My Roots, My Place, My Albany - local history

On Monday 10 September, a local history book – My Roots, My Place, My Albany – was launched at The Albany Restaurant and Bar, Auckland.

In this fascinating new book, history unfolds in a relaxed telling by the Stillwater author, Dawn Evans (née Atkinson), above.

Dawn’s father bought a homestead farm (what is now Gills Reserve and Albany Toyota) and two butchery businesses, one in Albany, the other in Browns Bay, and moved his family from Huntly in 1943. The story develops through many interesting times on the North Shore and Auckland city, providing a snapshot of life in Albany Village during the 1940s and 1950s, including the war years, school and village life, community activities and rural scenes.

Dawn is also an accomplished artist, and there is a section of colour plates of some of her paintings of Albany.

To Albanyites, history matters, so this book will be of great interest to many local people, especially those who have lived in the area during the past 50 to 60 years. Members of that close-knit community still meet today.

Several years ago Dawn was active in trying to improve the access to these beautiful and historical areas in Albany. When Albany’s ‘Mainstreet’ first mooted that walking paths be developed, Dawn donated a painting of the bridge done from the waterfall to be raffled to raise funds. There is a picnic table near the waterfall in the reserve with a plaque in commemoration of the Atkinsons.

The book has been produced on the North Shore by AM Publishing NZ, www.ampublishingnz.com.

To order copies (RRP $20 each) phone Dawn on 09 424 5473 or email rondawnnz@gmail.com. 

If any retailers would like to stock the book contact Dawn.