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Story: Streets and lighting

Streetscape, early 20th century

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Streetscape, early 20th century

Street verandahs became a common feature of towns and cities from the 1860s. Although sometimes criticised for their higgledy-piggledy appearance – such as in this early 20th century view along Hāwera’s High Street – they provided welcome shelter from summer sun and winter rain.

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Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: 35-R559

by Frederick George Radcliffe

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Adrian Humphris, Streets and lighting – Street verandahs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/24491/streetscape-early-20th-century (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Adrian Humphris, published 6 April 2010.