Spot the Difference Game

Old photographs can show how much things have changed, AND how much they’ve stayed the same!

At MOTAT’s Walsh Memorial Library there are thousands of photographs that give us a glimpse into the transportation of the past.

Such as these images below from amateur photographer and transport enthusiast Peter Moses showing scenes of transportation during the 1970s in Aotearoa.

With bright buses, the Iconic Silver Star train and quiet suburban streets, these photographs show a different experience of public transport than we see in our busy cities today

Slides of transport around Aotearoa from Peter Moses Collection, PHO-2017-10, Walsh Memorial Library, MOTAT

Spot the difference

The first trolley buses in New Zealand were introduced in Wellington in 1934, and by the 1950s were also in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and New Plymouth.

Powered with electricity from overhead wires, at first trolley buses were more popular than diesel buses, working better in hilly areas and able to use existing tram infrastructure.

However, with technological developments petrol and diesel buses became cheaper and more cost-effective, meaning trolley buses were eventually phased out of service. Except in Wellington, where their popularity as an ‘eco-friendly’ transport option meant they were in use until 2017.

Activity

Using the slider, compare and contrast old and new trolley buses in the images below, seeing the changes in technology, streetscape, and style from 1978 to 2017.

Have a closer look at the differences in these images by spotting the eight differences in the before photo (left) and after photo (right). Can you find all eight? Answers are at the bottom of the page!

Spot the Difference, Challenge 1: