 |
|
| ARTIST: | E. B. Caulier |
| DATES: | New Zealand 19th Century |
| TITLE: | Partington's Windmill from Grafton |
| MEDIUM: | Watercolour |
| SIZE: | 23.5 x 28.5 cm |
| REMARKS: | Signed lower left |
| $NZ: | Category B |
|
|
|
Partington’s Windmill Charles Frederick Partington was an immigrant from Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. In May 1850 Partington purchased land in Symonds Street on the Karangahape Road ridge, Auckland for £200 and constructed Partington's Windmill at a cost of £2,000. The height, distinctive shape and prominent position made it an Auckland landmark and throughout its life it was used as a navigation device for shipping. In August 1851 its first batch of flour was advertised for sale. During the Maori Wars from 1861 to 1866, Partington served with the British cavalry and the mill landed a lucrative contract to supply the Army troops with food, chiefly biscuits, but also flour and crushed corn. The Windmill stood for 100 years until May 1950 when it was demolished. In 1988 an 80-cent postage stamp was released which depicted a view of Auckland; Partington’s Windmill can be seen on the horizon. Today the site is occupied by one of Auckland’s most prestigious hotels, Langham Hotel. An interesting aside: Charles Partington had two children, Joseph and Maria. Maria married David Goldie, a prominent timber merchant and politician and one-time Mayor of Auckland. In 1870 the couple bore a son, Charles Frederick Goldie – named after his maternal grandfather, Charles Frederick Partington. C. F. Goldie remains one of New Zealand’s most famous artists, best known for his portrayal of Maori dignitaries. Grafton Bridge Grafton Bridge spans the Grafton Gully which connects the suburbs of Newmarket and Grafton with the Auckland CBD. Designed by engineer R. F. Moore, the bridge was built in 1910 of reinforced concrete by the Ferro-Concrete Company of Australasia Ltd, and is believed to have been the biggest arch bridge span of that type existing at that time. It spans about 97.6 metres, rises 25.6 metres above the abutments and to a height of around 43 metres. Symonds Street Cemetery, a historic Auckland cemetery with many old and imposing (though many crumbling) gravestones is under and around the bridge on the steep inner-city side bank of the Grafton Gully. The bridge is on both the NZ Historic Places listing and the IPENZ Engineering Heritage Register. A 2006 poll placed the bridge 3rd on the list of New Zealand’s greatest engineering achievements, after the Manapouri Power Station and the yacht Black Magic. In 2008 the bridge was closed for reinforcement works and was reopened in late 2009 to become a bus priority route on the ‘Central Connector’, a public transport initiative. |
|
| Jonathan Grant Galleries Ltd 280 Parnell Rd, Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. Telephone +64-9-308 9125 Email jonathan@jgg.co.nz |
|