Tall spars, steamers & gum: A history of the Kaipara from early European settlement 1854-1947 - Softcover, 248 pages - First published 1999 - Kaipara Publications - Signed by the author - Condition: Two lines of handwriting on the first page, a small tear on the bottom of the cover, price tag on the back cover Tall spars, steamers & gum - The 'mighty Kaipara' Harbour and its hinterland is now a quiet, almost forgotten part of New Zealand, visited occasionally by probably only a small proportion of the million people of Auckland living less than an hour's drive down State Highway 16 from Helensville. - In its heyday though, the 30-year period from 1876 to 1906, the Kaipara was the leading timber export port of New Zealand and a vital contributor to the young colony's economy. The hills rang to the sound of axes and saws as settlers, local Maori and itinerant bushmen plundered the kauri forests for the golden timber that helped build cities like Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne. The waters of this immense harbour, one of the largest in the southern hemisphere, were crowded with the tall spars of sailing ships laden with timber and steamers ferrying passengers from the distant reaches of the Kaipara. - Timber was not the only magnet drawing people into the region. Over thousands of years, ancient kauri had given up another treasure in the form of solid resin gum, which found a commercial use in the second half of the 19th century, particularly in the varnish and linoleum industries. Diggers from many countries converged on the Kaipara at this time to prowl its valleys and lowlands, seeking at first nuggets scattered on the ground. When those supplies dwindled, the diggers returned armed with spades and steel spears which they used to locate the buried nuggets of gum. - The region's social life is recounted and discussed against a background of changing economic realities and sporadic provincial and central government interest. Tall Spars, Steamers and Gum is a colorful account of the Kaipara's golden era and beyond to 1947, when the harbour was closed as a port of entry. This is an engaging and readable history, generously illustrated with maps and photographs of the good old days. Author: Wayne Ryburn ISBN: 0-473-06176-7