Old Wellington

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 82, 17 January 1941, Page 5

Old Wellington

t Bag us turn’ over the pages of an-old Wellington Almanack for 1865 for a few minutes. At least a half of it is taken up with pages and pages of advertisements: That sounds rather dry reading but believe me it isn’t. These advertisements tell us a good deal about the real life of the community. They bring the past to life. They are grouped according to professions and trades. There are a few names among these advertisements that we still see to-day on Wellington’s: shop and office signs. In one of the Wellington draper’s advertisements in the Almanack I notice a price list which may interest ‘the girls-the prices are per yard. Calicoes, 6d, Prints 9d, huckaback 5%/3d, muslin from 4'2d. All Wool Flannels, from 1/3, De Laines, from 8%d. Black Silk (best), 3/3. Muslin Silk and Fancy Garabaldi Jackets, trom 7/6 each. Men’s suits in the best doeskin, from 50/-. Hairdressing, shaving. and shampooing was to be had at the _ New Salon conducted by Professor Rowley. A Manners Street butcher, Charles E. Luxford, advertised "Sucking pigs always on hand." There was only one mail a week to and from Wanganui, and two a week to and from Karori. There were two mails a week to and from Featherston, Carterton and Masterton. Every other week a mail went to and was received from Napier. The rest of New Zealand was served by mails as the ships came and went. There was no railway in Wellington district of course. There were two pillar. boxes in Wellington-one. at the corner of Molesworth and Pipitea Streets-the other at the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee Streets.-. (From " Ebor’s" Scrapbook, " Wellington in 1865," 2YA, December 30.)