photo was taken as part of a series about Foxton’s volunteers, and many photos were published in the Horowhenua Chronicle.   

This photograph was taken by local photographer Jacob Brookie in March 2023 from the dune track leading from the beach carpark down to the sea. It is of the  Waitārere Beach Surf Life Saving Community Facility under construction and the completed building will be the home to the local surf lifesaving clubrooms which can accommodate up to 200 people and host more training sessions. At the time of writing, it will be ready for the 2023/2024 summer season.

Jacob used a 1960 Agfa Flexilette camera to take this photograph. The Flexilette was an unusual camera as it was a twin lensed design built to take 35mm film- not many of these designs have been made! It wasn't all that popular in its day but still takes nice photographs.

The Super Quad Fishing Competition is run by the Manawatu Marine Boating Club, with four fishing days held each year. For 2023, a jetski was the prize, and there were more than 80 skippers and 200 contestants angling to win it. 

Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph of the weigh - in at the final day of the contest- the 7th of April 2023. It was taken in the Manawatu Marine Boating Club's equipment room by the Foxton Beach Boat ramp at around 2pm in the afternoon. Pictured are contestants weighing a kahawai, with a volunteer pictured in the background taking note of the contestant, their boat, the species and the weight.

Jacob used a 1966 Marshal Press camera for this photograph on Ilford black and white film. The metal camera weighed almost as much as some of the fish did! 

This photograph was taken during a very cold morning in June 2022 by local photographer Jacob Brookie. It was taken in the Easton Park sportsgrounds at the back of the Foxton Pools, looking towards state highway one. 

Jacob used a 1990s Seagull 4A camera to take this photograph. The Seagull was a copy of the Rolleiflex camera and was basically unchanged since the 1960s and was made well into the 21st century. During the Cultural Revolution, having one of these cameras in China meant that you were a trusted state photographer (very few owned cameras in China at the time). However, Jacob bought his used online for $90.....

Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this picture in September of 2022- local election season! This scene is of the Seaview Gardens, at the base of the Foxton water tower on Main Street. The signs seen here belonged to candidates for Mayor, Council and the Te Awahou Foxton Community Board. Some of these faces were successful in their bid for office, others less so.

Jacob used a 1956 Lipca Rollop Automatic camera to take this picture.

Foxton's Busy Bee Dairy was a fixture of the town on State Highway One. In late 2022 it moved from the highway to a building in Foxton's Main Street. 

The old dairy was full of advertising and has been photographed many times by travellers passing through. Local photographer Jacob Brookie heard about the dairy's relocation and wanted to take a photograph of the Coca-Cola bottle painted on the side of the building before it was demolished. The photograph was taken in August 2022.

It is a strange combination of advertising for a massive global company which was probably made by a local painter!

Jacob used a 1957 Lipca Rollop Automatic camera to take this photograph. This camera takes twelve photographs per roll of 120 format film, with the photographer composing the photograph by looking down into a hood on the top of the camera. 

The 2022 Big Dutch Day Out featured an exhibition of photographer Ans Westra's fascinating glimpses into New Zealand life. Her impact on New Zealand photography and society is far too detailed to do justice in this short description- but it is reasonable to say that she was one of this country's greatest photographers and arriving from the Netherlands as a young women gave her the perspective behind many of her finest works.

Ans Westra was a guest of honour on the day and was part of the line of dignitaries including Members of Parliament and the Race Relations Commissioner who posed for a photograph by the De Molen windmill. Two lines formed- the dignitaries and the people taking a photograph of them.

Local photographer Jacob Brookie was there using a 1950s Yashica 'A' camera from the MAVtech Museum. He noticed the lines forming and thought that this was far more interesting than a front-on photo of notables. He also noticed that Ans Westra (seated in this picture) was taking a photo of the people taking a photo- placing her in both groups at once! 

Ans Westra famously used a Rolleiflex camera for much of her life and the Yashica A had a similar styling. She mentioned to Jacob that the digital camera she was using that day had a folding screen so she could compose pictures 'waist level' like Rolleiflex if she wanted to.

Ans Westra passed away on the 26th of February, 2023.

A feature of Foxton for many years, the 'Foxton Trading Post' second hand shop closed in Winter 2022. Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photo of the shop's front entrance just before it closed down for good in an effort to preserve this part of the Main Street.

Jacob used a 1934 Rolleicord to take this photograph. The Rolleicord was the budget version of the Rolleiflex camera and was made for amateur photographers. Nonetheless, it was well built and had a quality lens and shutter. 

While not in the Horowhenua District, the Transmission Gully motorway provides an important link between Horowhenua and Wellington City to the benefit of commuters from both regions.

The road opened to traffic on the 31st of March 2022, and Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph in May of that year. Jacob used a c.1948 Mamiya Six folding camera to make this exposure from the rear seat of a Mazda SUV. The Mamiya was an advanced camera for its day and was a popular choice of Allied forces stationed in Japan at the time. Jacob's Mamiya has a worn, somewhat cloudy lens which reduces contrast so is used for 'special effects'.

The photograph was taken travelling southbound over Transmission Gully.

Taken with an East German Reflekta Camera.  The lens on this camera had some haze due to it's age and this has created a 'soft focus' look. 

Taken with the East German Reflekta camera. 

This image was taken with a 1956 Lipca Rollop Automatic- One of Jacob's personal cameras. When using an untested MAVtech camera for a story Jacob always brings along a proven vintage camera as a backup! 

Taken with the Reflekta Camera. Black and white film was used in this series. In part, this was for a 'retro' effect but many vintage cameras have early lenses which struggle to take photos outside without lens flare. The effect of flaring is most noticeable in colour! 

Foxton photographer and MAVtech volunteer Jacob Brookie uses vintage cameras from the museum's collection to take photographs of local volunteers in the community. The results are published in the Horowhenua Chronicle.

This article, the first in the series, looks at the work of the Wildlife Foxton Trust. It was published in the Horowhenua Chronicle on the 23rd of June, 2023. Some of the photos here differ to those in the print article- but all were taken on the same day and with the same cameras.

Foxton's New World Supermarket was in the midst of renovations when this photograph was taken. The scaffolding, road cones and construction workers quickly became a part of the town's Main Street. 

Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph in June of 2022, looking down the footpath and towards the police station end of the street (towards Himatangi). Jacob used a 1953 Agfa Billy 1 folding camera to make this photograph on Ilford FP4 film.

During the Big Dutch Day Out 2022 a monkey kite got caught in the fans of the De Molen windmill, and ended up imitating King Kong on the Whare Manaaki! This caused much merriment until the kite master could remove it....

This was taken by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie with a 1950s Yashica 'A' twin lens reflex camera. Made in Japan, this was an affordable camera for the enthusiast photographer and Jacob has used it to take many photographs around Foxton. 

The Yashica is owned by the MAVtech Museum of Audio and Visual Technology.

This photograph was taken on the 14th of August 2022 by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie. It shows spectators observing the 29th annual Foxton Loop Race- an event organised by 'Welly Paddlers' which sees entrants paddling their boats around the Foxton River Loop.

Jacob used a 1930s Agfa Billy 4.5 to take this photograph. This was an amateur camera whose lens folded into the body using bellows for easy storage. Jacob borrowed this camera from the collection of Foxton's MAVtech Museum which has a range of vintage photographic equipment as part of it's collection of audio-visual technology.

Like the rest of New Zealand, Foxton entered a series of Level Four 'lockdowns' during the COVID-19 pandemic. And just like the rest of New Zealand this experience dominated community affairs. 

The Foxton Little Theatre boasted in 2022 that their new production was 'comedy for the COVID era'. 

This photograph was taken outside the Foxton Little Theatre during winter 2022 by local photographer Jacob Brookie. Jacob used a 1958 Yashica 44 camera to take this photograph. This camera was a small 'twin lens reflex' marketed towards families who wanted to take slides for a 'slide show' displayed with a projector.

One of the selling points of this camera was it's automatic film transport- it wasn't motorised, but if you wound the crank handle the film would stop in the right place. Half a century later it doesn't work as well (note the next frame of film intruding into the bottom of the photo!)

This photo shows the dismantling of Foxton's tram and trolley bus lines in March 2023. First installed as a local development and tourism project by local Ian Little in 1989, trolleys and trams were a familiar site in the town for many years. However, upon Ian's passing in 2012 the service gradually ceased, with the last trolley travelling its route in July 2016.

Concerned about the state of the trolley lines, the Horowhenua District Council made the decision to pull them down. 

This photograph was taken by Jacob Brookie who used a 1966 Marshal Press camera. These cameras were once the choice of newspaper photographers sent to press stand ups.

Jacob stood on Foxton's Main Street opposite the Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom cultural park. Wharf Street can be seen beyond the two men in the middle ground.

This photograph was taken on the 15th of October, 2022 when the 21st Supply Company of the 2nd Combat Services Battalion exercised their right to march down Foxton's Main Street in full uniform and with weapons. This right, proven after a ceremonial police challenge, was granted to the Company for their service to the town after the 2004 floods and the RSA clubrooms fire.

The morning of the march included an inspection by Mayor Bernie Wanden and an address by senior officers. 

Taken by local photographer Jacob Brookie using a 1956 Lipca Rollop Automatic camera- used by keen amateurs in its day. Jacob stood on Foxton's Main Street looking towards the War Memorial Hall.