Issue No57 — Ephemera

As a nation, we are, I think, unusually good at amassing collections of weird shit. 

I particularly love KD’s collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia in Hāwera, Barry Bishop’s collection of John Deere machinery in Maketawa, Shirley Hazlewood’s collection of horse ornaments in Kaponga, Fred Butler’s collection of Taranakiana (now in the care of Puke Ariki), and Patsy Carlyle’s collection of Barbie dolls in Hellensville. 

I love them precisely because they’re useless – because their owners and custodians enjoy, as Walter Benjamin once phrased it, ‘a relationship to [the] objects which does not emphasize their functional, utilitarian value’; because they are, in other words, sheer labours of love. Perhaps for this reason, these collections occasionally become the subjects of our art: in 1986, for example, KD’s record room was photographed by Laurence Aberhart; in 2023, some of Carlyle’s dolls by Yvonne Todd. And yet, these collections rarely feature in our attempts to represent ourselves as a nation. Perhaps we prefer to think of ourselves as a strictly utilitarian people. Or perhaps the practice of stockpiling room after room with old stuff just feels too at odds with the popular image of Aotearoa (despite having been inhabited for more than seven centuries) as ‘a new country’. 

Over the course of his life, David Cameron (1933-2025) amassed a truly mind-boggling (and, indeed, scarcely unmanageable) collection of NZ boxing and wrestling memorabilia – photographs, magazines, autographs, posters, toys, books, and ephemera – all of it stored in his Birkenhead home and frequented by other enthusiasts and aficionados. In 2020, Cameron and his wife moved into a retirement village; unable, of course, to take the collection with them, they donated it to Auckland Libraries (who had precisely one week to sift through everything – i.e. my absolute fucking nightmare). 

‘King Pin’ – the latest free exhibition at the Central City Library – includes some of the highlights from the acquisition: a pair of toys depicting Dwayne Johnson as both The Rock and The Scorpion King, a signed photograph of Candi Devine posing with a tiger, a Woman’s Day double-pager entitled ‘How to look like Jimmy Thunder’. For many, though, the real drawcard here, the highlight of these highlights, will be Cameron’s scrapbooks – makeshift albums stuffed full of ticket stubs, programmes, advertisements, and newspaper clippings, organised either by year (one scrapbook is as old as 1951), or else by subject (one is devoted solely to Muhammed Ali’s 1979 trip to Aotearoa). They are both artefacts and art-objects, matter-of-fact historical documents and deeply personal journals – accounts, in other words, not only of the developments in boxing and wrestling over the course of the twentieth century, but of a hardcore fan’s undying love – and, indeed, consuming fixation. 

Certainly, that is where the weird brilliance of the ‘King Pin’ most precisely lies: in its hints towards obsessive hoarding, compulsive record-making, and unbridled fanaticism.

– Oscar

KING PIN runs till 6 March 2027 at Auckland’s Central City Library. 

Oscar Mardell is the author of DELIRIOUS NEW LYNN. 

By Jean

NEW OPENINGS

Somehow the people behind The Banker, Honey Springs and Breakfast Club have found the time to open a new fun-looking lunch place called KISS SANDWICHES in Ellerslie. I have to say, the sandwiches in question look a little alarming as far as portion size goes, although that could be down to the 0.5 influencer-zoom.

The Fable Hotel in lower Queen St is opening a slightly fussy looking English tearoom by day/chophouse by night called THE WINDSOR ROOM. There seems to be a push to faux upstairs-downstairs ponciness in some of the new openings lately.

A new outlet for Newmarket’s YES PANCAKES has opened in the spot where last year’s most mysterious and poetically named shop, Whimsical Blu used to be, next to the old Wendy’s on Queen St.

The new Farro in Newmarket is OPENING NEXT THURSDAY with goodie bags for the first 200 people through. Also if anyone was idly wondering, like we were, whether the Epsom branch just up the road from this is closing as a result, the answer is no they are going to run them both.

I guess we’ll likely stop reporting every new froyo place soon but in the meantime, despite our objections, CASA ACAI is opening Sunday in Browns Bay and doing free bowls for the first hundred customers.

EVENTS + NEWS

Heesun Lee came second in the Aotearoa Barista Champs this year and if you go to Atomic on Saturday or Wednesday you can TRY HER THREE ENTRY COFFEES while she talks through the whole thing for $50.

OOHFA is HAVING A SPRING PARTY on Wednesday with pizza by the slice, and wines from Black Estate, Halcyon Days, Huntress and Churton. 4pm onwards, walk-ins only.

Tuesday is Prego’s 40TH BIRTHDAY and they are doing some of their old dishes for 1980s prices on Tuesday only - if you have ever seen a 1980s menu you’ll know this is important to attend.

Tonight THE FROG TURNS ONE with cheap drinks to celebrate and honestly it feels like it’s been open a lot longer than that to me.

And finally, it looks like Everyday Coffee on Sandringham Rd has closed due to their building being sold. Bummer.

By Mike

One of democracy’s biggest pitfalls is its reliance on people to be sufficiently motivated to take part. Outside Australia, where the threat of a $20 fine / allure of an election day sausage sizzle propels turnout to 90%, many aren't. Worse for a system that promises everyone an equal say is that abstention is not equally distributed. Some 160,000 YOUNG ADULTS HAVE YET TO ENROL AHEAD OF THIS CYCLE’S ARBITRARY 25 OCTOBER DEADLINE: a third of NZ’s 18 to 24 year olds and equivalent to about 5% of all votes cast in 2023. Even assuming that the ban on election day enrollment doesn’t sink turnout this time around, fully 50% of this cohort, some 220,000 young people, over 75,000 of whom are in Auckland, will be unrepresented as things stand.

This is a failure of inspiration and hope, but is understandable when the vision expressed for Tāmaki and the motu by the two leading parties – essentially, a continuation of what’s not working – feels bleak. In the face of 12% youth unemployment, rising prices, sputtering consumer spending and economic stagnation, both main parties remain fixated on cutting the size of the state and reducing debt at the expense of meaningful investment that would create opportunity in Auckland and beyond. National is enthralled by cars, pledging to reinstate minimum parking requirements for new developments and doggedly still chasing their Mill Road corridor white whale while scaling back more central housing growth; Labour’s $20 public transport fare cap and 10% student debt relief are lost amongst a grab bag of policies that, absent a narrative, feel less than the sum of their parts. The Greens and Opportunity offer more substantial transformations to get behind, but can’t shift the status quo alone. As half of the next generation disengage with the system, at what point do we agree that something really does need to change?

Choice items from the liquidation sales of Auckland’s two-speed recovery.
By Simon

AN ACTUAL FIRE TRUCK
Current bid $8,100, Closes Tuesday
The Fire and Emergency people are often quite disparaging about the state of their gear, so if you’re buying this I would adjust your expectations accordingly.

HUMAN SKELETON MODEL
Current bid $40, Closes this morning
Lifelike, 180cm tall and just in time for Halloween!

THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF A BONG SHOP
Closes tomorrow.
Sad times indeed when even our weed stores can’t make a fist of it. Five pages of various smokers paraphernalia to click through for those of you in the market - but let me tell you, the bongs are ugly as hell.

785 TRAFFIC CONES AND VARIOUS ROAD SIGNS AND STANDS
Closes Friday week.
Official looking cones, speed limits, no turning, detour, road closed, stop on request and a lot more signs with stands and with the right devil-may-care attitude you could cause absolute havoc with the right collection of things from here.

UNDERWATER SCOOTER
Current bid $170, Closes tonight
James Bondish!

By Simon

THURSDAY 15TH

BEETHOVEN’S PIANO NO.4
Town Hall, From $57
The soloist at this show, Canadian pianist Sophia Liu, is making her Australasian debut and is extremely well regarded and has won many awards. Plus, she is 17-years-old, so depending on how you feel about child prodigies this show will either be completely amazing or unforgivably annoying. Also on the bill is Bartók’s ballet The Wooden Prince. Karl-Heinz Steffens is back to conduct again and it seems he may be clubhouse leader for the vacant music director job at the Auckland Phil.

DOUBLE POETRY BOOK LAUNCH
Open, Free
New collections release party for New Book by Liam Jacobson and Āta by Isla Huia! - both from Dead Bird.

FRIDAY 16TH

FESTIVAL OF DOLL ART
Western Springs Hall, $5
It seems likely that this show-and-tell event from the city’s dollmakers and collectors will have the strangest crowd of the weekend, split between earnest lovers of an artform being slowly forgotten and aspiring serial killers.

SMALL ROOMS BIG NOISE
Along Karangahape Rd, $30
Out of nowhere, what feels like an Others Way replacement minifest across seven stages in Whammy, Neck of the Woods, Small Rave and Button Factory featuring around 25 bands and DJs! 

LUCOLA
Goblin, Free
Nothing on this earth can prepare you for the mixed feelings of elation and confusion you get from seeing Lucola playing live – you should do it at least once in your life and this single release show for Drift is as good of a chance as any. Support from Sam Harmony and Timon Martin.

CHE FU & THE KRATEZ
Civic, From $90
It’s the 25th anniversary of Che Fu’s second best album, Navigator, and he’s playing it live with an overpowered support roster of Aaradhna, Betty-Anne Monga (Ardijah) and King Kapisi.

CAMO
Darby St Station, $75
The South Korean rapper/singer/autotune enthusiast is here, playing at Darby St and then also playing at the afterparty at Face Club at 1am (free entry with ticket to the main show).

SATURDAY 17TH

TĀMAKI UNTOLD: OPERATION POT BLACK
Central Library, Free
A talk with historian/researcher Leone Samu Tui on the 50th anniversary of the ICE-esque Operation Pot Black as part of the Dawn Raids under the Third National Government. (remember to check if you are registered to vote – you have till next Sunday to get it sussed).

EVEREST RACEDAY
Ellerslie Racecourse, Free
It’s free to turn up and watch from the Ellerslie Stand (you can also BYO food and drink and bring chairs and picnic rugs), but if you want to get into their problem gambler-themed lounges and bars you need to buy a ticket. There's also a singles event ($55) with a free drink on arrival and a hot chip happy hour (!), which is potentially a good place to meet and settle down with a wealthy reprobate.

PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL
Ferg’s Kayaks, $30
It’s hard not to be charmed by this mini film festival at the newly reopened Ferg’s Kayaks in Orakei with six films being shown on the night. And before you get pre-emptively annoyed about inclusion, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, packrafting and standup paddle boarding will ALL be represented.

SUPERFICIAL POP PARTY
Tuning Fork, $20

CHURCH PRESENTS HALLOWEEN
Neck of the Woods, $30
I remember thinking last year that the Church people were super early for Halloween AND THEY ARE DOING IT AGAIN. DJs TBA which I’m pretty sure happened last year as well. 

SUNDAY 18TH

CONSTELLATION CUP
Spark Arena, From $50
Game one of the four-game series for the Commonwealth games gold medallist Silver Ferns against the current Constellation Cup holding Australian Diamonds. 

TUESDAY 20TH

HILARY DUFF
Spark Arena, From $130
Lizzie McGuire is coming! Also, So Yesterday is still great. QUICK FACT: Her middle name is Erhard!

THE EGGYSSEY
Black Grace Fale, $40
If Tempo didn’t satiate your dance cravings, Black Grace’s Company B have this apparently Odyssey-inspired show running from Tuesday till October 31 at the new Black Grace Fale on Ophir St, which is sort of directly in between Art and Object and Tim Melville.

WEDNESDAY 21ST

ABANDONED CARPARKS
Whammy, $10
Christchurch-based slowcore band on tour in support of their new EP, Celica. Support from Clementine and Neither Do I.

RUTH BUCHANAN
Coastal Signs, Free
A new show from Ruth Buch as she starts wrapping up her Artspace Directorate, called Housekeeping. Runs till 21 November.