John Stallworthy — Early Northern Wairoa

Dargaville, The Wairoa Bell and Northern Advertiser Printing Works, 1916. First edition. Paperback. A vanishingly scarce history of the New Zealand region, written and signed by a local Member of Parliament who loved his community. Early Northern Wairoa, a vanishingly scarce local history and handbook on the Northland region of New Zealand, written and signed by a local Liberal Member of Parliament and newspaper editor John Stallworthy.  Only one copy of this work is institutionally held in the UK, at the University of Oxford. In the publisher's original paper wraps, with Stallworthy's signed inscription to the title leaf. Contains local pictorial advertisements to the rear. A signficant local figure witihn his community, being both the Liberal Member of Parliament for Kaipara from 1905-1911, and a local Methodist preacher, Stallworthy writes his history as an ode to the region in which he grew up and spent his life. He touches upon Maori history, and delves into missionaries, settlers and local settlements such as Dargaville. Stallworthy became blind after his tenure in Parliament and learnt to write again using a typewriter. In the publisher's original paper wraps, with Stallworthy's signed inscription to the title leaf. Externally, mostly smart, with slight browning and sunning to wraps. The odd faint mark, and rubbing to the head and tail of the spine. Minor rubbing to joints. Small chips to wrapper extremities, and a couple of minor closed tears to top edges. Pastedowns are clean. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean Very Good . Ill.: None. Very Good .