WESTERN SOUTHLAND
WEST TO THE FIORDS-THE HISTORY OF WESTERN SOUTHLAND, by F. W. G. Miller; published by the Western Southland Historical Committee. HE writing of this history was a big task. and Mr. Miller must often have had difficulty in deciding what to include and what to omit, and in settling such questions as whether the tale. of the rabbit is more important than the story of wheat-growing, whether the notornis is more significant than Chewing’s fescue. The . Historical Committee and the author can be congratulated on a job well done; they have earned the thanks of their community. This is not to say that the book will prove of wide interest outside Southland; it so happens that I have a personal interest in Western Southland---my memory does not go back to the days when Riverton was the seat of the County Council, but certainly to Johnny Horr, who one time drove the coach through the quicksands at the mouth of the Waimatuku River on the old coach road to Invercargill (p. 21), to Drummond’s ferry over the Waiau River (p. 155) when Tuatapere was standing bush, and to days late last century when the annual dinghy race between Boniface and Leader (no amateurs these two) was a classic event at the Riverton Regatta on Boxing Day (p. 31). Of special value are the histories of the early runs and their later subdivision, the detailed accounts of such settlements as those at Bayswater, Otautau, Drummond, etc., and the personal histories of such pioneers as Howell, Stevens, Mackintosh and others. Illustrations are few. but well selected. My chief criticisms are that the sources of information are not usually acknowledged, though there is a short biblio-
graphy, that the index is quite inadequate and cross references are lacking (as, e.g., to rabbits, mentioned in different contexts at pp. 142, 163 and 202), and that the absence of maps, other than a solitary line map, and that without a scale, is most aggravating. I could wish also for much greater exactness in matters relating to farming, though this is too much to expect in a history. I thank Mr. Miller for refreshing my memory of many -interesting places "and people. "s
L.J.
W.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19550211.2.25.2
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 811, 11 February 1955, Page 13
Word count
Tapeke kupu
370WESTERN SOUTHLAND New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 811, 11 February 1955, Page 13
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in