The Reed firm was founded in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1911 by Alfred Hamish Reed in association with his nephew Alexander Wyclif Reed. In its early years Reed operated as a Sunday school and religious supply business and in the early 1930s it moved into publishing. The publishing side of the firm expanded quickly, taking advantage of the shortage of imported books during World War II. In the 1950s and 1960s A. H. & A. W. Reed issued a number of bestsellers, including books by Barry Crump, and became New Zealand's foremost educational publisher. In the late 1960s the firm was the largest publisher in Australasia. In the 1970s Reed had its head office in Wellington and branches in Auckland, Christchurch, Sydney and London. The firm published many popular non-fiction books that "celebrated a distinctly New Zealand way of life", including works in the fields of "back-country tales, books on sport, gardening, cooking and crafts" and illustrated books of "natural history and books of landscape photographs and painting". Books on Māori topics were one of Reed's specialities. In the 1970s faced growing problems of shrinking markets and increased competition. A. H. Reed Ltd was sold to Associated Book Publishers in 1983 and, with Methuen Publishing also part of ABP, became "Reed Methuen". After several more ownership changes, it became "Heinemann Reed" in 1988, and was renamed "Reed Publishing " in 1992. In 2007 it changed its name to "Raupo Publishing ". Raupo is Maori for bulrush, a type of reed. Raupo is currently an imprint of the Penguin Group.
Book series
Book series published by Reed included:
Know Your Garden Series
Mobil New Zealand Nature Series
New Zealand Art Series
New Zealand Profile Series
Pacific Writers Series
Pageant of the Pacific
Raupo Books
Reed Colourbook Series
The Silver Fern Series
Kiwi Pacific Records and Hibiscus Records
In 1957 A.H. & A.W. Reed began producing records "to support the company's Maori language, physical education and folk-dancing school texts". This division of Reed became known as "Kiwi Pacific Records International Limited" and is no longer part of the former company., nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 14 September 2019. Hibiscus Records is a division of Kiwi Pacific Records International Limited and has many Polynesia and Maori titles on CD, specialised in mainly authentic Polynesian music. There were many Maori and Pacific Island recordings released via Kiwi Pacific Records International Limited in Hastings New Zealand. A great deal of the recordings were produced and recorded by author James Siers. An example of James Siers work is Bora Bora – Island of Dreams by the Hotel Bora Bora Entertainers, released on Hibiscus HLS-22. Other authentic recordings are Western Samoa Festival Performers, The Festival Music From Western Samoa released on Hibiscus HLS-72 in 1976, and Western Samoa Teachers Training College – Samoa Song And Rhythm Hibiscus TC HLS-24 in 1972.
Selected releases
;EP
* The Beachcombers, Songs For Beachcombers – Hisbiscus Records HE.5
* Jerome Grey, Jerome Grey at the Intercontinental, Songs of Samoa – Hisbiscus Records HE.6
;LP "Adventures in Sound" Series, HLS-1 – HLS-6
Hibiscus HLS-1 – Cawaci-Loreto Combined Choirs – Echoes of the Islands
Hibiscus HLS-2 – Navuavu Village Entertainers – Fiji – Isles of Enchantment
Hibiscus HLS-3 – Ann's Betela Dancers and Drummers, Johnny and Alice Vahua, etc. – Rarotonga Festival
Hibiscus HLS-4 – Tongan Entertainers, Queen Salote College Choir, Tui Mala Group – Destination Tonga
Hibiscus HLS-5 – Voqa Kei Turaki – The Lure Of Fiji
Hibiscus HLS-6 – The Girls Of Matautu – Samoa Sings
Hibiscus HLS-11 – Talofa Village Entertainers – The Best Of Samoa
Hibiscus HLS-15 – Nawaka Village Entertainers – Meke Fiji
Hibiscus HLS-18 – Fiji Police Band – Pacific Brass
Hibiscus HLS-20 – The Fijians – The Rhythm Of Fiji
Hibiscus HLS-21 – Western Samoa Teachers Training College – Samoa I Sisifo
Hibiscus HLS-26 – Choir of the Western Samoa Teachers Training college – Samoan Songs of Worship
Hibiscus HLS-34 – The Beachcombers – Songs From A Paradise Isle
Hibiscus HLS-43 – Music From Rakavono A Fijian Folk Opera for Children, Presentation and performance by pupils and staff of Levuka Public School, Hibiscus
