BOOKS FROM GOSSON PUBLISHING
GRAND PHARMACIES
Mark Pacey
Covers the history of all the pharmacies in the Hastings and Havelock North areas that operated from 1881 to 1959. Pharmacists' roles during the World Wars, the effects of the 1931 earthquake, and modern photographs of the locations of these former pharmacies are also included.
Published 2015
FIRST FOR THIRST
Mark Pacey
Soft drink makers Gilberd and Company of Napier started out as a a small shed-based operation and became one of New Zealands's biggest and longest running soft drink firms. The factory closed in 1986 after 115 years serving the public.
Published 2018
BURRIDGE'S FAMOUS BREWERY
Mark Pacey
The first brewery opened in Masterton in 1877. Since then there have been a number of brewers and breweries, but only one of them was successful. Burridge's famous brewery covers the early failures through fires, bankruptcies and closures through to the introduction of prohibition and the troubles that came from being a brewery in a dry town.
Published 2020
GRAND PHARMACIES II
Mark Pacey
A history of the first chemists in Wairarapa from 1869 through to the early 20th century. Includes information of early medicines, tasks performed by the early pharmacist, how early chemists became qualified and a catalogue of embossed prescription bottles used by Wairarapa firms.
Published 2021
THE LOST WRECKS OF WAIRARAPA
Mark Pacey
The Wairarapa coast is treacherous and has claimed its fair share of ships. From the loss of the first Pākehā vessel, the whaling barque David in 1841, there have been many others that became wrecked here. While some were recovered and would live to sail another day, others were not so fortunate. The Lost Wrecks of Wairarapa tells the story of 78 vessels that found out just how dangerous this part of the country can be.
Published 2022
THE LOST WRECKS OF WAIRARAPA - LARGE PRINT
Mark Pacey
Large print edition of the Lost Wrecks of Wairarapa. All the same stories and a good selection of photos too.
The Wairarapa coast is treacherous and has claimed its fair share of ships. From the loss of the first Pākehā vessel, the whaling barque David in 1841, there have been many others that became wrecked here. While some were recovered and would live to sail another day, others were not so fortunate. The Lost Wrecks of Wairarapa tells the story of 78 vessels that found out just how dangerous this part of the country can be.
Published 2022
OUR NEW ZEALAND HOME
Mark Pacey
In 1943 two battalions of the United States Marine Corps camped in Masterton. From February to September this small New Zealand
town played host to the Americans. Many residents remember
these young men fondly and all said they had livened up the town that had been darkened by years of war.
Our New Zealand Home looks back at who these Marines were and where they had come from before they arrived in Masterton. The author visited many of the places they went to in New Zealand, making the same journey to see what is there now and if anything remains from the American visitors. Extensively researched, Our New Zealand Home tells the full story of this group of young men who called Wairarapa home for seven months in the middle of a world war.
Published 2023
MASTERTON'S MOMENTS OF GLORY
GOLDEN GAMES 1963
Mark Pacey
In 1963, Masterton Public Relations Officer Len Bergman came up with a great idea of how to bring tourists and recognition to the town. An ambitious sporting spectacle staged over two weeks consisting of 40 sports and talent from all over the country.
The Masterton Golden Games were the start of a proposed biennial festival which would help put Masterton on the map. From rugby to living chess and from local sportspeople to Peter Snell, the 1963 Golden Games were an event well worth celebrating and a proud moment of our history.
Published 2023
MASTERTON'S MOMENTS OF GLORY
GOLDEN GAMES 1965
Mark Pacey
The 1965 Golden Games were the sequel to the successful games from two years previous. Forty events were planned and this time we had international athletes taking part alongside local and national competitors.
The events continued the trend of being as varied as possible. From Brian Lochore leading a rugby team on one side to Len Bergman himself talking part in a game of motorcycle football, the games were a mix of serious and fun. Unfortunately, they were not as popular, and this would be the last Golden Games the public would enjoy.
Published 2024
WAIRARAPA STORIES
STORIES FROM THE WAIRARAPA
Mark Pacey
A collection of 75 stories that had previous been published in the Wairarapa Times-Age and written by Mark Pacey between 2017 and 2024.
Brought together in book for the first time, the topics are wide and varied. From murder and ghosts to three-legged dogs and grumpy sea elephants there is something to appeal top every reader.
Published in collaboration with the Masterton District Library this volume is exclusive to the library and is not available for sale to the general public.
Published 2024
ECHOES
A THEN AND NOW JOURNEY THROUGH
MASTERTON
Mark Pacey
Walking the streets of Masterton, one passes by a wide variety of buildings. How many of those have been around for 100 years and how many are more recent?
Like all towns, Masterton has seen its share of buildings come and go. Some to make way for progress and others taken by natural disasters and fires. But what did Queen Street look like in say, the 1900s? And how much has that street changed? Are there any of those buildings left?
Treading in the footsteps of the photographers from yesteryear, Echoes takes a stroll down the roads of history, taking seven photos from each decade of the 20th century and then finding out where the photographer was when they took the original photo and lining up the same photograph today giving a comprehensive visual representation of the changing face of Masterton over the years.
Published 2024