Title: Famous Times: Historic Woolsheds of Hawkes Bay
Author: Angus Gordon
Publisher: Matchstick Literary
ISBN: 978-1-4990-9915-7
Pages: 118
Genre: Nonfiction: Historic Architecture
Reviewed by: Thomas Macolino

Read Book Review

For anyone who is considering purchasing this book, do not buy the electronic version; purchase the hardcopy. Angus Gordon’s Famous Times: Historic Woolsheds of Hawkes Bay was not meant to be read on an iPhone or tablet. To do so would be, in this reviewer’s opinion, a waste of time. This book is a passion project, rich in history and rustic beauty. Reading it is akin to exploring a museum or leafing through a family photo album. Such projects require a presence and investment that electronic mediums do not encourage. While perhaps Famous Times:  Historic Woolsheds of Hawkeswould be too niche for many, the project’s focus and execution create a space for author Angus Gordon to excel, even to shine.

Famous Times is a book exclusively about woolsheds built over 100 years ago in the Hawkes Bay area of New Zealand (located on the southeast side of the North Island, also known as Te Ika-a-Māui). A woolshed, or shearing shed, are large buildings in Australia and New Zealand where sheep are shorn. The woolsheds serve, among other things, as shearing areas and storage for both the shorn wool and shearing equipment. Gordon details in his introduction the importance of pastoral farming to the history of Hawkes Bay, stating it was, “Once synonymous with wealth.” Now, many of the woolsheds in Gordon’s book sit unused, several decrepit beyond repair.

Yet Gordon’s book is not a portrait of a dying industry. It is a monument to a different age and the beauty of the relics it left behind. Sprawling pictures dominate each page, showing exterior photographs of the woolsheds, historical black-and-whites of the workers, and the occasional snapshot of the interior of a building. These photos are charming, showcasing not only the ancient buildings, but the gorgeous landscape around them. Nestled in between the pictures are succinct blurbs about each woolshed, detailing the year it was built and the history of the family who owned it, including the occasional interesting factoid.

Famous Times: Woolsheds of Hawkes Bayis an undeniably particular topic. Not everyone is going to be interested in old sheep shearing sheds in New Zealand. But if you have an interest in unusual corners of history or take pleasure in viewing scenes of pastoral tranquility, I think you may find this book well worth your time.