This is a much expanded version of a little book of family history Mary Woodward wrote in 1988, which picked up a wide readership around New Zealand amongst those with an interest in West Auckland history. Apparently, it's been popular again, and copies are hard to come by. It's easy to see why. The Bethell family have had a huge influence over the history of West Auckland since Frances and Mary Bethell and their seven children sailed from Plymouth in 1858. Pieced together from the memoir of John Neale Bethell, Frances's 6th son, (and Mary Woodward's grandfather), and enhanced by rich and thorough document and picture research, this delightful little book is essential reading for anyone interested in the colourful history of this area. It's extraordinary how much has changed in 150 years. Considering how much of the area was milled or cleared for farming, it's apparent how much has been concealed as the Waitakere Regional Park spread and grew - whole settlements have vanished, roads have become tramping tracks, and secret, isolated places are waiting to be discovered by a new generation of Aucklanders.