About the Image Collections

Introduction

The images in this collection cover the Auckland region north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, from Devonport and West Harbour in the south to Wellsford in the north. The collection includes photographs of the North Shore (Albany, Glenfield, East Coast Bays, Milford, Takapuna, Belmont, Devonport, Birkenhead and Northcote) Waitakere (Henderson, Waitakere Ranges, New Lynn, Glen Eden, Titirangi, Te Atatu and Massey) and Rodney (Whangaparoa Peninsula, Orewa, Helensville, Kumeu, Warkworth and Wellsford). Most images date from the 1900s onwards, but some older images will also be found here.

Wherever possible, permission has been sought to include a reduced thumbnail version of photographs acquired as reprints from other museum or library collections, and to include a link to their site so that reprints can be ordered directly from them. Local History Online gratefully acknowledges Auckland Museum and the Alexander Turnbull Library for permission to include thumbnails of some of their North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney images on this site.

Special Collections of Note

The J.T. Diamond Collection, Waitakere Libraries

John Thomas (Jack) Diamond M.B.E. extensively researched, documented, collected and wrote about West Auckland history. In 2001, Jack's extensive archive was donated to Waitakere Libraries. The collection primarily covers the timber, brick and pottery industries, the history and archaeology of the Waitakere Ranges and Maori history. It includes original research, published and collected works and photographs.

The Albert Chan Auckland Harbour Bridge Collection, North Shore Libraries

This collection of digital images was originally donated to Northcote Library by Albert Chan during the Shore History Fest in July 2004, and comprises almost 200 images of the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge (1955-1959) and the construction of the clip-on extension lanes (1966-1969). As a photographer, Albert Chan has an interest in engineering projects and has documented a number of significant construction projects in Auckland, including the Sky Tower, the Grafton Gully motorway project and ‘Spaghetti Junction’ on Auckland's motorway system.

Why some images are not available online

Under the Copyright Act 2004, photographs remain in copyright for 50 years from the death of the photographer. This means that photographs on this site dating from about 1930 or onward are often still in copyright, and unless Auckland Libraries (or the former North Shore, Waitakere or Rodney Libraries) owns the copyright or the copyright owner has granted permission for the image to be displayed, you will not be able to view or download an online version of it. You are welcome to view the original image at the library where it is held.

Photographs held at Takapuna Library can be viewed at the NZ Collection, Takapuna Library, The Strand, Takapuna.

Photographs held at Waitakere Library can be viewed at the J.T. Diamond Reading Room, Waitakere Central Library, Ratanui Street, Henderson.

Portraits

Portraits in this collection are covered by the privacy provisions of the Copyright Act 2004. For formal group or individual portraits taken before 1930, you will be able to view a thumbnail image but not an enlargement. For portraits taken after 1930 where the subject may still be alive, you will only be able to view the catalogue record unless the subject is a public figure or has granted permission for an online version to be displayed.