Book review

The Governor's Gift: The Auckland Public Library 1880 to 1980 by Wynne Colgan
Published by Richards Publishing & The Auckland City Council Auckland, 1980

Reviewed by ROSE DUNCAN

When, in 1882, Sir George Grey announced his intention of giving his personal library to the citizens of Auckland it was to be the decisive influence in the setting up of an adequate public library here. At the time there was no building capable of housing the Grey Collection (the old Mechanics Institute building had obviously outlived its usefulness), so Sir George Grey was asked in January 1833 if he would hold his library at Kawau Island until a new city library and art gallery could be built -'it is hoped within twelve months'.

The site finally chosen was that area fronting Wellesley Street East and Coburg (later Kitchener) Street and backed by Albert Park. Early in 1884 a committee of councillors, architects and artists ran a competition for a suitable design. They received entries from architects suitably disguised under the soubriquets of 'Bee-hive', 'Fidelity', 'Hope in red shield', 'Literae, scientiae et artes', 'Pericles', 'Rough Ashlar' and 'Tataria'. It was decided to make the award to 'Literae, scientiae et artes - which turned out to be a Melbourne partnership of architects, D'Ebro and Grainger. And so, in the late summer of 1887, the Auckland Public Library opened with flags flying from every tower. The art gallery section of the building was opened in the following year.

View showing the
new Auckland Public Library
with the old building
in the background

The old Library and Art Gallery building happens to be one of the few in Auckland on which the sunlight still seems to dwell with any affection as it were (the aerial view on the dustjacket of The Governor's Gift contrasts tellingly the styles of the new and old buildings - anonymous international utilitarianism up againt mellow, if borrowed, 'Chateau'). So we have Grey, with his gift that stimulated Auckland to build, to thank for that at least. Grey's gift also gave impetus for the founding of the Auckland City Art Gallery - now to expand into the end of the Kitchener Street building left vacant when the Library moved into its new premises.

With The Governor's Gift Wynne Colgan, Deputy City Librarian of Auckland, has written a book that follows the Library through a hundred years of its history. Mr Colgan is best known as a writer on contemporary cinema: but in this book he proves himself a sensitive historian in the presentation of a rich and varied mesh of narrative detailing the story of the Library and its various branches and services in Auckland.

The illustrations make it clear that the library has its art treasures too -manuscripts, block books, Caxton's printings - housed adequately for the first time in the rare book room, where the interested visitor can gain a very good first-hand idea of the history of that awe-inspiring transmitter of culture, the book.