119-455: New Zealand Sugar Company Limited is a long-established business and landmark in Birkenhead , New Zealand, located on the northern shore of Auckland 's Waitematā Harbour . The company is also known colloquially as "Chelsea Sugar", taking reference from the company's branded sugar "Chelsea", and the site is also colloquially known as the " Chelsea Sugar Refinery ", or "sugar works". The refinery
238-558: A Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University College . He had also received a substantial inheritance from a great-aunt in 1955 and was able to purchase a house for the family in Ngaio , Wellington. He left Epuni School early in 1956 to write and edit primary school bulletins for the Department of Education's School Publications Branch. This period is likely to have influenced his later writing which criticised bureaucracy. In 1957 Baxter took
357-878: A bicultural language in this country when no other Pākehā was doing so". In his critical study Lives of the Poets , Michael Schmidt claimed that Baxter was "one of the most precocious poets of the century" whose neglect outside of New Zealand is baffling. In Schmidt's view, Baxter's writing was affected by his alcoholism. Schmidt also commented on Baxter's influences, noting that his work drew upon Dylan Thomas and W. B. Yeats ; then on Louis MacNeice and Robert Lowell . Michael Schmidt identified "an amalgam of Hopkins , Thomas and native atavisms " in Baxter's Prelude N.Z. . The critic Martin Seymour-Smith ranked Baxter above Robert Lowell ("Baxter knew all about narcissism and vanity, and
476-461: A conscientious objector, citing "religious and humanitarian" grounds. The authorities did not pursue him however due to the late stage of the war. Baxter failed to complete his course work at the University of Otago due to increasing alcoholism , and was forced to take a range of odd jobs from 1945–7. He fictionalised these experiences in his only novel Horse , published posthumously in 1985. It
595-511: A conversational style but speak strongly of his social and political convictions. The commune's popularity grew, in part due to an article in the Sunday Times newspaper in June 1970, and by mid-1970 around 25 people were living in the community. The population increased to 40 permanent residents by May 1971, mostly aged between 16 and 25, living in three abandoned houses, and the number of visitors
714-550: A course in Roman Catholicism and his collection of poems In Fires of No Return , published in 1958 by Oxford University Press , was influenced by his new faith. This was his first work to be published internationally, though it was not critically well-received. Through the late 50s and 60s Baxter visited the Southern Star Abbey , a Cistercian monastery at Kopua near Central Hawke's Bay . Baxter admitted however in
833-465: A letter to a friend that his conversion was "just one more event in a series of injuries, alcoholism, and gross mistakes". Baxter and Sturm separated in October 1957. While it has been reported that their separation was due to Baxter's wife, a committed Anglican, having been dismayed by his conversion to Catholicism, their great-grandson Jack McDonald has stated that it was in fact “a loss of trust, which
952-584: A letter to his friend John Weir that he had been instructed in a dream to "Go to Jerusalem". Jerusalem, New Zealand was a small Māori settlement (known by its Māori transliteration, Hiruhārama) on the Wanganui River . He left his university position and a job composing catechetical material for the Catholic Education Board , with nothing but a bible. This was the culmination of a short period in which he struggled with family life and his vocation as
1071-614: A major industry for Birkenhead from the 1860s, notably apples, pears, and two varieties of strawberry, Marguerite and Duke of Edinburgh, which flourished well in clay soils. Birkenhead was subdivided and promoted as a township from 1863, alongside other settlements such as Allandale and Balmain (neither of which eventuated). Residents of the village survived through subsistence farming, and profited from bountiful seasonal strawberry crops. In 1879, William Francis Hammond bought 30 acres (12 ha) at Birkenhead Point, establishing Raven Hill estate, followed by Charles E. Button who established
1190-536: A new supermarket at Highbury, to counteract commercial decline. In 1989, Highbury became a part of North Shore City , and the new city council began planning the Strawberry Fields Shopping Centre from 1990, with Countdown as an anchor store. On 8 May 1995, the shopping centre formally opened, now named Highpoint Shopping Centre. In 1997 after expansions, the mall was renamed Birkenhead Shopping Centre, and later renamed to Highbury Shopping Centre in
1309-485: A night raid around the year 1823. When Tāmaki Māori returned in greater numbers to the Auckland Region, Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau were occupied again, until the early 1840s. The shark fishery remained an important location for many decades onwards. In 1844, when Tāmaki Māori held the feast of Remuera, sharks were caught for the event at this fishery, and considerable numbers of Māori fishing boats fished
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#17328522088031428-555: A poet. While planning his move to Jerusalem, in early 1969, Baxter spent some time in Grafton , Auckland where he set up a drop-in centre for drug addicts, acting on the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous. Around this time, Baxter worked for three weeks as a cleaner at Chelsea Sugar Refinery , which inspired the poem Ballad of the Stonegut Sugar Works . He had been referred to the job by poet Hone Tuwhare . He also adopted
1547-447: A population density of 2,372 people per km . Before the 2023 census, Birkenhead had a larger boundary, covering 4.63 km (1.79 sq mi). Using that boundary, Birkenhead had a population of 10,536 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 894 people (9.3%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 1,230 people (13.2%) since the 2006 census . There were 3,780 households, comprising 5,022 males and 5,514 females, giving
1666-405: A rich industrial heritage. As work on the refinery began, the managers and company officers were able to adapt the existing farm cottages on the estate for their use, but the majority of workers lived in tents and temporary dwellings near the building site. This shanty town was replaced by Chelsea Village, which consisted of 35 cottages provided by the company within the grounds, some distance from
1785-492: A second grand house at Birkenhead Point in 1883. Hammond, the son of a London auctioneer, was a keen promoter of Birkenhead, surveying the area and promoting Birkenhead subdivisions and estates at auctions, and constructing a bridge across Little Shoal Bay , better connecting the community to Northcote. Lake Road, connecting Northcote and Birkenhead, was significantly improved in the 1870s, helping development in Birkenhead. This
1904-479: A sex ratio of 0.91 males per female, with 1,836 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 2,037 (19.3%) aged 15 to 29, 5,010 (47.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,653 (15.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 75.7% European/ Pākehā , 6.7% Māori , 2.9% Pacific peoples , 20.0% Asian , and 3.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 39.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer
2023-480: A total of nine hectares. The port is located up-harbour from the Harbour Bridge , thus enforcing a large central span (243.8 m) and height (43.27 m at high tide). Chelsea is more than a landmark on the coast; it has been central to the development of the local community and remains active in preserving and encouraging interest in the local heritage and local events, sponsoring things as diverse as school trails and
2142-600: A victim: "Leaving apart how appalling this letter is – a betrayal on so many levels from the brutal act described, the lack of shame in the description, and the profound betrayal of trust – its publicity is once again putting Jacquie in a subordinate position to Baxter, a bit player in his narrative. ... Jacquie deserves much more than to be remembered as Baxter’s victim ... despite everything she endured, she emerged victorious. If people really want to know Jacquie they should seek our her writing, not Baxter's." Mark Williams , emeritus Professor of English at Victoria University, said
2261-450: A year, supplying both retail and manufacturing markets. About 20% of Chelsea's total production is exported, mainly to Australia and the Pacific. New Zealand has a deregulated economy , hence it has no subsidies or import tariffs for sugar, so Chelsea operates entirely within the free market. Chelsea provide financial support and sponsorship for a variety of organisations and projects within
2380-612: Is a much superior poet"), and defended Baxter's high reputation on the grounds of his spiritual and intellectual seeking: "Baxter's energy and sheer intelligence, his refusal to give way to mean cerebral impulses or to give up his terrible struggle with himself, are sufficient to justify his high position in New Zealand poetry". On the other hand, Smith said that Baxter "remained, disappointingly, over-intoxicated with his own energy, and never convincingly manifested qualities of restraint to balance it." A number of Baxter's poems were written in
2499-453: Is maintained, has become a public legacy. Among the other cultural impacts which the refinery has had on its surrounds is the origin of top local association football team Glenfield Rovers . The club, founded as Chelsea F.C. in 1960, was originally a social club for staff at the refinery. It later became more than just a social side, and has among the strongest teams in the Auckland region since
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#17328522088032618-679: Is unknown, but it possibly stems from the geographical similarities the area has to Birkenhead in North West England , which is on the opposite shore of the River Mersey to Liverpool . Similar locations can be found in Adelaide and Sydney in Australia. A common story explaining the origins of the suburb's name involves land developer Samuel Cochrane choosing the name in memory of his hometown, but this story appears to be apocryphal, as Cochrane
2737-536: The 1918 flu pandemic . Highbury developed more commercial and residential housing in the 1920s, and was the location of the Birkenhead Borough Chambers. From 1959, the stores of Highbury began declining due to the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge , despite an explosion of population growth in the surrounding suburbs. A small state housing area was constructed at Hammond Place, and in
2856-671: The Ancient Order of Foresters built a hall on Hinemoa Street in Birkenhead. In the following year, theatre company manager Henry John Hayward , who lived at Birkenhead, began showing films at Foresters Hall in 1912. Birkenhead became the second suburb of Auckland to have a cinema, and by the 1920s the Foresters Hall had become a major attraction for people across Auckland to attend dances and film showings. By 1913, Birkenhead had grown to have 12 stores (compared to 42 in Devonport), including
2975-601: The Anglican church and being baptised during that same year. They moved to Wellington and in February 1951 Baxter enrolled at Wellington Teachers' College . In 1952 Baxter's poems were published in a collaborative volume, Poems Unpleasant , alongside poems from Louis Johnson and Anton Vogt. He completed his teaching course in December 1952, and subsequently published his third major collection of poems, The Fallen House . In 1954 he
3094-631: The Auckland Region began around the 13th or 14th centuries. The North Shore was settled by Tāmaki Māori , including people descended from the Tainui migratory canoe and ancestors of figures such as Taikehu and Peretū. Many of the early Tāmaki Māori people of the North Shore identified as Ngā Oho . Boat Rock ( Te Nihokiore , "The Rat's Tooth") in the Waitematā Harbour southwest of Birkenhead
3213-473: The Cotswolds . Both schools were Quaker schools and boarding schools . In 1938 the family returned to New Zealand. Baxter said of his early life that he felt a gap between himself and other people, "increased considerably by the fact that I was born in New Zealand, and grew up there till I was nine, and then attended an English boarding school for a couple of years, and came back to New Zealand at thirteen, in
3332-665: The University of Canterbury he became the literary editor of its student magazine, Canta , and attended some lectures. His behaviour could be erratic due to his alcoholism. His second collection, Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness was published in 1948, and its themes included the New Zealand landscape and solitude. Curnow, in a review, described Baxter as "the most original of New Zealand poets now living". In 1948 Baxter married Jacquie Sturm at St John's Cathedral, Napier , and his developing interest in Christianity culminated in his joining
3451-631: The Waitematā Harbour , and its proximity to a renowned tauranga mango , a shark fishery which brought seasonal visitors from across Tāmaki Makurau and the Hauraki Gulf in the summer, including important rangatira such as Kiwi Tāmaki and later Tarahawaiki. Manaoterangi was a close relative of Tuperiri of the Te Taoū / Ngāti Whātua ragatira Tuperiri, and was married to Waikahuia, the sister of Waiohua paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki . Because of this,
3570-515: The ballad form, and Baxter has been described by critics as "New Zealand's principal lyricist". A number of Baxter's works have since been translated into music by New Zealand musicians. In 2000, a collection of songs written to Baxter's poems was released, titled Baxter , and featuring some of New Zealand's most well-known musicians: for example Dave Dobbyn , Martin Phillipps , Emma Paki , Greg Johnson , David Downes and Mahinārangi Tocker . It
3689-542: The 14th century, and is the location of Te Matarae ō Mana , a fortified pā for Te Kawerau ā Maki that overlooked an important seasonal shark fishery. European settlement in Birkenhead began in late the 1840s, and by the late 19th century the area became renowned for strawberry crops. In 1884, the Chelsea Sugar Refinery was constructed in Birkenhead, becoming a major source of income for Birkenhead. The increased population growth led to Birkenhead becoming one of
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3808-625: The 1880s, itinerant gum diggers roamed Birkenhead, searching for kauri gum . Birkenhead residents loathed the gum diggers, who would often destroy roads, orchards and farms in order to locate kauri gum. In response, the Waitemata County Council lobbied the Crown to allow the country more direct control over the gum digging industry. In 1881, the Australasian Colonial Sugar Refining Company chose Birkenhead for
3927-413: The 1910s, after becoming unprofitable. By the turn of the century, Birkenhead had developed into three centres: suburban Birkenhead, rural Birkdale and Chelsea, adjacent to the refinery. The factory provided steady work for the community, employing a third of the workforce of Birkenhead, and allowing farmers and orchardists stability in years with poorer crops. The ferry service brought new residents to
4046-476: The 1913 Hellaby's butchery, the first building with a tiled ceiling constructed in Australasia. An increased population led to plans for a new school to open in 1914 on a portion of Edward Skeate's Highbury estate, but plans for a school were delayed until 1919, due to the outbreak of World War I . 261 men and boys from Birkenhead served in the war. This greatly affected the community, which was further impacted by
4165-833: The 1940s. In 1938 on the eve of World War II , the New Zealand Government established the Kauri Point Armament Depot at Birkenhead. 332 soldiers and one nurse from Birkenhead enlisted, of whom 29 died. Chelsea Sugar Refinery workers were protected from enlistment, and many residents serves as a part of the Home Guard . While never employed, the Home Guard dug anti-tank tranches on the Glenfield ridge, and practiced warfare at Eskdale Reserve. Many women of Birkenhead took up jobs traditionally held by men, including working at
4284-571: The 1970s, helped in part by the development of Wairau Valley as an industrial park. From the 1970s, Samoan New Zealander and Urban Māori communities developed around Birkenhead, many of whom worked at Wairau Valley and the Sugar Refinery. After the population exceeded 20,000 people, Birkenhead Borough became the City of Birkenhead in 1978. In the mid-1980s, the Borough Council planned to develop
4403-524: The 19th century, all sugar products in New Zealand had to be imported; wishing to improve New Zealand's self-sufficiency, in 1882 the government offered a bounty to the first company to produce sugar locally. Already interested in business prospects in New Zealand, the Australian Colonial Sugar Refining Company had investigated possible sites in New Zealand and purchased 160 acres (0.65 km) of farm land in Birkenhead. This
4522-463: The Auckland Council. James K Baxter James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 – 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the preservation of Māori culture . He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and controversial literary figures. He was a prolific writer who produced numerous poems, plays and articles in his short life, and was regarded as
4641-466: The Bible. On his first day of school at Brighton Primary School (now Big Rock Primary School ), Baxter burned his hand on a stove and later used this incident to represent the failure of institutional education. In 1936, when Baxter was ten, the family moved to Wanganui where he and his brother attended St Johns Hill School, and the following year they moved to England and attended Sibford School in
4760-529: The Illingworth’s dining room table before leaving on the 19th. Three days later on 22 October 1972 Baxter suffered a coronary thrombosis in the street and died in a nearby house, aged 46. He was buried at Jerusalem on Māori land in front of "the Top House" where he had lived, in a ceremony combining Māori and Catholic traditions. A river boulder on the burial site was inscribed with his Māori name Hemi. Sturm
4879-480: The Jerusalem commune in 1970 when she was aged 18 years. Ros described an "attempted rape", which would have succeeded were it not for Baxter's erectile dysfunction . She mentioned a friend of hers, "Angela", who had told Ros that she was permitted to watch him flagellate himself (a variety of religious penance), and that she, Angela, knew of two other women who she claims were sexually abused. No charges were pressed at
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4998-451: The Maori name for sugar). Renowned poet James K Baxter worked at Chelsea as a cleaner in 1969-a job found for him by Hone Tuwhare . Dismissed after three weeks, he wrote the satirical poem "Ballad of the Stonegut Sugar Works" which expressed his unhappiness at the working conditions. Baxter's impression of the factory was not shared by all workers; it was recognised as a place of hard work, but
5117-505: The Māori version of his name, Hemi. Around July or August 1969, Baxter travelled to Jerusalem, which according to John Weir was at that time "a tiny Māori settlement – it had a marae, a resident priest, a church, a convent, resident nuns and some abandoned dwellings." Baxter stayed in a cottage owned by the Sisters of Compassion , and obtained permission for a long stay from the mother general of
5236-581: The North Shore by Tāmaki Māori. Oruamo or Hellyers Creek was an important transportation node for the North Shore area. In the latter 18th and early 19th centuries, members of Te Taoū/Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei resided seasonally at Te Mātārae a Mana . During the early 1820s, most Māori of the North Shore fled for the Waikato or Northland due to the threat of war parties during the Musket Wars . Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau were raided and destroyed in
5355-561: The Tāmaki Māori tribes as Te Kawerau ā Maki , including those of the North Shore. After Maki's death, his sons settled different areas of his lands, creating new hapū . His younger son Maraeariki settled the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast , who based himself at the head of the Ōrewa River . Maraeariki's daughter Kahu succeeded him, and she is the namesake of the North Shore, Te Whenua Roa o Kahu ("The Greater Lands of Kahu"). Many of
5474-490: The Waitematā Harbour stopped being major transport nodes, and instead, areas with views of the Waitematā Harbour rose in importance for suburban housing. From 1960, the Birkenhead Borough Council encouraged construction of low-cost suburban houses in the borough, and a small state housing area was constructed at Hammond Place (near Highbury Pass). Birkenhead's population and commercial centre rapidly developed in
5593-532: The account was "sickening" and that he believed his great-grandmother "would never have wanted these brutal details made public". He also noted that she never received sufficient credit for connecting Baxter to the Māori world: "The reality is that Nana had introduced Baxter to everything he knew about Māoritanga ". An allegation of attempted rape followed when, in April 2019, the New Zealand news outlet Stuff published an account by Rosalind Lewis (Ros), who had been at
5712-453: The admission was consistent with what he knew of Baxter: "He observed his own adulteries objectively as part of the fallen human condition. This even extended to marital rape. I’m not sure if he was simply a phoney, as some have observed. He was genuinely religious. The problem is that his religious faith allowed him to regard his sexual failings—small and great—at a quizzical remove." Baxter and Sturm's great-grandson, Jack McDonald, wrote that
5831-474: The area as late as the 1860s. Outside of Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau , other known locations of significance to Tāmaki Māori around Birkenhead include Maunganui or Mangonui was the name of a pā located inland on the Kauri Point ridge, and Ngutuwera , an inland pā where people would stay seasonally, to snare kākā in the wooded vallies of Tāwhiwhikareao . The traditional names for
5950-431: The area who commuted to Auckland for work, although fewer than neighbouring Devonport ; only three stores were located in Birkenhead in 1901. The Birkenhead ferry developed a café atmosphere for the commuters, which included string instrument players, and a smokers cabin, where man of Birkenhead discussed politics. Workers at the factory complained of poor conditions, such as 58-hour work weeks, and unsafe conditions in
6069-458: The bays of the area include Wararoa ( Chelsea ), Onetaunga (Onetaunga and Soldiers Bay), Wa Iti o Toroa (Island Bay), Kaiwhanake (Charcoal Bay) and Opaketai (the bay north of Charcoal Bay). Birkenhead was a part of the Mahurangi Block, an area purchased by the Crown on 13 April 1841. Land speculators purchased much of the isolated forests of Birkenhead in 1843, and
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#17328522088036188-479: The census's question about religious affiliation, 53.4% had no religion, 33.6% were Christian , 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs , 1.8% were Hindu , 1.2% were Muslim , 1.9% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 3,495 (40.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 753 (8.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 2,487 people (28.6%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
6307-593: The city of Auckland. In 1884 the Birkenhead Road District split from the North Shore Highway District. On 12 April 1888, with only 330 ratepayers the Birkenhead Road District became the Borough of Birkenhead, one of the earliest boroughs of Auckland. The borough had a mayor and a local council, and was able to make more decisions on how to invest in the area. After 90 years due to major growth in
6426-533: The city, most of the development of the area was determined by local employment; thus, Chelsea was a leading proponent and determinant in the growth of Birkenhead and provided a focal point for the community. With Chelsea as the major employer, Birkenhead was considered by many to be a 'company town'. In 1900, when the borough's population was 1000, one-third of the men worked at the refinery; local farmers and orchardists relied on casual labour in their off-season. The bridge opening also meant that Auckland’s North Shore
6545-409: The coastal margins of Birkenhead. Some kauri remnant forest remains in areas around Birkenhead, including Kauri Park, Le Roys Bush , Kauri Point Domain, Kauri Glen and Eskdale Reserve. Highbury is a suburb located within Birkenhead, which refers to the older shopping centre at the junction of Birkenhead Avenue and Mokoia Road. The name Highbury was the name of Thomas Forgham's family residence, that
6664-632: The collection for 1945 collection A Book of New Zealand Verse 1923–1945 , and described Baxter's poems as "a new occurrence in New Zealand: strong in impulse and confident in invention, with qualities of youth in verse which we have lacked". In this year, Baxter also won the Macmillan Brown Prize for his poem "Convoys". The prize was coincidentally named after his Scottish maternal grandfather, John Macmillan Brown . Baxter's work during this time was, as with his contemporary compatriots, most notably
6783-470: The community spirit was high and the company provided many benefits for workers. The company housing loans and secure employment ensured long service, often complete generations from the same families all working at the refinery. In the 2000s, about 240 people were occupied at the refinery. Before the opening of Auckland's Harbour Bridge in 1959, access to the North Shore from the city was restricted to transport by ferry. While some residents commuted to
6902-417: The de Jersey Grut family members, and cattle would often wander off into the bush. The de Jersey Grut family left in 1865, and had their house shipped to Orewa . Henry James Hawkins, established a fruit orchard in the Birkenhead area in the 1850s. Despite the poor clay soil, Hawkins became a famed horticulturalist, winning prizes for crops such as apples, plums, peas, gooseberries, strawberries. Fruit became
7021-404: The existing Birkenhead village. Planned to be a model town , it provided gardens, a church, reading room, school, and shop. However, the village did not remain for many years; the lower houses suffered from dampness and were unoccupied by the early 1890s, and by 1900 it was known as the "barracks" and occupied mainly by single men. In 1905, the village was condemned by the health authorities and
7140-440: The experimental novelist Janet Frame , largely influenced by the modernist works of Dylan Thomas . He was a member of the so-called " Wellington Group " of writers that also included Louis Johnson , W.H. Oliver and Alistair Te Ariki Campbell . Baxter typically wrote short lyrical poems or cycles of the same rather than longer poems. After his eighteenth birthday on 29 June 1944, like his father and brother, Baxter registered as
7259-628: The factory and adjacent company village Chelsea , after his hometown in England. On 12 April 1888, with only 330 ratepayers living in the area, the Borough of Birkenhead was established as one of the earliest boroughs of Auckland. Birkenhead was one of the largest boroughs of New Zealand in area size, and tensions existed between the township at Highbury and more rural Birkdale . Highbury residents wanted more funding to be put aside for urban projects such as improved footpaths, frustrating rural Birkdale residents, who needed better rural roads, especially during
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#17328522088037378-401: The first boroughs of Auckland in 1888. Birkenhead transitioned from a semi-rural community to suburban Auckland after the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959, becoming a city in 1978. In 1989, Birkenhead City was amalgamated with North Shore City . The name Birkenhead first appears in relation to a land survey conducted by Charles Heaphy in the summer of 1862 and 1863. The origin
7497-563: The first flush of puberty, quite out of touch with my childhood companions and uncertain whether I was an Englishman or a New Zealander". Baxter began writing poetry at the age of seven, and he accumulated a large body of technically accomplished work both before and during his teenage years. In 1940, Baxter began attending King's High School, Dunedin , where he was bullied, because of his differences to other students (in personality, voice and background), his lack of interest in team sports and his family's pacifism. His older brother, Terence,
7616-489: The first permanent settlers arrived in 1849. Major Collings Ann de Jersey Grut emigrated to New Zealand in the 1850s from the Channel Islands , alongside her husband Major Collings de Jersey Grut and brother Charles D'Auvergne. The de Jersey Grut family established a farm and manor near Duck Creek in the 1850s, but struggled to establish a farm. The poor soil led to starvation, and the servants needing to share food with
7735-490: The following year, the firm moved to a factory on Nelson Street in the Auckland City Centre, growing to become Thompson & Hills, one of the largest canning factories and jam producers in New Zealand in the early 20th century. Growers struggled with poor apple and pear crops due to codling moths , so by 1900 turned to growing nectarines and plums. Commercial fruitgrowing increasingly disappeared from Birkenhead by
7854-399: The hill towards Chelsea Village, with a group of shops established at Highbury, between the two original villages. Most of the local shops were supported by business from Chelsea and its workers, and workers became involved in local community affairs, including the offices of mayor and councillor. The shift sirens could be heard throughout Birkenhead and served as a 'clock' for all. The site
7973-412: The iwi of the North Shore, including Ngāti Manuhiri , Ngāti Maraeariki, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Poataniwha, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Ngāti Whātua , can trace their lineage to Kahu. The poor clay soils of the inland forest of the hindered development. Most Māori settlements of the Birkenhead area focused on fishing and harvesting food from the forests. The focal point of Te Kawerau ā Maki on the North Shore
8092-619: The lack of order and regulation, led to growing concern from the Sisters of Compassion and Wanganui District Council , and opposition from local residents, particularly the local Māori iwi , Ngāti Hau . Baxter himself was often absent from the commune participating in protests or other social work. In September 1971, the commune was disbanded under pressure from the Council and local farmers. Baxter returned to live in Wellington, but in February 1972
8211-515: The largest single site industrial facility on the North Shore. The establishment of Chelsea Sugar Refinery led to a population explosion in Birkenhead and the surrounding areas, and led to Birkenhead developing into a suburban township. In the mid-1880s, a factory village was constructed adjacent for workers at the factory. Mr Judd, the first customs officer, successfully convinced the Colonial Sugar Refining Company to call both
8330-592: The local community. They also provide funding for the Sugar Research Advisory Service, an independent organisation undertaking and reviewing research into sugar. Birkenhead, New Zealand Birkenhead is a suburb of Auckland , in northern New Zealand . It is located on the North Shore of the Waitematā Harbour , 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the Auckland City Centre . The area has been settled by Tāmaki Māori since at least
8449-521: The mid-1970s the Highbury Bypass was constructed, linking Mokoia Road to Onewa Road, without the need to drive through Highbury. In December 1926, electricity was first installed in Birkenhead, and in January 1934 water infrastructure was greatly improved. Having used water piped from Lake Pupuke until this time, the pipe pumped water from Western Springs to Birkenhead under the Waitematā Harbour, and
8568-474: The mid-1990s. The club reached the semifinals of the national Chatham Cup competition in 2008. Chelsea operates 24 hours a day, 5 days per week, and remains New Zealand's market leader in sugar products. Chelsea purchases bulk raw sugar globally, which is brought in by ship and processed and packaged at the Refinery. Sales offices and warehouses around the country aid in the distribution of 200,000 tonnes of sugar
8687-511: The mid-2000s. By the 2000s, Birkenhead Town Centre had developed a restaurant culture. In November 2010, the suburb was included into the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of the newly-formed Auckland Council . Under the council, Birkenhead is part of the Kaipātiki Local Board Area . Birkenhead covers 4.52 km (1.75 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 10,720 as of June 2024, with
8806-667: The mid-20th century, Birkenhead became a city on 15 March 1978, with a population of 20,000 people. In 1989, Birkenhead was merged into the North Shore City . North Shore City was amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010. Within the Auckland Council, Birkenhead is a part of the Kaipātiki local government area governed by the Kaipātiki Local Board . It is a part of the North Shore ward , which elects two councillors to
8925-634: The offices and golden syrup room at Chelsea Sugar Refinery, and working at the Kauri Point Armament Depot. The arrival of American troops in Auckland helped Birkenhead flowers, due to the increased need for fresh food and flowers. In the 1950s, Birkenhead was a semi-rural area of Auckland, with only the areas close to the Birkenhead Wharf having a suburban atmosphere. In 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened, which rapidly brought Birkenhead closer to Auckland. The North Shore wharves of
9044-463: The old Chelsea Village. These houses remain in Chelsea's ownership, but are now rented to private individuals. For the remaining workers, the company offered inexpensive housing loans, which financed the building of over a third of Birkenhead's new houses between 1910 and 1926, mainly in the streets surrounding the refinery, including Colonial Road (named after the original sugar company) and Huka Road (after
9163-500: The port are recorded by the Ports of Auckland and subject to Customs and MAF regulations. As the ships generally exceed 500 gross register tons (GRT), the ships require pilotage , managed by the Ports of Auckland's Harbour Control. Some of the land was in the ownership of the Ports of Auckland, and leased to Chelsea. In 1997, approval was granted for Chelsea to purchase the land,
9282-448: The preeminent writer of his generation. He suffered from alcoholism until the late 1950s. He converted to Catholicism and established a controversial commune at Jerusalem, New Zealand , in 1969. He was married to writer Jacquie Sturm . Baxter was born in Dunedin as the second son to Archibald Baxter and Millicent Brown and grew up near Brighton , 20 km south of Dunedin city. He
9401-475: The present New Zealand Sugar Company was formed to allow local autonomy. Wilmar International currently own 75% of the New Zealand Sugar Company, and Mackay Sugar own 25%. Work began on the new refinery in 1883, when 150 workers levelled the ground, reclaimed a natural lagoon, built wharves (by blasting bedrock), and created dams using two-thirds of the 1.5 million bricks which were made on site;
9520-583: The publication of local histories. As part of the company's interest in preserving its early heritage for later generations, it has entrusted its archives to the Birkenhead Public Library . These Chelsea Archives contain company records, including wage books, legal files, and share registers from throughout its history. The architectural and social importance of the site is recognised by Heritage New Zealand . The early factory buildings, manager's house, and brick houses have Category II listings, and
9639-477: The pā and Mana's people were spared during the conflicts between Te Taoū and Waiohua in the mid-18th century, and at the end of his life, Manaoterangi entrusted his people to Tuperiri and the iwi that grew to become Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei . By the early 19th century, the eastern headlands the Upper Waitematā Harbour , including along Oruamo or Hellyers Creek were some of the most densely settled areas of
9758-569: The refinery. In 1910, the Wragge Institute and Museum and Waiata Tropical Gardens were established in Awanui Street. Run by British meteorologist and spiritualist Clement Lindley Wragge and his Anglo-Indian de facto partner Louisa "Edris" Emmeline Horne, the gardens featured a wide range of exotic edible plants and palm trees, becoming a well-known tourist spot. The centre promoted the planting of palm trees around Auckland. In 1911,
9877-474: The remainder were used in the buildings. By 1884, the refinery was operating, and has not ceased its 24-hour operation since. Of the 150 workers who built the refinery, 100 remained to work in it once it was complete; most had migrated from Auckland and settled in the area. Some of the early machinery and equipment was imported from Greenock in Scotland ; much of this historic equipment remains on site, providing
9996-410: The revelations, describing them as "awful", "terrible" and "shocking". In The Spinoff John Newton wrote that it is no longer possible to talk about Baxter without addressing how Baxter thinks and writes about women. Paul Millar , a Baxter scholar and personal friend of Sturm, who had been appointed as her literary executor after her death, cautioned against reading the letter as turning Sturm into
10115-431: The significance of his religious experiences and conversion to Roman Catholicism. New Zealand poet laureate Vincent O'Sullivan wrote in 1976 that Baxter is an inherently New Zealand poet: "that is the proportion of Baxter's achievement – the most complete delineation yet of a New Zealand mind. The poetic record of its shaping is as original an act as anything we have." A common theme in Baxter's extensive body of writing
10234-535: The sisters. He proceeded to form a commune structured around "spiritual aspects of Māori communal life". It was a place where he felt he could embody both his Catholic faith and his interest in Māori culture. He lived a sparse and isolated existence and made frequent trips to the nearby cities where he worked with the poor and spoke out against what he perceived as a social order that sanctions poverty. His poems of this time, published in his final collections Jerusalem Sonnets (1970) and Autumn Testament (1972), have
10353-471: The site as a whole is recognised for its industrial heritage. As one of the largest complexes in New Zealand, and one of the few refineries in the South Pacific , it helped to established New Zealand as an economic force. Throughout its history, Chelsea has allowed the public open access to its significant grounds, which comprise wetlands, lakes, open space, and bush. To ensure the parkland -and its access-
10472-463: The site of a new sugar refining factory, after founder Edward Knox visited Auckland. The refinery was chosen due to Auckland's relative proximity to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji , and south-eastern Birkenhead was chosen as it was one of the few deep water anchorages of the Waitematā Harbour, and due to its proximity to the fresh water Duck Creek. The factory opened in 1884, and by 1888 had greatly increased production. The factory continues to be
10591-520: The strawberry harvesting season. In 1885, the Zion Hill Methodist Church was constructed, becoming a major focal point for social life in Birkenhead. The church visually dominated Birkenhead due to its position on the hill, and was a strong voice for the temperance movement , lobbying against hotels from being established in Birkenhead. The church and Chelsea Sugar Refinery were the two largest influences on life for Birkenhead residents at
10710-545: The time by the women. Lewis said: "This truth needs to sit alongside Baxter's literary achievements. It must be fully acknowledged and never glossed over. This is for the sake of women such as myself and for those who may not be able to find a voice as I have. As ever, in celebrating the genius of Baxter the artist, we cannot overlook the evils of Baxter the human being." Criticism of Baxter's poetry has generally focussed on his incorporation of European myths into his New Zealand poems, his interest in Māori culture and language, and
10829-479: The trust. In January 2019, the Victoria University Press published a collection of Baxter's personal letters as James K Baxter: Letters of a Poet . The collection was edited by his friend, John Weir. One letter in the collection revealed that in 1960, Baxter confided to another woman that he raped his wife, Jacquie Sturm, after she expressed low interest in sex. New Zealanders reacted with dismay to
10948-428: The turn of the 20th century. By the 1890s, Birkenhead became so well-known for strawberry farms that daytrippers and picknickers would travel to Birkenhead for the growing season. Growers were increasingly frustrated with the high cost of transporting fruit, and many began establishing canning and jam production operations. One of these operations was Thompson's, which began as a home operation in Birkenhead in 1898. By
11067-581: The wash house, where employers would be dismissed if they stopped working due to heat exhaustion. In 1901, the Sugar Workers Union was formed, pushing for safer conditions and a reduction to a 48-hour work week. In 1905, the Chelsea workers village was condemned. Following this, Chelsea factory management established the HAWE (Housing Assistance for Wage Earners) Scheme in 1910, where workers were provided with low-interest loans to construct or buy houses close to
11186-410: The worst of the houses were demolished; the rest were sold and shifted from the site. Some of the relocated cottages can still be seen in the older streets around Birkenhead, and the church, now known as St Peters, was moved to Verrans Corner (a local suburb). Desiring its core tradesmen to remain on site, in case of emergencies, the company built four semi-detached brick houses in 1909 on the site of
11305-428: Was Te Mātārae ō Mana ("The Brow of Mana"), a headland pā at Kauri Point in modern-day Chatswood , and Rongohau ("Wind Shelter"), the kāinga below the cliffs at Kendall Bay. Te Mātārae ō Mana was named after the ancestor Manaoterangi, who was the rangatira of the pā in the mid-18th century, and was likely constructed in the 17th century. The pā was of strategic importance due to its commanding view of
11424-464: Was Baxter's literary executor after his death. She collected and catalogued his prolific writing, arranged new and revised publications of his work, and negotiated the use and adaptation of his works. She set up the James K. Baxter Charitable Trust, which supported causes he had supported, for example prison reform and drug addiction rehabilitation programmes, and ensured that all proceeds of his work went to
11543-535: Was a Londoner and did not have ties to Liverpool. The first mentions in press of Birkenhead were real estate advertisements placed by Samuel Cochrane in June 1863. The Birkenhead area is primarily uplifted Waitemata Group sandstone, that was deposited on the sea floor during the Early Miocene , between 22 and 16 million years ago. Prior to human settlement, the inland North Shore was a mixed podocarp-broadleaf forest dominated by kauri . Pōhutukawa trees dominated
11662-464: Was a conscientious objector like their father and was detained in military camps between 1941 and 1945 for his refusal to fight in World War II . Between 1942 and 1946, Baxter drafted around 600 poems, saying later in life that his experiences as a teenager were painful but "created a gap in which the poems were able to grow". In 1943, Baxter's final year of high school, he wrote to a friend that he
11781-575: Was a location of great significance to Tāmaki Māori. The rock was the location where Te Arawa chief Kahumatamomoe placed a mauri stone (a stone of religious significance), naming the Waitematā ("The Waters of the Stone") after the mauri stone. The warrior Maki migrated from the Kāwhia Harbour to his ancestral home in the Auckland Region , likely sometime in the 17th century. Maki conquered and unified many
11900-477: Was aided further by the Auckland Harbour Board constructed a wharf in 1882, which was followed by a post office in 1884. The new wharf allowed orchardists in Birkenhead to better transport produce to the Auckland market, further helped by larger orchardists building their own jetties on Oruamo or Hellyers Creek in the north. In 1886, the Birkenhead and Northcote Fruitgrowing Association was formed. By
12019-406: Was appointed assistant master at Epuni School, Lower Hutt , and it was here that he wrote a series of children's poems published later as The Tree House, and Other Poems for Children (1974). Baxter and his wife had a daughter, Hilary, in 1949, and a son, John, in 1952. In late 1954, Baxter joined Alcoholics Anonymous , successfully achieving sobriety, and in 1955, he finally graduated with
12138-521: Was chosen due to the deepwater access, allowing a port to be built in 1884. Raw sugar came from Fiji , Cuba , Australia , Indonesia , and Peru for refining, and until the building of the Auckland Harbour Bridge , the finished products were shipped out from the wharf. All other commodities, such as coal, food, and mail, were also handled by Chelsea Wharf. This port continues to accept ships, generally handysize bulk carriers , delivering up to 30,000 tons of raw sugar. It remains private, but arrivals at
12257-485: Was considering becoming a lawyer, but was "not decided on it": "If I should find it possible to live by writing I would gladly do so. Yet many men have thought they could, and found it an illusion." In March 1944, at age seventeen, Baxter enrolled at the University of Otago . That same year, he published his first collection of poetry, Beyond the Palisade , to much critical acclaim. Allen Curnow selected six poems from
12376-480: Was constructed in early colonial Birkenhead. The name of the house was chosen by English immigrant William Francis Hammond, Forgham's son-in-law, in memory of Highbury, Hammond's parents' townhouse in Highgate , London. The highest point in the suburb is the hill in eastern Eskdale Reserve, which reaches a height of 98 metres (322 ft) above sea-level in the neighbouring suburb of Hillcrest . Māori settlement of
12495-495: Was during this time that he had his first significant relationship, with a young medical student, but the relationship ended due to his alcoholism. He wrote the collection of poems Cold Spring about this early failed relationship, but it was not published until after his death in 1996. In 1947 he met Jacquie Sturm , a young Māori student, who would later become his wife. In late 1947, Baxter moved to Christchurch where he continued working odd jobs. Although he did not enrol at
12614-449: Was established in 1884, and remains New Zealand's main source of sugar products (for both home use and for the food and beverage industry). This position remained even after New Zealand's deregulation opened the markets in the 1980s to foreign competition, and products are also exported overseas. The refinery also has one of Auckland's deepwater ports , with handysize ships importing raw sugar globally every six weeks. Throughout most of
12733-467: Was estimated by Baxter at about a thousand over the year. The five goals Baxter devised for the commune were: "To share one's goods; To speak the truth, not hiding one's heart from others; To love one another and show it by the embrace; To take no job where one has to lick the boss's arse; To learn from the Maori side of the fence". He was, however, reluctant to impose any kind of rules or work roster. The increased numbers of residents and visitors, and
12852-522: Was formed in June 1883 by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, the Victorian Sugar Company, and a number of prominent Auckland businessmen, including Sir Frederick Whitaker , Allan Kerr Taylor , LD Nathan (of Lion Nathan ), and AG Horton and JL Wilson (of Wilson & Horton ). However, a collapse in the world sugar market in the 1880s led the New Zealand Sugar Company to be re-amalgamated into its parent company Colonial Sugar in 1888. In 1959,
12971-543: Was later expanded to 450 acres (1.8 km). The site was ideal for a refinery: the Waitemata offered deep water close to shore for a port, and fresh water from Duck Creek, which ran through the estate, and land and timber for building purposes were plentiful. The name "Chelsea" was bestowed on the site by the refinery's first customs officer, who named it after Chelsea in England , his hometown. The "New Zealand Sugar Company"
13090-408: Was more overtly critical of New Zealand society, evident in the collection Howrah Bridge and Other Poems (1961). He was particularly concerned about the displacement of Māori within the country. In the late 1950s and 1960s Baxter became a powerful and prolific writer of both poems and drama, and it was through his 1958 radio play Jack Winter's Dream that he became internationally known. The play
13209-604: Was named after James Keir Hardie , a founder of the British Labour Party . Baxter's father had been a conscientious objector during World War I , and both his parents were active pacifists and socialists . His mother had studied Latin, French and German at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney , the University of Sydney and Newnham College , University of Cambridge. Baxter and his brother were not baptised, although their mother read to them sometimes from
13328-492: Was now a convenient place to live, so Chelsea sold more than 100 hectares of land for subdivision. This is the suburb now known as Chatswood and includes the Chelsea Sugar Refinery. Before the establishment of the sugar works, the area consisted of farms and orchards, with a small village beside Birkenhead Wharf; within four years of the refinery's opening, Birkenhead had become a borough . The burgeoning town grew up
13447-479: Was only in part a result of his secretly taking instruction as a Catholic.” Later in 1958, Baxter received a UNESCO stipend to study educational publishing and began an extended journey through Asia, and especially India, where Rabindranath Tagore 's university Shantiniketan was one of the inspirations for Baxter's later community at Jerusalem, New Zealand . In India he was reconciled with his wife and contracted dysentery . His writing after returning from India
13566-412: Was permitted to return to Jerusalem provided that only 10 people would be allowed to live on the land at any one time. The harsh deprivations Baxter adopted at this time took their toll on his health. By 1972 he was too ill to continue living at Jerusalem and moved to another commune near Auckland. On 16 October Baxter visited his long-time friend the artist Michael Illingworth and wrote his last poem on
13685-806: Was produced by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service for radio, and in 1978 was adapted for the screen by New Zealand filmmaker David Sims . The first half of the 1960s also saw, however, Baxter struggling to make ends meet on a postman's wage, having resigned from the Department of Education in 1963 and refused to take work as a schoolmaster. He also controversially criticised The Penguin Book of New Zealand Verse , an anthology published by his former champion Allen Curnow, for under-representing younger New Zealand poets. However, in 1966 Baxter's critically acclaimed collection of poems Pig Island Letters
13804-624: Was published in which his writing found a new level of clarity. In 1966, Baxter took up the Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago, which eased the money worries for a time. He held the fellowship for two years during which time he participated in protests against the Vietnam War . During the fellowship he also had a number of his plays staged at the Globe Theatre by Dunedin director Patric Carey. In 1968 Baxter claimed in
13923-592: Was strong criticism of New Zealand society. His biographer Paul Millar said: "If, at times, Baxter appears to evaluate New Zealand society harshly, his judgements are always from the perspective of one intimately involved in the social process." Baxter's use of te reo Māori has inspired both praise and criticism. W.H. Oliver described it as "often a cosmetic device, or worse, an earnest affectation". By contrast, John Newton noted that at least some Māori welcomed Baxter's engagement with their language and culture, and John Weir regards his use as "a genuine attempt at using
14042-478: Was that 4,755 (54.7%) people were employed full-time, 1,281 (14.7%) were part-time, and 216 (2.5%) were unemployed. The first local government in the area was the North Shore Highway District, which began operating in 1868 and administered roading and similar projects across the North Shore. From 1876, Birkenhead was also a part of the Takapuna Riding of Waitemata County ; a large rural county north and west of
14161-720: Was the longest pipe of its kind when installed. Farms in Birkenhead offered increasingly poor harvests through the 1920s, due to the soil being overworked. Farmers turned away from strawberries, growing crops such as pumpkins and tomatoes instead. By the 1930s during the Great Depression , many farms had become unprofitable. During these times, the Birkenhead Borough operated an unemployment loan scheme for residents, and relief workers worked on infrastructure projects including drain digging, clearing scrubland and improving roads. The last commercial strawberry fields were removed in
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