Story: Shipbuilding

Small ships were built and repaired at all the major ports. In 1904 Henry Winkelmann set up his camera to record the launch of one of Charles Bailey’s wooden ships. In this Auckland scene, looking south-west across Freemans Bay towards Ponsonby, the ketch Hikurangi is in the foreground. A small steamer, Pitoitoi (centre), is on the stocks, but the real action is taking place in the background, where the people in the boats have just watched Charles Bailey junior launch the flag-bedecked steam ferry Albatross.