Signed & Inscribed

James Barr. The old identities: being sketches and reminiscences during the first decade of the province of Otago, N.Z. Dunedin: Mills, Dick & Co., 1879.

This copy of James Barr’s chronicle of early Otago The old identities contains the author’s presentation inscription to James Macandrew (1820-1887), dated 1879.

James Barr (1820-1885) was born in Glasgow but emigrated to Otago in 1849, setting up business as a merchant and accountant. An ardent provincialist, he supported Macandrew in the 1876 campaign against the abolition of the provincial system of government by the General Assembly.

Essentially an appraisal of a fast-vanishing past, The old identities features Macandrew prominently in his role as Superintendent of the Province of Otago. At the time of Barr’s gift inscription, Macandrew’s tenure as Minister of Public Works in Sir George Grey’s ministry had recently ended.

In the words of A.H. McLintock, Barr “is enthusiastic, or almost so, of Macandrew and his myriad schemes.” Today, Macandrew’s statuette looks across the busy road outside Toitu Otago Settlers’ Museum.

James Barr. The old identities: being sketches and reminiscences during the first decade of the province of Otago, N.Z. Dunedin: Mills, Dick & Co., 1879.
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John Logan Campbell. Poenamo: sketches of the early days of New Zealand: romance and reality of antipodean life in the infancy of a new colony. London: Williams and Norgate, 1881.

Born in Edinburgh, John Logan Campbell (1817-1912) was a prominent public figure described by his contemporaries as ‘the father of Auckland.’ He became Superintendent of Auckland Province in 1855 and Mayor of Auckland in 1901. He was knighted in 1902.

This copy of the limited, specially illustrated edition of Campbell’s pioneer reminiscences Poenamo bears his autograph inscription to Lord Carrington, dated February 1890.

Lord Carrington would seem to be Charles Robert Carrington (1843-1928), British Liberal politician and Governor of New South Wales from 1885 to 1890.

John Logan Campbell. Poenamo: sketches of the early days of New Zealand: romance and reality of antipodean life in the infancy of a new colony. London: Williams and Norgate, 1881.
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Thomas Morland Hocken. Contributions to the early history of New Zealand (Settlement of Otago). London: Sampson Low, Marston and Co., 1898.

This copy of Dr Hocken’s Early history of New Zealand bears the author’s presentation inscription to Dr Alfred Eccles (1821-1904). Eccles emigrated from England in 1861 and was the first Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons to practice in Otago. A prominent figure, he was a chief promoter of the building of First Church, and involved in the origins of the Otago Medical School, Otago Institute, the 1865 New Zealand Exhibition, and Otago Museum.

T.M. Hocken (1836-1910), medical practitioner and pre-eminent collector, was (like Eccles) a founding member of the Otago Institute, a society for the encouragement of science and the arts. Three times president, Hocken remained on the executive board for 36 years. It was perhaps with these memories in mind that Hocken inscribed this gift to Eccles, six months prior to the latter’s death.

This book was donated to the Library in 1932 by Dr Eccles’ son, Dunedin historian Alfred Eccles (1880-1951).

Thomas Morland Hocken. Contributions to the early history of New Zealand (Settlement of Otago). London: Sampson Low, Marston and Co., 1898.
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