75-year-old film footage of NZ discovered in California

Katie Pickles said the films weren't in great condition - but they were digitally converted.

Three films that were shot in New Zealand nearly 75 years ago have been discovered in a Californian garage.

The three films that captured life in early New Zealand have now been digitally transferred from an old 16mm reel and uploaded to You Tube.

University of Canterbury historian Professor Katie Pickles said the films were recently discovered at a garage sale in San Jose, California.

They had been produced by a mystery film maker and were labelled South Pacific Part Three - the whereabouts of parts one and two were unknown.

"Although they were in very poor condition, they were nevertheless digitally converted courtesy of The California Pioneers of Santa Clara County.

"The unknown photographer and his wife travelled throughout the Pacific region, including the North and South Islands of New Zealand."

She said the films featured various towns and cities from Auckland to Wellington via Wairoa and from Christchurch to Wahapo, near Whataroa on the West Coast.

Professor Pickles said she had shown the Christchurch section of the films to the second and third year history students at Christchurch University with support from the New Zealand Historical Association.

"The shots of pre-1950s Christchurch are such an invaluable record.

"The earthquakes have wiped out a lot of central Christchurch. This footage is a great treasure for the city and for all of New Zealand."

Professor Pickles said historians at the California Pioneers of Santa Clara county were hoping someone in New Zealand might be able to help provide the identity of the unknown visitor/photographer from California back in 1940.

The clips show:

-- New Zealand 1940 Auckland to Wairoa

-- New Zealand 1940 Wairoa to Wellington

-- New Zealand 1940 Christchurch to Wahapo