Charles Peet Dawes

Charles Peet Dawes (1867 – 1947), also known as Charlie Dawes, was an early New Zealand photographer. Based at Kohukohu in Northland, Dawes documented the communities of the Hokianga Harbour area between the 1880s and the 1920s, and was one of the few photographers who photographed the 1898 Dog Tax War.

While Dawes saw little recognition during his lifetime, his work became more prominent in the 21st century, forming part of the Drummond-Te Wake Collections of the Whangārei Art Museum. His photographic collections held at Auckland Libraries being added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Mahara o te Ao register in 2019. Dawes' work has been exhibited by Auckland Libraries, the Te Ahu Centre in Kaitaia and the Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi.

Early years

Dawes was born in Swadlincote, England in 1867. He arrived in New Zealand in February 1879 when his family emigrated from England. The Dawes family likely originally intended to settle at Timaru, however due to the Special Village Settlement Scheme of 1886 which provided leasehold land to settlers, the family moved to Kohukohu in Northland, where Dawes purchased land.

Career

Dawes worked various jobs in Kohukohu, including a mailman, carrier, night soil collector, farmer and orchardist. and Enos Pegler, who appeared to assist Dawes with connections for his images to be published in newspapers. Earle eventually left for Tutamoe, taking many of Dawes' negatives with him, but leaving large amounts behind. Earle was visited by historian Ron Halliday later in his life, who recognised the importance of the negative collection, which were later purchased by Northland historian Ben Te Wake. both of which were acquired by Auckland Libraries. The images collections span the final years of the 19th and the first decades of the 20th century.

Dawes' work was first exhibited at the Auckland Central Library in 2019. This was followed by an exhibition at the Te Ahu Centre in Kaitaia in 2021, which focused on photographs of Hokianga life during the 1890s, and by a 2024 exhibition at Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, focusing on images of the Dog Tax War.

Dawes' photographs are also held in the Auckland War Memorial Museum collections, consisting of 104 plates that had been purchased by Ben Te Wake from the owner of Dawes' property circa 1974.

Personal life

In 1901, Dawes married Jessie Allen (née Bryers), widow of William McIlreen Allen. Prior to the marriage, Allen had five children before she had been widowed. Allen had a further five children with Dawes between 1902 and 1908.

Gallery