HĀPUKA FISHING IN NEW ZEALAND

Rights Information
Year
1925
Reference
F6423
Media type
Moving image
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Rights Information
Year
1925
Reference
F6423
Media type
Moving image
Place of production
New Zealand/Aotearoa
Categories
Short
Duration
0:06:03
Production company
New Zealand Government Publicity Office

Information below was given by William Heaphy, resident of Makara in August 1997.

Italian fishermen working off Island Bay, Wellington. The small but thriving community of Italian fishing families at Island Bay is an example of chain immigration. Most of these families and individuals came from two specific fishing villages in southern Italy, some of each generation staying in Italy, some joining their relatives in Island Bay. Only a few have returned, but those here still maintain their Italian identity, as well as their New Zealand identity.

One of the fishermen (man without cap in first segment) is Joe Volpicelli, resident of Island Bay and then Makara around the coast, a skilled fisherman, tenor and accordion player! Joe fought in World War One on the Allied side (the Italian Army) and was under a strict curfew (basically police supervision) during World War Two, when Italy was allied to Germany. Joe died in 1994 aged 100 years. His children and their descendants still live in Wellington.

Fishermen pull in their lines onto the deck; the occasional hapuka (or groper) is caught; more hapuka being hauled in; fish are thrown into hull of trawler. Small fishing boat makes its way into the rocky coastline and offloads fish onto a horse-drawn cart. Men stand around watching with great interest; fishermen on board their small boat display large hapuka. Removing large crayfish from net. Men hauling in net; scooping up handfuls of small fish and throwing them into the dinghy. Finally the two fishermen are able lift the net and empty fish into boat.