Pembroke’s Public Library – When and Where?

Public Libraries are an important service to communities and none more so than those communities located in isolated parts of the country, especially in the early history of New Zealand. Not only are they repositories for information, but they have also been community centres where people can meet and socialise. Wānaka was no exception in its formative years.

It has been a mystery as to when and where the first Public Library operated from. It certainly was not from where the residents of Wanaka in 1987 thought it was when they celebrated what they thought was the centenary of the Pembroke Library. Not even the actual centenary celebration date was correct.[1]

[1] 18 September 1987

Library built c.1883 – opening times sign reads “Wed 3-4pm and Sat 7-9”.

The first notion to be dispensed with, is that you need to have a specific building in order to have a Library. Cardrona had a Library prior to 1877. We know this from articles in the newspapers of the time, but it did not have a specific building. It was a private library run by residents who paid a subscription, and the books were held in one or more resident’s homes. This was a not uncommon way of operating early libraries in rural settlements in the 19th century.

There is clear evidence that a library was operating in Wānaka well before 1887 – at least 10 years before. As previously mentioned, it could have been operating from a resident’s home or from a business premises. It is probable (though no firm evidence can be found) that a Library Committee did exist about November 1877, even though there is no mention in any newspapers or textbooks, of any Library building or location. Perhaps it was operating from a local hall such as the one owned by the Wanaka Hotel (the Olympic Hall)? After all, the Hotel appears to be the commercial centre of business activities in Pembroke in the 1870’s, e.g. where the stage from Hāwea Flat and Cromwell dropped off goods, mail and passengers, where tourists booked trips etc. We now know it to have been the local post office operated by Theodore Russell and then his widow, Celia, from about 1873 through to 1883 before a change was made. The Russell’s appear to be very civic minded people.

In 1877, the population of Wānaka was very small but the newspapers of the day, all reported on funding being made available by the Lakes County Council for the Library. Robert McDougall proposed to the Lakes County Council, in early October 1877, that £40 and £30 be granted to purchase books for the “Wanaka (Pembroke) and Cardrona Libraries” respectively[2]. It was approved by the Council, unconditionally for the “Pembroke Public Library”, but with a condition on the Cardrona grant, that the Cardrona Library had to first declare itself a public library.[3]

It is too difficult to believe that Robert McDougall operated entirely on his own, to promote a motion at Council for funds for the Libraries, which leads to the premise that a Pembroke group (committee) already existed in 1877. Cardrona formed a library committee very quickly in early December 1877. It therefore can be argued that the Pembroke Public Library was most likely already existing and operating but not from a specially built building.

Roxburgh, in his book, “Wanaka Story” wrote that in 1880, a Library building, 3 metres by 3 metres, was standing, but he did not record his sources of the information. As it was, he was “jumping the gun”. There was no land set aside for a Library in 1880, but Roxburgh did recognise that Library committees did exist before the 1887. It is suspected that he may have thought that, as the land grant matter was proceeded with in 1880, that became the year he thought the building took place. That supposition is incorrect as can be explained in following paragraphs.

It was reported that in January 1880, the then Secretary of the Library Committee applied for one acre of land adjoining Section 1, Blk VIII be set aside. The Land Office at Arrowtown recommended that it be complied with. It was resolved to recommend that the Governor General comply with the request “on the survey being made”.[4] Subsequently, a survey was undertaken.

On 17 July 1880 it was reported: “The establishment of an Athenæum[5] at Pembroke is being vigorously prosecuted, and subscriptions are coming in liberally.” That strongly suggests they were still raising funds for the building at that date and a specific library building did not exist yet.

Good news in January 1881 though. The Cromwell Argus reported on 28 Jan 1881 that the NZ Gazette included advice that “several parcels of land…. are set apart as reserves for public purposes, such as sites for a public library…” in Pembroke and the surrounding area. That firmly set the scene for where a Library building would be located. In May 1881, the land was formally set aside for a library.

In June 1882, at a public meeting, local residents were reported as still looking for “a Library to be opened”. It was not the only public buildings they were agitating for! The newspapers reported that “There was a Library Committee of ten residents still working on it.”

There was a snippet in the Cromwell Argus that stated that as of 31 December 1881, a Library building was being built. However, without any supporting information, little can be relied on that statement.

It is very likely that the new Library building was opened sometime between July 1882 and December 1883. On 28 January 1884, advertisements in local newspapers for polling stations appeared and mentioned the “Pembroke Library building” and the “Pembroke Library Hall”. Subsequently, the existence of the building appeared in other advertisements and articles.

But why did the Wānaka residents celebrate the centennial on 18 Sept 1987?

That date appears to be based on the earliest surviving Minute Book for the Library Committee where it records that at a Public Meeting held in the Pembroke Public Library Hall on 5 September 1887, a Committee was elected. The members of this committee were William Monteith (Chairman), Messrs Thomson (Secretary), Stewart, Morrison, Bradshaw and Silvester.

In fact, the Centenary organisers made a bit of a “whoopsie” by not reading pages 2 through to 6 and apparently relied solely on the information on Page 1! If they had done so, there was incontrovertible proof, that described an interesting situation regarding the previous committee and financial matters that went back to at least 1883. Roxburgh also realised when writing his 1990 book[6], that someone had it wrong.

Reading through the Minutes, the previous secretary, Mr Bennett[7], was unable to produce a balance sheet, nor it appears any of the previous Minutes. He was able to produce a “book”, and a balance sheet was produced by two of the new committee members. The balance was found to be £12.0.0. and it was intimated that no “vouchers had been handed in by Mr Bennett for the various accounts.” Special attention was drawn to “…the want of accepted accounts from the following individuals and for the following sums. In 1883 Bell and Bradfute £14.5.0.[8] In 1884 Bell and Bradfute £14.0.0.” In 1885 on account of Books £3.11.0. Mr Thomas’ account £3.4.4 and in 1886 an account for book £11.1.6. As a result of this situation, the new Secretary wrote to Mr Bennett requesting him to provide receipted accounts etc within one month “or the Committee would feel bound to adopt other and more severe measures.” The matter extends over some more meetings, one or two of which Mr Bennett attended to give his various explanations, and at one meeting there was a threat to sue. By May 1888 it appears that the matter was not worth pursuing. A reconciliation with bank records indicated payments of some of the accounts, but the Committee recorded their disquiet at the actions (or lack thereof) of Mr Bennett. Two facts come out of this matter. Firstly, the records of the previous committee(s) were a mess (if they ever existed in their entirety) and secondly, the Library was at least operating in 1883 (Bell and Bradfute’s account).

A sorry mess but not the last time the Library Committee was struggling to work out what had happened due to various events.

It is noted that Pages 13 and 14 have been neatly cut out of the Minute Book (which covers the period 3 June 1890 to 18 May 1894 – nearly 4 years). What happened in that period to cause such drastic action? To add to the mystery, a public meeting was called on 13 June 1894 for the election of a committee for the public library. It was reported that this was the first meeting held since 1890.[9] Miss Amy Hedditch was the librarian and a newspaper article in 1893 confirms there was no committee and Amy had to pay accounts out of cash received and banked the surpluses. A cashbook and receipts were held.[10] It appears matters were sorted out after the new committee started work.

In addition, the fact that the 1887 meeting was held in an existing Library building also suggests in itself, that the Library existed before 5 September 1887!

This little 9m2 building went on to serve Wānaka residents as their Library until 1967. A public meeting in 1964 not only saw the need to replace the existing library building but also to getting a community centre. In 1967 they got their new Library at a cost of $3689 and built on the west side of the then Fire Station in Ardmore Street. The funds were raised by the Wanaka Improvement Society.[11]

[2] Example is “Lake County Council” in the Lake Wakatipu Mail, Issue 1037, 11 October 1877, Page 3.
[3] Prior to the Cardrona grant, only a book club had been in existence – Lake County Press, Cardrona, 13 December 1877, P2
[4] Waste Lands Board, Cromwell Argus, Volume x 27 Jan 1880-, page 6
[5] Athenæum is another word for a store of books or library etc
[6] Wānaka and Surrounding Districts, Publication Subcommittee of Upper Clutha 1990,1990, pages 8, 12 etc
[7] Inspection of the Electoral Roll 1882-84 suggests it could have been George J H Bennett, the schoolmaster
[8] Bell & Bradfute were publishers from Edinburgh, Scotland and suppliers of books for libraries throughout NZ.
[9] Pembroke, Lake County Press, 21 June 1894, Page 3
[10] Lake Wānaka, Otago Witness, 26 Jan 1893, Page 20
[11] Roxburgh Wānaka and Surrounding Districrs p36,37

The Library In Ardmore Steet next to the old Fire Station

It must be recorded that over the decades there were difficulties in getting members for the Library Committee and we should remember that even in the 1950s, there were only about 150 houses in the town and “half of them were holiday homes used by non-residents.”

In 2003, the current Library was opened in Bullock Creek Lane.

The town is fortunate in having a Library with a strong team of Librarians that have an eye to the future for our Library.