Tag: New Zealand

Our own backyard: Books on local flora and fauna

Kath

Despite the recent cold snap, spring has most definitely sprung in Wellington. The birds are singing their songs of love and building their nests, blossoms are blooming all over the city and keen gardeners are getting out in the sunshine to bring life back after a cold, wet winter.

Aotearoa has a rich natural environment which you can explore it right here in Wellington, as close as your own back yard. We have many books on the flora and fauna of Aotearoa and Wellington, some of which we have chosen to share with you here.

100 best native plants for New Zealand gardens / Eadie, Fiona M“Since its first publication, this book has been an indispensable guide for gardeners wishing to use New Zealand plants. Now extensively revised, it features inspirational and practical advice on 100 species that are easy to grow and maintain, across a range of climates. It lists each plant’s likes and dislikes and gives sage advice for care and maintenance and for combatting pests and problems. It suggests how your soil can be best prepared for maximum growing results and gives creative landscaping tips for combining textures and forms to maximum effect. Engagingly written by the head gardener at Larnach Castle, whose gardens are world-renowned, it deserves a place on every gardener’s book shelf.” (Catalogue)

Biology Aotearoa : unique flora, fauna and fungi “As a large, isolated and relatively ancient landmass, New Zealand occupies a unique place in the biological world, with distinctive terrestrial biota and a high proportion of primitive endemic forms. Biology Aotearoa covers the origins, evolution and conservation of the New Zealand flora, fauna and fungi. Each chapter is written by specialists in the field, often working from different perspectives to build up a comprehensive picture. Topics include: the geological history of our land origins, and evolution of our plants, animals and fungi current status of rare and threatened species past, present and future management of native species the effect of human immigration on the native biota. Colour diagrams and photographs are used throughout the text. This book is suitable for all students of biology or ecology who wish to know about the unique nature of Aotearoa New Zealand and its context in the biological world.” (Catalogue)

Birds of New Zealand : collective nouns = Ngā manu o Aotearoa : ngā kupuingoa tōpū / Boardman, Melissa“This “illustrated book of collective noun names for our native birds reveals something unique about their character, so we can get to know them better. It also includes information on how they live, so we can help protect them better” (Catalogue)

Know your New Zealand : native insects & spiders / Early, J. W.“New Zealand’s insects include some of the world’s most remarkable, such as the giant weta (one of the world’s heaviest insects, dating from dinosaur days) and the world’s longest weevil. The most iconic, important and prominent species and families feature in this title.” (Catalogue)

Know your New Zealand– native plants / Metcalf, L. J.“New Zealand has a unique and attractive native plant life that is of interest to everyone from gardeners and trampers to students of botany and ecology. In Know Your New Zealand Native Plants Lawrie Metcalf introduces a selection of the most interesting, iconic and important New Zealand plants, spanning latitudes from subtropical to temperate, and altitudes from sea level to alpine mountaintop, describing their natural history and distinguishing features.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Māori agriculture : the cultivated food plants of the natives of New Zealand : with some account of native methods of agriculture, its ritual and origin myths / Best, Elsdon“Originally published: Wellington, N.Z.: Dominion Museum, 1929. Includes bibliographical references and index. The cultivated food plants of the natives of New Zealand with some account of agriculture, its ritual and origin myths.” (Catalogue)

A naturalist’s guide to the birds of New Zealand / Thomas, Oscar“This photographic identification guide to 239 bird species in New Zealand, including the most commonly seen, unique and endemic species, is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High-quality photographs from one of New Zealand’s youngest nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers climate, vegetation, biogeography and the key sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of New Zealand encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, IUCN status.” (Catalogue)

A photographic guide to insects of New Zealand / Parkinson, Brian“Brian Parkinson recognises the fact that New Zealand is a fascinating arena of study for anyone with an interest in insect life, be it casual or academic. Featuring more than 170 entries, this title will appeal to walkers, nature lovers, educationalists, and photographers wishing to identify their subjects.” (Catalogue)

A photographic guide to mushrooms and other fungi of New Zealand / Ridley, Geoffrey Stephen“This new addition to New Holland’s very popular pocket Photographic Guide series introduces readers to New Zealand’s mushrooms and fungi, which number up to some 19,000 species and include extraordinarily diverse types, from the familiar ‘mushroom’ to brackets, coral and cup fungi and slime moulds. Over a hundred species are presented here, with spectacular close-up colour photographs accompanying each entry. The ideal size for slipping into a backpack when walking through bush and forest, it will appeal to walkers, nature lovers, tour guides and educators, and fungi photographers wishing to identify their subjects.” (Catalogue)

Wellington’s heritage : plants, gardens and landscape / Shepherd, Winsome“When the first European settlers arrived on the beach at Petone in 1840, the land they expected to turn into a city was heavily forested and swampy. After several months, the New Zealand Company decided to develop some flat land at the far end of the harbour, now known as Thorndon, and the settlement of Wellington had begun. Plants and seeds were the most precious things the settlers brought with them. As soon as they could, they began to clear the land and plant. In November 1841, the first Horticultural Society was formed, and after ten days it had 103 members. The Society was seen as a way of bringing settlers and local Māori together, and a means to share seeds, plants, cuttings, produce and expertise. This book tells the story of the Wellington landscape, and its private and public gardens, from colonial times to the present. It looks in detail at key plantsmen and gardeners in the nineteenth century in Wellington and the Hutt Valley, gives a history of gardens of special interest and describes the development of the Botanic Gardens and the Town Belt. Wellington’s distinctive wildflowers are also well illustrated.” (Catalogue)

Happy Lunar New Year: Stories of Chinese New Zealanders

Xinxin
Image saying Happy Lunar New Year

via GIPHY


The Lunar New Year is a great time to learn more about the history of Chinese culture in Aotearoa. To start your journey, we’ve selected a few popular books about the lives of Chinese New Zealanders. The below booklist includes the legendary story of New Zealand’s largest Chinese art collection, the fascinating history of Chinese greengrocers in Aotearoa and work from Wellington’s local Chinese cartoonist, Ant Sang.

You can head to He Matapihi Molesworth Library (located within the National Library) to find these amazing books, and other fascinating reads from our New Zealand collection!

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!


The fruits of our labours : Chinese fruit shops in New Zealand / Lam, Ruth
“Before supermarkets, local fruit and vegetable stores run by Chinese families were a pillar of our communities. The greengrocers’ personal anecdotes, historical documents and photos weaved into the country’s rich social and cultural tapestry. This book was written and researched by Ruth Lam, Beverly Lowe, Helen Wong, Michael Wong, and Carolyn King. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Turning stone into jade : the history of the New Zealand Chinese Association = Diao shi cheng bi / Fung, David
“The story of New Zealand Chinese Association, the oldest Chinese organisation in New Zealand. In its early incarnations, the association offered kinship and a united voice for an often marginalised and fragile minority. The work it has performed and its own struggles to maintain a relevant identity as political change ebbed and flowed in both Asia and New Zealand. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Looking for a better life … : the Chinese poll tax certificate records in Auckland / Wong Hop, David V.
“This book records the Chinese people who arrived in Auckland between 1882 and 1928; Chinese who came from different parts of China and travelled east to the Americas, or south to the Phillipines, Java and Australia. This book is published with support from Chinese New Zealand Oral History Foundation and many Chinese families. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Being Chinese : a New Zealander’s story / Wong, Helene
“Born in New Zealand in 1949, author travelled to southern China where her father was born, then she came face to face with ‘being Chinese’. Drawing on her experience of writing for New Zealand films, she takes the narrative forward through the places of her family’s history – the ancestral village in Zengcheng county, the rural town of Utiku where the Wongs ran a thriving business, and the Lower Hutt suburbs of her childhood.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

New China eye witness: Roger Duff, Rewi Alley and the art of museum diplomacy = Xin zhongguo de mu ji zhe: luojie · dafu, luyi · aili yu bo wu guan wai jiao / edited by James Beattie and Richard Bullen ; Chinese translation by Xiongbo Shi.
“In 1956, Through Alley’s contacts with premier Zhou Enlai and Duff’s diplomatic skills they shipped Chinese art to Canterbury Museum which made the largest Chinese art collection in New Zealand. (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The dharma punks / Sang, Anthony
“Auckland, New Zealand, 1994. A group of anarchist punks have hatched a plan to sabotage the opening of a multi-national fast-food restaurant by blowing it sky-high come opening day. Chopstick has been given the unenviable task of setting the bomb before the opening, but the night takes the first of many unexpected turns when he is separated from his accomplice.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

Art Deco heritage architecture and collectables

Xinxin

Glamourous, avant-garde and beautiful, Art Deco style influenced the world since 1920 in architecture, fashion, jazz music, and cars. This blog has all things about Art Deco, from New York to New Zealand, and from admirable to collectable.

Art deco : living with the art deco style / Miller, Judith
“In the 1920s and 1930s, designers and craftsmen made innovative use of both natural and man-made materials to produce elegant pieces that broke with tradition and celebrated the future. This beautifully illustrated book explores all the key collecting areas, with chapters on furniture, glass, ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, silver and plastics, prints and posters, rugs and textiles. With clear price codes and biographies of key makers and designers. ” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Art deco New Zealand : an illustrated guide / Moyle, Terry
“A book covers New Zealand’s Art Deco heritage in the world famous cities like Napier and Hastings, and in towns and cities throughout the country. With many Art Deco buildings obscured, dilapidated, or even lost, the stunning detailed illustrations bring to life a compelling and evocative vision of the past. Here the style and mood of buildings, along with the cars and fashion styles of the period give an appreciation of New Zealand’s Art Deco heritage. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Art deco : the twentieth century’s iconic decorative style, from Paris, London, and Brussels to New York, Sydney, and Santa Monica / Schwartzman, Arnold
“Art deco is the 20th century’s most glamorous architectural style which shaped popular ideas of modern luxury. This book highlights photographs of Art Deco buildings, with an emphasis on London, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, and Paris. Art Deco features detail on murals, mosaics, flooring, ironwork, and other ornamental flourishes.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Art deco collectibles : fashionable objets from the Jazz Age / Capstick-Dale, Rodney
“This book demonstrate Deco style items at the height of fashion, and are highly prized collectibles today. They demonstrate an era of close cooperation between designers and manufacturers, who aimed for function and beautiful products. This informative showcase of portable classics of avant-garde modern design from Britain, Europe (particularly France) and the United States.” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Sydney art deco / Sheridan, Peter
“Longlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2020 for Illustrated Non-Fiction. This book explores the impact of the Art Deco style on the landscape and life of Sydney during the 1930s and 1940s with a glimpse of Australian artwork, fashion, furniture and accessories. The time of Art Deco was a brief hiatus between two World Wars and compounded by the devastating effects of the Great Depression. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Raupo to deco : Wellington styles and architects, 1840-1940 / Mew, G
“Celebrating a century of architectural achievement in Wellington, this book links the progression of style characteristics from raupo thatching to art deco ornament with the development of the city. It contains information about more than 300 architects associated with Wellington at various times plus photos, elevations and reproductions of rare plans. The authors last collaboration was the prize-winning Ring Around the City.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Carpets of the art deco era / Day, Susan
“The design revolutions of the early 20th century were woven into the very fabric of the carpets and rugs of that era. It charts the evolution of Victorian floral into the angular elegance of Art Deco and bold abstraction of Modernism. Such artists and designers as Picasso, Poiret, Gray, Delaunay, Matisse, Klee, and many more advanced the designs going on underfoot, making these rugs extremely collectible artworks in their own right. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

A kind of magic : art deco vanity cases / Hue-Williams, Sarah
“After 1918, post-war euphoria spread across Europe and America. Technology such as aeroplanes, motorcars and ocean liners changed the pace of life, while avant-garde fashion, jazz, The Great Gatsby and Hollywood flourished. The vanity case, the ultimate jewelled fashion accessory were made using  precious metals including platinum and gold, with inlays of lacquer, gemstones, mother of pearl, jade, or enamel. These ‘reticules’ took Paris’ skilled designers and craftsmen months to complete and were extremely expensive. Objects of desire to be passed round and shown off at gatherings of the super-rich, they became miniature status symbols to be seen with at the opera or restaurant. (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The Aotearoa Reference collection is now available

Joanne

NZ collection sign

Our NZ reference collection can now be requested. These items can be identified in the catalogue as held at the Offsite NZ Collection. We regret the time taken to make this large collection available. Our preparations were interrupted more than once by factors outside our control. We are still working through the process to stock-check all the books that were brought out of the Central Library. As soon as books are checked they will be made available on our online catalogue. If you have a particular request which you can’t find in the catalogue, please let us know, and we will make this a priority.

Please use this email address heritagequeries@wcc.govt.nz to make your request and one of our team will retrieve it for you. Don’t forget to let us know your library card number and which branch you would like to view the book at. You will receive two emails, one confirming the request, and the second when the book has arrived at the branch. This is a free request service.

Most books will be available for you to consult for three weeks at the library branch. If you don’t need the books for three weeks, just let the staff in the branch library know and they will return the book for you.

If you need to renew the item for a further 3 weeks, make a request through the same email heritagequeries@wcc.govt.nz and the library team will check if there is another customer waiting.

Treasures in the box – BorrowBox eBooks and eAudioBooks

Xinxin

Find these hidden gems of eAudiobooks and eBooks by New Zealand authors on BorrowBox. Immerse yourself in the storylines that are read by the authors’ own voices. You can download the app from AppleStore or GooglePlay for a better experience.

cover imageMoney in the Morgue : Unabridged edition / Ngaio Marsh, Stella Duffy Read by Stella Duffy
“Shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger Award 2018. Mr Glossop’s car breaks down he is stranded for the night at the isolated Mount Seager Hospital. Trapped with him are a group of quarantined soldiers with a serious case of cabin fever, three young employees embroiled in a tense love triangle, a dying elderly man, an elusive patient whose origins remain a mystery … and a potential killer. ” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageThe Luminaries / Eleanor Catton Read by Mark Meadows
“It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men, who have met in secret to discuss a series of unsolved crimes. A wealthy man has vanished, a whore has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery.” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageThe Parihaka Woman / Witi Tame Ihimaera Read by Shavaughn Ruakere, Jim Moriarty
“Richly imaginative and original, weaving together fact and fiction, it sets the remarkable story of Erenora against the historical background of the turbulent and compelling events that occurred in Parihaka during 1870-80. As Erenora’s world is threatened by war and land confiscation, Erenora must take up her greatest challenge and save her exiled husband, Horitana.” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageThe 10pm Question / Kate de Goldi Read by Stig Wemyss
“The 10pm Question is an award-winning novel which defies all age categories. It does so with a sparkling wit and an operatic cast of characters so delightful and maddening they become dear to us. Frankie Parsons is twelve going on old man, a talented boy with a drumbeat of worrying questions: animals, flu, and cancer. Only Ma answers his 10pm questions, but it is Ma who is the cause of the most worrying question of all. ” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageDisplaced / Cristina Sanders
“Eloise and her family must leave Cornwall on a treacherous sea journey to start a new life in 1870s colonial New Zealand. On the ship across, Eloise meets Lars, a Norwegian labourer travelling below decks, and their lives begin to intertwine. When her brother disappears, her father leaves and the family are left to fend for themselves in their new home, Eloise must find the strength to stand up. An enthralling historical novel of immigration, courage and first love from an award-winning New Zealand author.” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageAccess Road / Maurice Gee Read by Heather Bolton
“As she watches her brother losing the battle with his memories, Rowan wonders how long she can keep her own past at bay. Rowan was safe in her ‘upper crusty’ suburb, now drawn more strongly ‘out west’. Clyde Buckley – violent as a boy; enigmatic, subterranean as an old man – returns to his childhood territory. What does he want? What crimes does he hide? And how is Lionel involved? Rowan must find out. ” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageMister Pip / Lloyd Jones Read by Susan Lyons
“After the trouble starts and the soldiers arrive on Matilda’s island, there comes a time when all the white people have left. Only Mr Watts and his wife remains. As Mr Watts stands before the class and reads the only book left to him, Great Expectations ‘by my friend Mr Dickens’, Dickens’s hero, Pip, starts to come alive in Matilda’s imagination. And on an island at war, the power of the imagination can be a dangerously provocative thing.” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

cover imageA Conversation With My Country / Alan Duff Read by Alan Duff
“A fresh account of New Zealand from one of our hardest-hitting writers. Following Once Were Warriors, Alan Duff wrote Maori: The Crisis and the Challenge. His controversial comments shook the country. A quarter of a century later, New Zealand and Maoridom are in a very different place. Alan never shies away from being a whetstone on which others can sharpen their opinions.” (Adapted from BorrowBox)

New Zealand in the eye of artists

Xinxin

From time to time, we may stop and cherish the beautiful sceneries around us. Thanks to these artists who freeze the beautiful moments onto canvas, now we can cherish New Zealand scenery along with the rest of the world. This blog also includes artists’ work using different techniques.

Looking for the light : landscape photographs of New Zealand / Latham, Peter
“New Zealand born landscape photographer presents this epic collection of his most popular gallery fine-art prints, together with numerous new images of the New Zealand landscape. Peter’s poetic eye and unique presentation has earned him a coveted reputation in the elusive art market. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Grahame Sydney : paintings 1974-2014 / Sydney, Grahame
“Grahame’s paintings of the Central Otago landscape and the wider South Island are known and loved by large numbers of New Zealanders at home and abroad, and have become touchstones that reflect the depth of feeling many people have for this country. His work now spans over four decades and encompasses oils, watercolours, egg tempera, lithographs, etching, photography and film. (Adapted from the catalogue)

Van der Velden : Otira / Vangioni, P. J.
“Petrus van der Velden is one of New Zealand’s keystone artists, and this sumptuous publication brings together major examples of his ground-breaking Otira series from public and private lenders throughout New Zealand. It highlights the manner in which van der Velden’s art has resonated throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Drawing the Waitakere Coast / Binney, D. H.
“In 2008, painter Don Binney completed 24 charming coloured pencil drawings of Auckland’s West Coast, from Huia to Te Henga (Bethells). They are evocative of the coast so many New Zealanders love and they are magnificent works in themselves. They are accompanied by text commenting on the landmarks shown in each of the drawings. “(Catalogue)

Art New Zealand.
“Art New Zealand is the major visual arts journal in New Zealand. First published in 1976, it has consistently surveyed New Zealand’s contemporary art with rigour and professionalism. It is essential reading and reference for those interested in New Zealand art. Its place in the art world is secure and its reputation is unequalled.” (Publisher’s website)

Artists’ impressions of New Zealand
“Denis Robinson’s latest offering is something of an artist’s road trip around New Zealand. There is a wide variety of techniques displayed in the work, and often this seems related to place, like central Otago, which attracts oil painters than Wellington, where watercolourists dominate the painting landscape. Denis Robinson has once again achieved a portfolio of striking artworks that not only demonstrates the deep well of artistic talent in this country, but also reflects the scenic beauty that surrounds us.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)