Waiau District history: Hunting, Shooting & Fishing - Duck Culling in days past
Shared by Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
Waiau District history, showing Duck Shooting from days past: Image 1 - labelled as, Dave Te Au, Jim Hanson, Bruce Brown, and Neville Stronach, photo taken in 1971. Unknown photographer & copyright. Image 2 - labelled as, Gus Kenneally and Neville Stronach, at the Alton maimai. What a great haul of ducks! No date, but presumed to be a same decade as the one above. Unknown photographer and copyright. The first photo was taken at Bruce's house, on Clifden Road, after the hunters shown were finished their duckshooting on a pond, out in the bush, up the end of the Alton Road. They look pretty happy about it! The second photo records John AUGUSTINE (Gus) Kenneally, who died 25th Sep 1995 aged 67 years. Both he and his wife, who was Babette Langmuir before she married, were later owners of the Langmuir's store in Tūātapere. This was inherited from Babette's father William, who had run it since the 1930's. When his wife died, his daughter ran it with him. Gus Kenneally was a well-known businessman around town. With him is Neville Stronach, who is the donor of these fabulous photos. If any of you can add further information and memories about the blokes in the photos above or the Langmuir's and Kenneally's and their business in Tūātapere, or if you have photos, please let us know. DUCK SHOOTING HISTORY: As we are in Duck shooting season again, it seems well to go back and look at the sport from days and times past. Duck shooting and hunting was a part of life for many families over generations. And it was often as much to feed the family as it was to enjoy a game sport. Interestingly, Duck Shooting has a long history in Aotearoa NZ. From the later half of the 1800's and into the early 1900s, the countryside was what could only be termed as 'a duck hunter’s paradise'. With vast areas of wetlands available, many local Acclimatisation societies were successful in introducing both the mallard duck and Canada goose, and this meant that large bags of game could be had for very little cost. You only needed a licence and a shotgun. In its earlier days, Duck shooting was undertaken by more country people, but as modes of transport improved, those living in towns could also more easily start to hunt. The ducks and other game were initially bought in to the country for sport, but many settler families relied on hunting and shooting to feed families. Duck shooting is still a well appreciated sport although now highly regulated, mainly to protect any native or endemic species. While some women do engage in the sport, often in the current day (2024), women will celebrate the beginning of Duck Shooting season with as much enthusiasm as their menfolk, with organised events, parties, women's get togethers and wild weekends of fun, & celebrate having their men away! If you or anyone you know has any more photos, information or accounts of Duck shooting or if you have any other historic Duck Shooting or Hunting or Fishing photos or records, please do share these in the comments section. You can do this by making a comment in the space provided under the image page.
Ngā whakamārama
Details
-
Title
Waiau District history: Hunting, Shooting & Fishing - Duck Culling in days past
-
Maker
Unknown
-
Date made
1970's
-
Subject
Murihiku, Waiau, Southland, Hunting, Shooting & Fishing, Duck Culling, Alton, Fishing & Game, Kenneally Family, Stronach Family, Clifden, Great outdoors, Bush
-
Additional information
Digital image of original only
-
Rights
Copyright status unknown
-
View source record for this item
Kei hea tēnei taonga?
Where is this item held?
-
Additional information including high resolution images may be available.
-
Location
Main Rd, Tūātapere, next to the old Railway Station. We also belong to the internationally recognised 'Safe Space Alliance'.
Whare taonga | Organisation
Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
Ngā here ki runga i ngā whakaahua o tēnei taonga?
What can you do with images of this item?
-
You must check with Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive to confirm terms of use and any attribution requirements, but this is our understanding:
-
Use for private study, research, criticism, review, or education
NZ Copyright law allows for the use of copyrighted works in specific circumstances. Consider what you can do under copyright law.
-
Check
Check with the copyright holder before sharing, modifying or remixing or using this image to make money.
-
Text adapted with permission from Te Papa and Digital NZ
Tāpirihia he kōrero anō
Improve this record
-
Can you help us? Share names, details and stories to help enrich the collection.