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Hilda McCarroll Bottle Collection

Locating and unearthing old bottles was a passion of Hilda McCarroll for over 50 years.

 

Many of these bottles were embedded in the sand and mud at nearby Pahi, Batley and Whakapirau. They were probably tossed overboard from the countless sailing ships that once plied the Kaipara Harbour. Hilda’s family often accompanied her on bottle expeditions. They searched at the sites of many houses, now long gone, which were built on the edge of the harbour. Taking a picnic lunch, they made a day of digging bottles, often stopping only when it became too dark to continue.

 

Hilda’s collection came to the Museum from her home in Taipuha in 2004.

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