Kawau Island

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KAWAU ISLAND

Aside from school trips to see the wallabies, I like a lot of us, had my first Kawau Island boating experience via RNZYS race weekends. I can still picture Ken Lusty’s very large dinghy on the beach on Saturday night, filled to the gunnels with ice cold cans of beer & being invited for whiskey & milk for Sunday breakfast on the commodores boat………….. how we all survived god only knows 🙂

I was recently lent by Barbara Cooke a copy of the book ‘Memories of Mansion House – Kawau Island, NZ’ by Nora Creina Wilson. This insight into life on the island would have to be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the gulf & classic wooden boats. Needless to say, I very quickly snatched a copy of my own off trademe for the princely sum of $8.00. It now sits on Raindance alongside Johnny Wray’s ‘South Sea Vagabonds’.

Buy a copy or borrow one from the library, you have to read it, the photos alone are worth viewing – the island will not be the same post reading.

ps – speaking of Johnny Wray’s master piece – I’ll be posting details soon about the re-print (#5 ) of this very special book, which will co-incde with the re-launch of the restored Ngataki, the yacht that Johnny built & undertook his adventures in. Only yesterday I lent my (old) copy to an young 8 year old Opti sailor, who I hope will be wow’ed by the book. I took the photo below to remind me who currently has the book – its my latest trick, sick of people that do not return books. A few years ago I was offered a book to read & when I opened the dust cover, there was my stamp…………… & they still swore black & blue it was theirs 😦

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12 thoughts on “Kawau Island”

  1. This is getting a bit beyond the scope of this blog. I have some observations on the Finlasons. Would you care to contact me harold at hklaw.co.nz?

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  2. I live in Sydney and am researching my family history. My great grandfather William Randall Finlason migrated from Aberdeen at the end of the 1840s/ early 1850s and lived on Kawau island where he was the Accounts clerk until 1854 when he moved to Auckland as Customs clerk’ In 1856 he was appointed Accountant with the Savings Bank of Auckland. He died in 1862. His two eldest sons, my grandfather and his brother, were sent to live with their Uncle in Castlemaine Victoria hence the Australian connection.
    Searches of shipping news in Papers Past list ‘Finlason’ as captain of the coastal schooner ‘Bon Accord’ travelling between the island and Auckland. His family’s home in Aberdeen was in Bon Accord street.
    He was married twice. His first wife Agnes Oliver in 1854 (died 1856) also had links with Kawau Island. His second wife, Barbara Robertson whose previous husband, Theophinus Taylor, I understand also had links with the island. Her father was a well known architect in Auckland at the time
    i would be most interested to know if you have had any contacts with people who may have been part of his family. i have no direct contacts with any of my NZ forebears.

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  4. If you can find one for me to, I would really appreciate it so much Alan, grab it for me & & will arrange to get it from you ASAP.– Cheers – KEN R

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  5. I managed to find a copy on Trade Me last weekend, looking forward to reading it!

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  8. And all the paintings in the publication including the cover done by my grandmother. Sadly I to have fallen foul of lending out the book never to see it again.

    If you know of any other copies Houghty please let me know.

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  9. Alan, Thank you so much for this addition of this further part of the history of this most beautiful & historical part of our country, & may this post now inspire others, to add their knowledge, to what we have already written, or made boaties aware of.
    As woodys followers will know, through the various posts & writings I have written, or been part of, (A Short history of Kawau transport, Bob Edwards Memoirs etc.,) all my life from 7 years old, this little paradise is my personal favourite place of anywhere in the world, of all the many countries & places I have visited, it is always so exciting to find out more, & I will certainly be acquiring a copy of the Wilson book.
    If I could be buried there when I leave this mortal coil & certainly would. — KEN RICKETTS

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  11. Although both spellings appear to acceptable, I’ll – purist that I am – stick with “gunwales” being “the “gun ridge” on a sailing warship. This represented the strengthening wale or structural band added to the design of the ship, at and above the level of a gun deck. It was designed to accommodate the stresses imposed by the use of artillery.”

    Same goes for “rowlocks”” “two wooden posts or thole pins that the shaft of the oar nestled between”

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