• Mystery photograph leaves questions unanswered

Mystery photograph leaves questions unanswered

Knowledge Bank Hawke's Bay is searching for answers to a mystery photograph dating back to the early 1900s. 

Hawke’s Bay Digital Trust Archives chairman Peter Dunkerley says the photo was provided to Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay by Flaxmere resident Graeme Toatoa, whose grandfather Tame Toa Toa is second from the right in the back row. 

They would like to know which football code those pictured in the photograph, who were from the settlement of Kautuku, would have played, and who the women were.

"The team was obviously successful – given they have on their best suits for the photo, the team included a selector (Mr Toa Toa) and a Delegate to the Union, and the text shows that the team won the 1912 Lane’s Challenge Cup, with six wins from their 12 games. The team was named for the tiny settlement of Kautuku, inland from Oamhu towards Pukehamoamoa."

The names that are visible are B Murphy, B Grant, T Toa Toa, R Ferguson, M T Petiha, T Heeney, D Wilson, T Graham and W Broughton. 

Dunkerley says the Knowledge Bank collection continues to grow, preserving local history for the future.

“Quite a lot of the material we receive from residents has some information, but there is always more to learn. By sharing photos like this one and asking if anyone has more detail, we have the opportunity to flesh out the snippets of history that we have.”

Anyone with information on the team, the sport, or the three women can email admin@knowledgebank.org.nz The records held by Knowledge Bank are freely available to the public, see: https://knowledgebank.org.nz

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