Honey removal using the bee brushing method. 

Infuriated the bees and this is when we got most stings! 

Using a steam heated honey uncapping knife in the extracting shed at Field's Apiaries 1967-68 season. Foxton

Honey extracting shed on  the left and packing shed on the right. This was the new shed completed in time for the 1967-68 season. 

(boxes) loaded onto rear of the truck by hand. Each weighs about 25kg. We had no mechanical lifters, all manual lifting.

1967-68 season, Foxton area.

(boxes) loaded onto rear of the truck by hand. Each weighs about 25kg. We had no mechanical lifters, all manual lifting. (boxes) loaded onto rear of the truck by hand. Each weighs about 25kg. We had no mechanical lifters, all manual lifting.

A slide depicting a traditional farming scene from New Zealand made in around the 1920s. Agriculture was a popular theme in New Zealand painting, photography and literature at the time. The fact that it formed the biggest part of our economy no doubt had something to do with this.

This slide was designed to be projected onto a wall using a 'magic lantern' projector. 

View from the rear of the beeswax shed in foreground and the new honey extracting and packing shed at rear. This was completed in 1967. The roof of the Field's family home seen at the rear on the left side. At this time they had about 1300 hives.

Russel Field (foreground) of Field's Apiaries and employee "Brownie" 1967-68 season.

When working bees in the Wanganui Valley for Manuka Honey we sometimes stayed overnight in a caravan.

Field's Apiaries 1967-68 Honey Crop stored in kerosene tins as was the usual practice then. About 32 tons here whatever that is in Kilos?

We had no truck mounted mechanical lifter and had to manually lift the full honey supers (boxes) onto the back of the Ford truck, Each box weighed about 25kg

"Brownie" showing a frame containing bee larvae (brood) and some honey.  Brownie took over as head beekeeper from Norman Keane who had left to work as his own beekeeper business.

Most of Field's apiaries were scattered through the Manawatu area and were usually around 20 hives in each apiary. When I worked there in the 1967-68 season they had about 1300 hives in total. They were all standard 10 frame Langstroth hives. We didn't use queen exluders in any of them and neither did we have a mechanical loader. All hives and full honey boxes were manually lifted onto the flat tray Ford truck seen here.

Employee "Brownie" using a steam heated honey uncapping knife in the new honey shed of Field's Apiaries, Norbiton Road, Foxton.

This was very hard work on the wrist. We didn't have an automatic uncapping machine.

Written on paper attached below photo – Borough Councillors & Staff 1927

Written on back – Borough Council, 1927 Mortensen – W.G. Clark – F. Parker – ...?... – F. Roe – (H. Channings, overseer) – Hobson (mayor) – Ramsay (town clerk) – ...?... – C. Keedwell Road-building Machine

Borough Councillors with road-building machine (steam roller), 1927

Left to Right: M. Mortensen, W.G. Clark, F.E. Parker, ...?... , F. Roe, H. Channings (overseer), T. Hobson (mayor), Ramsay (town clerk), ...?... , C.S. Keedwell.

Plus an unidentified man standing on the machine in the shadow.

See also – Acc# 2000.018.0242 (copy made from this orginal and mounted). See also – Acc# 2001.013.0001 (same machine and people seen from a different view).

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

Stamped on back with black ink - SHANNON PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION

Pam Locke (assistant librarian) recording titles of new stock, mid 1970’s 1 B&W photo print

Sitting at small table piled with books. Taken during visit by National Library Service to renew stock.

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

This photo was scanned from one owned by Bob Ayson of Foxton. Unfortunately we still need to name it.