Past and Present

The changes which time, the sea, and the unstable nature of the country have wrought at Sponge Bay are obvious in these two photographs—one taken in 1887, and the other a few days ago from approximately the same position.

The photograph at below is in the possession of Mr H. C. Nolan, of Sponge Bay, who is one of the children playing in the foreground. It shows Taumota Island (below), and also the island which later was removed for soil for harbour works. As far as can be judged the pictures were taken at the same tide level and this serves to accent the amount of erosion which has occurred in the intervening years.

The lower picture was taken in collaboration with the Gisborne City Council's engineering department, which was vitally concerned with the stability of the area in view of a proposal to make it the outfall for the city sewerage scheme.

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