For Jenny Carlyon and Diana Morrow this is their second collaborative work delving into the history of Auckland’s iconic suburbs. Their first book Urban Village: A History of Ponsonby, Freeman’s Bay and St Mary’s Bay was published in 2008. Having focused on the older inner city they have this time set their sights on the most salubrious of the Auckland suburbs, Remuera, along with Meadowbank and St.Johns. 01 A fine Prospect: A history of Remuera, Meadowbank and st Johns by Jenny Carlyon and Diana Morrow (Random House NZ, 2011) pp 416 • rrp $55.00 They are both well qualified to undertake this task with their PhDs in History.

The introduction says “This history traces the nature of these communities; the traditions and institutions that have helped to define their identities, and the various factors both tangible and intangible, that have contributed to their evolution over time”. These are ambitious intentions as so much happens in suburbs from their inception to their present incarnations. Jenny and Diana have had to reign in the diverseness of this spread-out area by settling on particular aspects. They examine the establishment of churches, schools, and services. And of course the establishment of neighbourhoods that peopled the area.

The first chapter covers old Remuera, “Kãhore”. This was most interesting. I am reminded to my chagrin, how little I know of the pre-European Auckland. Sadly the authors could only cover this superficially because they have so much more to tell us. This I think is the weakness of the book. To do justice to all the stories that could have been told there could have been a book on the history of each the suburbs instead of trying to combine the three. Yes they are linked, but I was left in the lurch. I wanted more “back stories”. It is the detail, the foibles and the personalities behind the names that I want to discover. We are given a number of small stories, for example, stories of women who have showed immense fortitude and resourcefulness when their men died and left them with large families to rear. But I wanted stories of people who did not conform to the status quo of this most refined of Auckland suburbs.

If you are interested in the architecture of the suburbs there are many photos of the large gracious homes, some sadly gone forever. On the positive side it is wonderful to have many beautiful homes preserved and treasured. If you live in this area or are interested in our city history A Fine Prospect will be a useful addition to your library.