Editors Bruce and Trixie Harvey and author Marc Bonny (right) sign books at the launch.

Sunday 20 March saw a big crowd pack into the friendly Titirangi RSA for the launch of Marc Bonny’s book Titirangi Fringe of Heaven published by the West Auckland Historical Society.

Bonny’s book is the fruit of many years of  research and writing covering the early history of the settlement, stories of early families the Bishops and the Atkinsons, sports and services, buildings, arts, environment and so on. Other authors have added chapters on Exhibition Drive, architecture in Titirangi, and others. The task of pulling it all together went to editors Bruce and Trixie Harvey.

The second part of the book is a collection of memoirs, in particular those of Essie Bishop which I found so helpful when I was was writing about the artist, Cameron Johnson. Cameron has found his way into the book via two paintings that are reproduced  – one of the Titirangi Soldiers Church and the other of the “punky tree” – an old Titirangi landmark.

The cover has a gorgeous hand-painted lithograph of Titirangi from 1862 by Frederick Rice Stack reproduced from the original in the Alexander Turnbull Library. The book is $45 and is a great addition to the history of the West. You will find it in the Titirangi Pharmacy and Murray Grey’s Gone West bookshop in Titirangi.