Editor Alan Admore produced the first edition in Christchurch, but by issue 2 the "magazine on alternative living" was being created in handmade fashion from his kitchen table in the Blueskin Bay town of Waitati.
Hocken collections assistant Mark Quarrie said Waitati was a "hotbed of alternative living" and the magazine was a fascinating glimpse of that time.
From 1974 to 1985 the magazine explored a vast range of topics, discussing everything from alternative energy and rubber tyre sandals to spiritual healing and sewage treatment.
Practical advice on mulching or alternative schooling sat beside more unconventional articles on dowsing rods and bio-rhythm calendars.
In an editorial in one of the first editions the process of creating the magazine was described as a "mushroom stew" of voluntary contributors who used "blood, sweat, and tears" to put together the magazine in Waitati before it was sent to Christchurch for printing.
The magazine captured the countercultural zeitgeist of the time and by issue eight the editors were asking readers to include a proper surname and mailing address when getting in touch because they had 1000 subscriber cards.
Hocken Collections team leader researcher services Judith Holloway said the library treasured having a complete collection of Mushroom magazine, which could be viewed at its Anzac Ave building.
Part of the library’s concern was to reflect New Zealand’s culture, society and history as it changed over time.
"We have lots of very mainstream materials that come in, so having those other perspectives represented in the collection is very important."
One of the valuable aspects of Mushroom was that it was a local publication.
"So you can look at the names of people who were involved with it and there are names that are known to us and from our community."
