February 9, 2023
Our good friend, John, guided us on a tour through his neighborhood of Grey Lynn. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were built between the 1800s and the beginning of the First World War. They were constructed quickly and with little variation of layout as can be seen in this early photograph of Grey Lynn that we came upon on a local fence.
Today, there are many more trees lining the streets but most of the original houses remain. Although the houses differed little in layout, they are differentiated by the application of mass produced items such as wooden fretwork. Many also have bay windows, which at the time marked the owner as a member of the middle class. Here are some examples.
One of the joys of walking in the city is the things you come across that you don’t often notice driving by. For example, we came across this pottery studio, tucked into one of the side streets, where we were greeted by two friendly dogs and an apprentice working on some pottery.
The classic car of the day was this beautiful Hillman Minx convertible.
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association, known locally as the RSA, was founded after World War One by soldiers returning from the Gallipoli Campaign. There are over 180 local RSAs throughout New Zealand and their club houses are a common sight, even in the smallest towns. But we have not seen any as impressive as the Grey Lynn club house with its extensive mural, depicting New Zealand military history.
Mal and Lauren 