Historical information

Before Mt Tarawera erupted, the Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana in New Zealand’s North Island, were considered one of the wonders of the world. Tourists came to soak in the thermal hot pools and view the marble-like terraces.

Due to a volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera On June 10 1886, between 108-120 people were killed and several settlements were destroyed. It also destroyed the world-famous Pink and White Terraces.

The terraces became a crater over 100 metres deep. Within 15 years it filled with water, forming a much larger new Lake Rotomahana. The chain of craters at Waimangu became the site of many new geothermal features, including Waimangu Geyser, the largest in the world, and New Zealand’s largest hot spring, Frying Pan Lake.

The Burton brothers (photographers), Alfred Burton was born in 1834 in Leicester and died in 1914 in Dunedin. His brother Walter Burton was born in 1836 and died in 1880.

Many of the Burton Brothers' works and original equipment were collected by Dunedin photographer and historian Hardwicke Knight, and are now housed in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.

This album was donated to the Ballarat School of Mines Museum by James Oddie in 1887. (See Cat. No. 458, No. 1720)

Alfred Burton was born in 1834 at Leicester and died at Dunedun, New Zealand, in 1914.

Walter Burton was born in 1836, and died in 1889.

Physical description

Large green album containing numerous B/W original photographs of New Zealand, especially volcanos. - Includes Pink and White Terraces (no longer in existance). Photos were taken before and after volcanic eruption.

A recent inclusion is article on the terraces by Federation University's George Hook and Stephen Carey.

Inscriptions & markings

Each photo has a caption.

Subjects