A Finger in so Many Pies

Pat Akerblom

A collection of the Mills family history and much information about the life and times of Charles Houghton Mills.

 $45

Captain John William Dundas Blenkinsop

Pat Akerblom

This book offers a view of who Captain Blenkinsop was, how he fits into the story of the settlement of Blenheim and the Marlborough Plains by colonial settlers, and his life and death. Excerpts of contemporary writing of the man and his exploits are used to explain his life in New Zealand.

$28

Tramping Boots on our Doorstep

Pat Akerblom

Pat's story of the more recent history of the Akerblom family at Endeavour Inlet, and their part in the the development of the Queen Charlotte Track and accommodation for trampers.

 $25

Voices from the New Zealand Wars

Vincent O'Malley

The New Zealand Wars of the mid-nineteenth century profoundly shaped the course and direction of New Zealand's history.

This book takes us to the heart of these conflicts with a series of first-hand accounts from Maori and Pakeha who either fought in or witnessed the wars that ravaged New Zealand from 1845 to 1872.

 $50

New Zealand's Native Mammals

Carolyn King

Uniquely, New Zealand has no four legged indigenous land mammals.  Instead, we have two bat species and 57 species of seals, dolphins and whales.

This book describes and celebrates the the extraordinary history and diversity of our mammals, from their influence on Maori culture, their exploitation by 19th century sealers and whalers, and their contemporary recovery.

Fully illustrated and clearly laid out, this is an excellent reference guide for all.

 $35

Women Mean Business

Catherine Bishop

New Zealand's nineteenth century towns were full of entrepreneurial women. Then, as now, there were no 'typical' businesswomen. They were middle and working class; young and old; Maori and Pakeha; single, married, widowed and sometimes bigamists.

This fascinating book showcasees many individual businesswomen whose efforts, collectively, contributed to the making of urban life in New Zealand.

 $45

The Team that Hit the Rocks

Peter Jerram

In April 1967 the New Zealand interisland passenger ferry "Wahine" hit Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour in a cyclone, the worst storm ever recorded in New Zealand's history at the time.  Six and half hours later the ship sank, with the loss of 53 lives.  Among the 610 passengers and 125 crew was the Lincoln College cricket team, of which Peter Jerram was a member.
This book offerzs a riviting firsthand account of New Zealand's worst modern maritime disaster and the unbreakable bond formed by those who survived.

$40

A Short History of New Zealand

Gordon McLauchlan

Well known as an author, journalist and social commentator, Gordon McLachlan's 'Short History' was first published in 2004.  Twenty years on, this succinct, lively and well referenced book still offers an accessible introduction to New Zealand history and is particularly relevant in relation to current politics and social attitudes.

$30

Pioneers of Marlborough

Rex Weber & Suzanne Walker

In 1854 three families arrived in Nelson aboard the ship 'Marchioness' - the McCormicks, the Fullers, and the Essons.

Moving to Picton, these early European settlers were heavily involved in the area's development.  Their decendents and family names live on in the district.

$30

 One Hundred Havens

Helen Beaglehole

History has played out in complex ways in the bays, coves and steep rising hills of the Marlborough Sounds- Maori and Pakeha, land and sea, boom and bust, locals and tourists.

This book brings together the various strands of Sounds history in a wide-ranging, engrossing and richly illustrated account of the place and its people. 

$60

The Wairau and its Forgotten Capital

Barry Holdaway

A detail of the "capital" comprising of hotels, wool stores and wharf structures formed along the Wairau River in Marlborough, which eventually declined and is unknown of today.

 $40

As High as the Hills

Henry D. Kelly

This centennial history of Picton explores the first Maori inhabitants, the presence of Captain Cook and the early whalers. First published in 1976, this book has some gems but comes with a 14 page list of corrections compiled over the last 40+ years.

 Clearance $5

Maori who went Sperm Whaling before 1840

Rhys Richards

A committed maritime historian with a particular interest in whaling around the world, Rhys brings new light to the intersection of European and Maori in this study of Maori whalers in the early 19th century.

$35

Ngakuta Bay

Tom Kennedy

The first of the set of three handbooks detailing the history of Ngakuta Bay.

 $25

Ngakuta Bay 2

Tom Kennedy

Sequel to Ngakuta Bay, with further history of the the Bay.

$30

Ngakuta Bay 3

Tom Kennedy

The last of the set of three handbooks detailing the history of Ngakuta Bay.

 $30

Moa

Quinn Berentson

An important book that richly recounts the life and death of New Zealand's feathered monster, the Moa.  

 $60

Beneath the Southern Cross

Graeme Sturgeon

A novel recounting the life of a young whaler captured by Maori in the early 1800's, the story of a man trapped between two cultures.

 $35

Splashdown

Russell Smith

One of the original seaplane pilots in the Marlborough Sounds, Russell writes stories of incredible happenings, some adventurous, many humorous, and some just plain harrowing, during the early years of Float Air in the nineteen seventies and eighties.

 $25

Nga Tohora

Rhys Richards

Maritime historian Rhys Richards brings us an in-depth analysis of the effect of whaling on the Southern Right Whale population.  'Nga Tohora' begins in New Zealand waters and covers whaling for Right Whales in the southern oceans.  Rhys draws on new sources to identify diminishing whale stocks since whaling beganin the 1780s and the the slow recovery of the whale population since then.

 $45

Murder on the Maungatapu

Wayne Martin

In June 1866 five travellers were murdered on the Maungatapu Track that connects the South Island provinces of Nelson and Marlborough. These crimes and others committed by the Burgess gang were unparalleled in colonial New Zealand for their scale and cold-bloodedness.

Wayne Martin presents a tale of blood and gold, of betrayal and vengeance.

 $45

1941, A Kiwi O.E.

Opaua Publishing

Experience 14 months in the life of a young Kiwi soldier from Blenheim, as it unfolds through his letters home.

 $38

Dumont d'Urville, Explorer & Polymath

Edward Duyker

A substantial biography of explorer Jules-Sebastien-Cesar Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842). Sometimes called France's Captain Cook, d'Urville visited New Zealand three times and contributed widely to scientific, geographic and navigational knowledge in the West.

 SALE PRICE $40

The Pressure of Sunlight Falling

Ed. Baker & Rankin

Fiona Pardington's extraordinary images of more than 50 life head casts made by phrenologist Pierre-Marie Mumoutier for Dumont D'Urville on his travels through the Pacific from 1837 to 1840. Includes images of Maori, Pacific and European casts.

 SALE PRICE $50

Heart of Flame

Beverley Randell

Illustrations by Jenni Shoesmith

This compilation features a selection of some of Katherine Mansfield's best writing about flowers and trees.  It is beautifully illustrated and is accompanied by a brief history of her all too short life.

Katherine had a strong connection to Picton through her family, making frequent visits as a child.  

$30 

Founding Documents of Aotearoa New Zealand

Paul Moon

Selected by leading historian Dr Paul Moon, each of the 50 documents highlighted in this book gives an insight into the relationships between Pakeha and Maori, and the development of New Zealand as today's independent nation.

Each document is illustrated and is provided with a description and historical context.

$35

Whales and Dolphins of Aotearoa New Zealand

Barbara Todd

Enter the underwater world of whales and dolphins and discover these magnificent marine mammals through extraordinary pictures, powerful storytelling and scientific research.

$45

History from the Grave

Don Auckram

A comprehensive examination of the lives and times of people found in some of the 675 burial plots in the Havelock Cemetery.

Dating back to the 1860s, the stories of some of the European pioneers of Marlborough serve to inspire readers to explore their heritage and uncover significant figures within their family history.

$65

Toitu te Whenua

Lauren Keenan

This comprehensive book journeys through the pivotal sites of the New Zealand Wars, from the far North to the top of the South Island.

Complete with detailed maps, images and with an engaging and insightful commentary, Lauren Keenan (Te Atiawa ki Taranaki) brings to life the key battles, influential figures and significant locations and events that shaped Aotearoa New Zealand.

 $45

Tales From Kenepuru

Helen Godsiff

Fragments of history from Kenepuru of the Marlborough Sounds.

$45

Just Ordinary Seamen

Ted Tangye

An account of wartime travel which begins with a party of twenty-four Ordinary Seamen, which eventuates to a lucky thirteen.

 $10

The History of Waikawa School

Mike Taylor

A detailed description of the history of Waikawa School of the Queen Charlotte Sound.

 $40

Whaler by Providence

Don Wilson

This book details Patrick Norton's life during the the seven-month voyage of the convict ship Providence from Cove of Cork to Sydney Harbour.

$50

Field Guide to New Zealand's Native Trees

John Dawson & Rob Lucas

A comprehensive yet compact field guide containing detailed information for the identification of all native trees found on the main islands of New Zealand.

$50

Bythell's Bay

Joan Bythell

Joan Bythell was 89 years old when she wrote the history of Bythell's Bay, which her father bought in 1916.

Published by her family in 2007, the book is an ode to a family's love affair with this bay in Queen Charlotte Sound.  Full of photos.

$25

He reingatoi o nga tupuna  Isaac Coates and his Maori portaits.

Hilary and John Mitchell

Isaac Coates was an Englishman living in Wellington between 1841 and 1845.  During this time, he painted watercolour portraits of 58 Maori from Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, Waikanae and Kapiti.

This magnificent book relates each portrait to its subjects' whakapapa (where known) and biography of their lives. 

$80

Te Motunui Epa

Rachel Buchanan

This stunning book examines how five interconnected carved panels, Te Motunui Epa, have journeyed across the world and changed practices, understanding and international law on the protection and repatriation of stolen cultural treasures.

The author says "this is a story about the power of art to help us find a way through the darkness.  It is about how art can bring out the best in us, and the worst."

 $50

The Ngai Tahu Deeds

Harry C. Evison

Harry Evison re-examines New Zealand colonial history in this book, particulary in relation to the ten Ngai Tahu deeds by which the Crown acquired Maori title to the southern half of New Zealand from 1844 to 1864. 

A unique feature of the book is its handsome colour reproductions of these deeds and their plans.  Sixteen chapters of text provide a fresh account of the period and the key people involved, and can challenge some popular assumptions about our history.

 $50

What an Adventure!

Ron Perano

Marlborough mariner, adventurer and entrepreneur, Ron Perano relates key moments from his remarkable life.  

This account of his family whaling history, his early life at the Wairau Boulder Bank and his subsequent business and adventuring carerr are told in his personal style, with many supporting images.

 $40

Te Ra - the maori sail

Ariana Tikao and Mat Tait

The story of Te Ra - the last known customary Maori sail - weaves together our past, present and future.  Skillfully woven from harakeke more than 200 years ago, Te Ra has been held for many years in the British Museum in London but has recently returned to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Lyrically wirtten as if from Te Ra's viewpoint and beautifully illustrated, this book commemorates the homecoming of one of our oldest taoka, an ancestor of our nation.

 $25