National Library NZ on The Commons

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The last upload was October 2017.

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Crowd of people around a De Havilland DH89 Rapide plane, ca 1930s-1940s

from National Library NZ on The Commons

  • Robert Foster said:
    Health and safety would have a heart attack now.
  • Dai777 said:
    MORE INFO →DH89 Dragon Rapide ZK ACO "Tainui", The aircraft was named the “Tainui” after one of the canoes in the Maori migration to New Zealand. It carried the first all-through air mail from England to New Zealand, with covers being stamped at Mildenhall, Melbourne and Palmerston North. Squadron Leader J D Hewitt, Flying Officer C E Kay and Frank Steward were the first to fly between Great Britain and New Zealand. The official time for the flight was 12hrs 9min, and the average speed was about 130mph. (Manawatu Heritage)

Sailing ship Chance, aground at Bluff, 1902

from National Library NZ on The Commons

  • 10 older comments, and then…
  • John Hughes said:
    Fascinating picture. Anyone know what the wind turbine was for - bilge pump, or below decks ventilation?
  • Terrific Lake said:
    great shot
  • Translated Poorly said:
    The wind turbine is most likely for a electric generator, atleast in some ships of the same age.
  • John Hughes said:
    Yes, electric generator I think it must be. I was recently reading how Nansen had one installed aboard Fram on his drift across the north polar ice-cap in the 1890s.
  • Copper Kettle said:
    Interesting. Maybe as oil becomes scarce there again will be ships propelled by sail, with wind and solar generators to power the automatic rigging systems, navigation, etc.

Ship Garthsnaid, ca 1920s

from National Library NZ on The Commons

  • 199 older comments, and then…
  • Robert Carrier said:
    Wow. What a phenomenal photograph.
  • Lucy said:
    wonderful
  • Jonathan Stiles said:
    Often those young lads fell from the yards, either into the sea or onto the deck. They hoped for the latter as that way death would be more immediate. If they fell into the sea there was zero chance of rescue. The ship sailed on.
  • Terrific Lake said:
    best shot
  • Jonathan Stiles said:
    Imagine that ship pitching and yawing . . . . they'd experience being lifted and dropped dozens of feet: it would be hard to stay on! A very good account of what that life was like is written in autobiographical form by Eric Newby in "The Last Grain Race."

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