First Edition Wakefield’s with a special connection to Hawke’s Bay donated to Lions Annual Book Sale

Alan Harvey, one of the organisers of the annual Hastings Lions Book Sale with the First Edition New Zealand Illustrated printed in 1889. Photo / Warren Buckland

Members working toward the Lions Club Annual Book sale were delighted to find a “historical gem” with a special connection to Hawke’s Bay in the piles of donated books for this year’s sale.

The book that caused the fuss was a first edition Wakefield’s New Zealand Illustrated published in 1889 by A. D. Willis, founder of the Hawke’s Bay Herald.

The book is a chromolithographic book of towns and cities in New Zealand depicted at the time of publication, and includes the city of Napier.

More than 130 years later the book found itself anonymously dropped off at Alan Harvey’s donation shed in great condition for the 2023 Lions Club Annual Book sale this weekend.

Harvey said after he realised what the book was and its place in history, it would be sold for an appropriate price at an auction.

Hewould take the book along to the sale, which has been running for 37 years and has over 300 trestle tables set up at the Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings.

“I would need to make sure it’s got some security on it,” he said.

A similar copy of the highly collectable book is on sale at a store in Pahitua for $3677, and the book can sell for up to $6000.

Alan said it is not unusual for historical books to be donated as people who move into retirement homes no longer have space for the books and the families don’t want them.

Historical Books for sale in the annual Hastings Lions Book Sale. Photo / Warren Buckland

The book sale has had great success in previous years fetching, between $30,000 and $35,000, which goes back to the community.

Alan hoped this year’s sale would be a good fundraiser, with people in previous years lined up at 8am waiting to be let in.

“Every year I think there can’t be any books left in Hastings but the next year there are just as many again, so you wonder where they all come from.”

The book sale will be open on Saturday, from 8am to 4pm and Sunday from 9am to 3pm.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.