Rule Britannia: Imperial Troops in Auckland
1901 (John Coomer) - 2023
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1901 image: John Coomer | Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections I729-029
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Not something you'd see every day in Wellesley Street — even in 1901. On the morning of Saturday, February 16th, 1901, the ship Britannic steamed into Auckland Harbour, rounding North Head soon after six o'clock, and berthed at Railway Wharf. She carried a contingent of Imperial troops. The purpose of the visit? In the words of a report in the New Zealand Herald (18 February 1901):
The object of Queen Victoria in sending a representative body of British troops was to enable the colonists, many of whom have never seen a British soldier, to realise the unity of the Empire.
The troops would march in a procession from the wharf to the Domain (via Wellesley Street East, where Coomer was ready with his camera). Below, another of the several pictures Coomer made of the spectacle. The background buildings are those of Auckland Normal School. Click for transition.
1901 image: John Coomer | Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections I729-089
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The Herald report continued:
There is more in this vein (much, much more) in the Herald report, which can be read on the PapersPast website, here.
