[GISBORNE SCENICS 1912 - 1913]

Rights Information
Year
1913
Reference
F7883
Media type
Moving image
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Rights Information
Year
1913
Reference
F7883
Media type
Moving image
Place of production
New Zealand/Aotearoa
Categories
Actuality

This black and white silent film is believed to have been filmed in 1912 and 1913 and documents scenes around the town of Gisborne including the port and main street, the delivery of fuel to the Tuahine lighthouse and the abandoned freighter the Star of Canada laying off the coast of Kaiti Beach.

One significant feature of this film is the storage battery trams. Gisborne was the only place in New Zealand to operate this form of public transport following the Mayor of Gisborne, W.D. Lysnar, travelling to the United States of America in 1910 and meeting with Thomas Edison. Upon the return of Lysnar to Gisborne, two of the battery-electric Edison railcars were ordered and began service in April 1913. A third tram was purchased in 1917 and a fourth in 1919. These trams operated until 1929 when they were replaced by buses.

PAN L across steam ships, colliers and cargo vessels moored in harbour, warehouses and house drawn carts stand on the wharves. Rail bridge across river seen in background.
WS Fishermen standing on deck of steamship as baskets are hoisted from hold - Man stands on wharf near gangplank.

INTERTITLE: THE MAIN STREET Taken from a Storage Battery Tram car.
Battery tram with SIGN “Roebuck Rd” moving along tram line in centre of road.
TRACKING SHOT GV From storage battery tram moving along very busy Gladstone road - passes many pedestrians, men, women and young boys on bicycles, horse drawn carts and carriages, some early motor vehicles. Businesses line Gladstone road - Tram passes by Charlie Brown corner and heads toward bridge to Wainui road.
MS PAN L As storage battery tram with SIGN “Gisborne Tramways” moves along Gladstone road - businesses and stores in background, Alexandra Tea Rooms, National Bank of New Zealand, Adair Brothers.

INTERTITLE: Chargeing the Tuahine Point Light house.
LS GV Man driving horse drawn cart through waves around rocky point on shoreline - driving horses on with whip.
HS GV Overlooking men using ropes to lift cylinders of acetone fuel from back of horse drawn cart.

INTERTITLE: The Wrecked Star of Canada.
WS SS Star of Canada laying in calm water with waves covering bow.
PAN L Across pipes, winches, gears, timber and ship fittings laying on deck of Star of Canada. On the horizon in background footage of Tuamotu and Puakaiwai (also known as Papawhariki) islands. Puakaiwai Island now no longer visible as it was entirely removed during later quarrying operations.
MS Water washing through passage between cabins on deck of Star of Canada.
SIGN “Not Abandoned, Apply to Lloyd’s” roughly painted on side of cabin.
GV Metal ship fittings, winch mechanisms and other salvage laying on deck.
Waves washing over hatches and pipes on deck of Star of Canada.

INTERTITLE: Loading Frozen Mutton into Barges Total Export 1 Year 30 Million pounds Weight.
INTERTITLE: The Popular Picnic Resort. Ormond Quarry.
WS Man waving to camera from amidst dense native bush.
PAN L Across ferns and vegetation on hillside.
LS Man seated on log with woman standing nearby - Ferns and native forest on nearby slope.