Encuestas dirigidas al personal administrativo del Gobierno Parroquial de

Three unpublished papers deal specifically with Napier’s planning or development history, but not in detail. In 1972, J.B. Childs presented a dissertation to the University of Auckland on a case study of planning in Napier after the 1931 earthquake.28 His study briefly discusses the development of Napier to 1931, and then outlines the role of planning in Napier since. His focus is on the legislation, regulations, development of new suburbs, and planning schemes developed to cover Napier in sections rather than as a whole. Also briefly described are three visionary plans that did not materialise, but did indicate the scope of planning thought at the time. These included a plan for the development of the Marine Parade, and a plan for a new suburb in northwest Napier based on the Lagoon area, including a marina. The plan for this suburb, prepared by Napier architect, Louis Hay, is discussed in Chapter 4. The dissertation has much useful planning information, but insufficient coverage was given to plan outcomes and to the success or otherwise of developments that resulted.

In 1974, the Napier City Council prepared its own notes outlining the historical development of planning within Napier.29 Coverage includes discovery by James Cook, early settlement, the first town plan and sale of sections in 1855, and control through bylaws from 1865 to 1926 when it was suggested that a town planning scheme be prepared. Development after the earthquake is outlined, referring to the uplifted land, and to the various planning sectional schemes that did not become a unified scheme until 1973. The notes conclude with brief statements on matters that were planning issues at the time, including urban expansion, transportation, and regional planning.

In the same year, Ian Dally and Alan Galletly completed a manuscript about the impact of the earthquake on the development of Napier.30 The focus of this study is on the growth of Napier, of how the town adapted to a difficult site before the earthquake, and then took advantage of opportunities provided by the 1931 disaster and the land that was uplifted. The subsequent expansion of Napier is briefly outlined, but not with specific reference to the town planning schemes discussed by Childs. The authors also comment on what might have been had there been no earthquake suggesting that the neighbouring town of Hastings

75

might have become pre-eminent, leaving Napier as a much smaller port town, as originally envisaged by Domett when founding the town.

Conclusion

There is an inherent difficulty in carrying out historical research of the kind envisaged by this thesis. As Alan Baker remarks:

One of the paradoxes encountered by historical geographers is that evidence about the past is both very fragmentary and extraordinarily capacious. The historical record is incomplete and, while old data can be analysed in new ways to yield additional information and genuinely new data about the past are discoverable in hitherto underused, totally neglected or even unknown sources, that record cannot be extended by the historical scientist in the way that new data can literally be generated by the natural or social scientist working in the laboratory or in the field. Our knowledge of the past will, therefore, always be incomplete.31

This thesis likewise is a partial reconstruction of the past, based on an examination and analysis of a plethora of published and unpublished or archival documents. Although a mixture of primary and secondary source materials was used, much greater emphasis was given to primary resources. Important sources of information included newspapers published in Napier and archival documents held by Napier City Council and Archives New Zealand. Information obtained from visual studies was also useful, such as maps and plans, and the candidate’s field work. Other research methods were inappropriate, given the historical nature of the research topic. Much has been written about Napier over the years and some of this literature has also helped inform this thesis. However, a scholarly history of Napier or of its growth and development or planning history has, to date, not been published.

Endnotes

1

J.S. Barton, “The Re-planning of Napier”, Community Planning, 2:3, June 1932, pp. 73-78.

2

Published once each week to 1861, twice each week until 1870.

3

Jim McAloon, Nelson: A Regional History, Whatamango Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound: Cape Catley and

Nelson City Council, 1997. See author’s comment at the commencement of his Bibliography, p. 253.

4

David Johnson, Wellington Harbour, Wellington: Wellington Maritime Museum Trust, 1996, p. 505.

5

H.K. Stevenson, Port and People: Century at the Port of Napier, Napier: Hawke's Bay Harbour Board,

1977, p. 89.

6

The home page for online searches of New Zealand newspapers held online by the Alexander Turnbull library at Wellington is http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

7

Keith Jacobs, “Historical Perspectives and Methodologies: Their Relevance for Housing Studies?”

Housing, Theory and Society, 18:3/4, 2001, pp. 127-135, at p. 132.

8

Gavin McLean, How to do Local History: Research*Write*Publish: A Guide for Historians and Clients,

Dunedin: Oxford University Press, 2007, pp. 38-42.

9

“Report of Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into and Report upon Harbour Board Matters at

Napier”, in Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, 1927, H-15A,

see especially pp. 6-12.

10

Sylvia Allan, Brian Knowles and Judith Davey, Napier City Urban Growth Strategy: Final, Napier: Napier

City Council, 1992, pp. 20-24.

11

Waitangi Tribunal, Te Whanganui-a-Orutu Report, Wellington: Brooker’s Limited, 1995.

12

Waitangi Tribunal, Napier Hospital and Health Services Report, Wellington: Legislation Direct, 2001.

13

M.D.N. Campbell, Story of Napier, 1874-1974: Footprints Along the Shore, Napier: Napier City Council,

1975.

14

Campbell, Story of Napier, 1874-1974: Footprints Along the Shore, pp. ix-x.

15

Matthew, Wright, Napier: City of Style, Napier: Napier City Council, 1996.

16

Mary B. Boyd, City of the Plains: A History of Hastings, Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington,

1984.

17

Matthew Wright, Town and Country: The History of Hastings and District, Hastings: Hastings District

Council, 2001.

18

J.G. Wilson and others, History of Hawke's Bay, Christchurch: Capper Press, 1976. Reprinted edition,

originally published in 1939.

19

A.H. Reed, The Story of Hawke’s Bay, Wellington: Reed, 1958, p. 8.

20

Matthew Wright, Hawke's Bay: The History of a Province, Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 1994.

21

Geoff Conly, The Shock of ’31: The Hawke's Bay Earthquake, Wellington: Reed, 1980.

22

Matthew Wright, Quake Hawke's Bay 1931, Auckland: Reed, reprinted with changes, 2006.

23

Daily Telegraph, Hawke's Bay “Before” and “After” the Great Earthquake of 1931: An Historical Record,

Napier: Daily Telegraph. Facsimile edition with additional chapters by D.G. Conly, 1981. Originally published in 1931.

24

Peter Shaw and Peter Hallett, Art Deco Napier: Styles of the Thirties, Napier: Art Deco Trust, 2002. 5th ed.

Originally published in 1987.

25

Stevenson, Port and People: Century at the Port of Napier.

26

Ian L. Mills, What’s in a Name: A History of the Streets of Napier, Napier: Thinker Publications, 2007.

Enlarged reprint, originally published in 1999.

27

W.M. Hall, The Growth and Development of Napier – Town, Borough and City: A Resource Unit for

Social Studies on Urbanisation. Napier: W.M. Hall, 1986.

28

J.B. Childs, A Town Planning Case Study: Napier Since the Earthquake, Auckland: Dissertation for

Diploma in Town Planning, University of Auckland, 1972.

29

Napier City Council, Town Planning Department, Development of Town Planning in the City of Napier,

Napier: Napier City Council, 1974. Unpublished paper. Held at Napier City Council, Box NCC 156, File TP 1/3.

30

Ian H. Dally and Alan Galletly, The Impact of a Natural Disaster on the Form and Function of Napier,

1974. Unpublished paper. Held at Hawke's Bay Museum & Art Gallery, Napier.

31

Alan R.H. Baker, “ ‘The Dead Don’t Answer Questionnaires’: Researching and Writing Historical

Chapter 4