Special feature: Sir George Grey and Kawau Island

Sir George Grey was Governor of New Zealand when he bought Kawau Island in 1862. The aura of his home on the island, Mansion House, has drawn visitors ever since. Mansion House had formerly been the residence of the manager of Kawau Island's copper mine.

During his time on Kawau, Grey continued to add to his magnificent library, and in 1882 he offered his entire collection to the people of Auckland. This gift was the impetus behind the City Council's building of a new library, which opened in 1887.

A surviving packing case which is housed in the exhibition room in Special Collections, is a tangible reminder of the moving of Grey's collection from Kawau to Auckland. The collection has since undergone several shorter journeys within the library, yet remains the library's founding treasure.

Mansion House

Sir George Grey took ownership of the former mine manager's house when he purchased Kawau Island in November, 1862. By employing the help of Frederick Thatcher, a leading architect of the time, Grey transformed the house into an impressive mansion. The house and assay office were joined together by elaborate kauri-lined rooms and hall, with a further 20 rooms being added to the original ten.

Grey sold Mansion House with Kawau in 1888. After passing through many hands and going through many transformations, Mansion House was sold to the government in 1967 for inclusion in the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park. A plan was prepared by the Department of Lands and Survey for the whole of Kawau, the specific purpose being to preserve and enhance the historical character of the island and its buildings. This plan implemented the restoration of Mansion House to its former glory as Sir George Grey's home. Mansion House is now open for the public to view and enjoy.

Bibliography:

The Grey Collection

On the 19th August 1882 a telegram was sent from Sir George Grey to James Shera, a stockbroker from Auckland. It announced the intention of Grey to give his library to the citizens of Auckland. Not only was this a remarkable gift in itself, but it also pushed the City Council into providing a library suitable to house the treasures it was about to receive.

At first, plans were made to keep the collection in temporary premises at the Auckland Institute in Princes Street. Grey and the secretary of the Auckland Institute agreed to this so long as Grey was allowed to borrow books when he wanted and that suitable shelving was provided by the council. This idea was quashed when it was realised the space needed for the collection would not be available in the Institute. Instead, Grey was asked to keep his library at Kawau until new premises were built. On the 26th March 1887, after healthy donations from other benefactors and after much deliberation regarding the site, the Auckland Free Public Library was opened on the corner of Kitchener (then Coburg) and Wellesley Streets, in what is now the City Art Gallery building.

Grey's gift to the citizens of Auckland included 34 Eastern and Medieval manuscripts. The two most ancient manuscripts date from the 11th or 12th centuries. One of the most beautiful manuscripts in this collection is the 15th century illuminated Besancon Missal. Also included in the collection are 36 incunabula. The earliest is Speculum Humanae Salvationis by the printer Gunther Zainer, dated around 1471. This volume looks remarkably like a manuscript, with the Gothic letters rubricated in red and blue. It is illustrated with 192 woodcuts, coloured by hand.

Grey's gift, however, goes beyond medieval manuscripts and incunabula. Some of the highlights include the First, Second and Fourth Folios Shakespeare. The First Folio of 1623 is one of only 228 still existing from the 1000 originally printed. Other highlights include the original copies of William Blake's prophetic poems Europe and America, both copies of which are extremely rare.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Grey's collections would be the items relating to New Zealand, both in manuscript and printed form. Along with the thousands of letters Grey received from influential New Zealanders, there is also his collection of almost all early printed New Zealand works. These cover many aspects of New Zealand life, both Maori and Pakeha. Included in these early printings is one of the two remaining copies of the first item to be printed in New Zealand. This booklet, Ko te Katekihama, was published in 1830 by the Reverend W Yate using the Church Missionary Society's press. Greys's interest in Maori society and culture led him to collect a vast number of manuscript items covering subjects such as language, whakapapa, poems, waiata and narratives of chiefs. These manuscripts, along with one of the largest collections of printed Maori books and pamphlets, makes the Grey collection an invaluable source for scholars of New Zealand history.

Bibliography

Wynne Colgan. The Governor's gift : the Auckland Public Library, 1880-1980.

Donald Kerr. Amassing treasures for all times : Sir George Grey, colonial bookman and collector. Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2006.

Further reading in Special Collections:

Autobiography 1876

The Kawau Copper Mine

Hector Bolitho.

The Island of Kawau.

Historic Kawau.

Kawau, isle of dreams.

Kawau Island.