September 2012 - New Zealand Federation of Historical Societies Inc

Keeping in Touch
ewsletter for Z Federation of Historical Societies
Volume 6 Issue 3 September 2012
www.nzhistoricalsocieties.org.nz
Auckland Regional Day 2012
Hosted by
Mangere Historical Society
Well done Mangere Historical
Society for a marvellous day visiting
your area, a day full of heritage, reminiscences, friendship and lasting
memories. A small report, plus image
details, inside.
Calendar 2012
September—Wellington Heritage Month “Our Heritage—Our Stories”
29 September—14 October—Auckland Heritage Festival
14—22 October : Earnslaw 100th Birthday: To find out more about the TSS Earnslaw's 100th birthday
celebrations, visit - www.tssearnslaw.co.nz
19-22 October: Arrowtown 150th celebrations. http://www.arrowtown150.co.nz/
Helensville 150th anniversary celebrations
24 1ovember: 1Z Federation of Historical Societies seminar on Insurance at Mangere (details to be advised)
2013
Annual General Meeting and Conference: Dunedin, 5-7 April. More info to come.
Next issue due out December 2012
Contact Lisa Truttman (editor) : 19 Methuen Road, Avondale, Auckland 0600,phone (09) 828-8494
or email [email protected]
Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the NZ Federation of Historical Societies Inc.
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September 2012
1Z Federation of Historical Societies
2013 Annual Conference and AGM
5-7 April at Dunedin
Further information to come in the next issues of
Keeping in Touch and Z Legacy.
Auckland Regional Day 2012
11 August
Hosted by Mangere
Historical Society
With around 15 organisations represented, and an
attendance (so I was told that day) of about 50
people from historical societies and groups across
the region, on numbers alone the 2012 Regional Day
should be judged as a success. But it was much more
than just numbers filling a hall, spending time with
convivial chat and catching-up, enjoying our hosts’
splendid morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea (my
personal favourite being the soup).
Included in the day’s events was a bus trip around
Mangere district itself, from the St James Church (a
surviving Selwyn church on land granted by
Governor Grey to Maori in the 19th century as a
church and urupa, but also associated with the darker
side at that time of Maori-Pakeha relations), through
to land close to the Auckland Airport initially taken
by the airport company for expansion proposals.
Now, a relocated Westney Road Church and
Westney family homestead are neighbours to the
much-more modern and gentrified Abbeville house
and barn, all down Nixon Road named after one of
the Queen’s soldiers in the conflict that caused
division back at St James’ Church. Then again, the
Abbeville Estate farm was where a plane called
Kotare crashed in 1938, while the 20th century name
Abbeville features in stories of another town and
airfield elsewhere during a world war. Mangere is a
place full of connections like that.
Ambury Park, with spring lambs dotting the paddocks was a pretty hark-back to the district’s rural
past.
The host Society are justly proud of their heritage
research archive at the Mangere Town Centre, a
place where the visitor can spend a while to find out
more of the stories the district has to offer. We were
shown the Mangere Lawn Cemetery in passing, but
visited Mangere Mountain and its education centre.
In fine and kinder weather, the climb up to the peak
along palisades beckons. Below and on the roadside,
another piece of relocated heritage in the form of a
cottage associated with King Tawhiao intrigued us.
But it was still in the process of being prepared.
Time and again, as each visiting society representative rose to their feet to address their friends and
peers and fellow history enthusiasts that afternoon,
back at the hall — we all thanked Mangere Historical Society for their kindness, hospitality, and the
wonderful day out in the district.
Each and every expression of thanks, a welldeserved one.
Lisa Truttman
Images on front page (clockwise from top right):
Interior display, Mangere Mountain education centre; Anglican church, Mangere Town Centre;
Mangere Mountain and education centre; Westney
homestead; one of the displays at the Mangere HS
archives; and (centre) carved lintel in the Mangere
Society archives building. Photos by Editor.
From your Executive
Committee
The NZ Federation of Historical
Societies exists to be of use to members,
and KIT is its most important means of communication. Read it when it comes out, and if there is
anything more you think we should be doing to improve the service, let us know.
Some members have significant concern regarding
the difficulties and increasingly high costs of insurance. That is hardly news considering the insurance
problems world wide, but the Canterbury earthquakes have concentrated it in New Zealand. The
Federation is in the process of arranging a seminar
on this topic, with a speaker from the insurance
industry, and there will be details in this newsletter.
We are not in a position to take such a presentation
all over the country, and it will be held in Auckland
where there is a high number of member societies. I
think all of our members are aware of the limitations
imposed by the county’s geography on the service
we can provide, and we appreciate that the
Federation can be of greatest help when its members
meet regionally. It should be possible after the event
to give all members details of what is included in
such a meeting.
September 2012
3
Of course allied to insurance cover is what is probably more important, the response at the time to an
event like an earthquake, so we are looking to stepping up advice to members about providing protection for people and property in a Civil Defence emergency. We are all inclined to believe the importance
of this only after the event, and if anyone has the
secret of convincing us to prepare for it in advance,
please tell us.
To re-iterate, if there is an interest or need of any
such meeting, or there is anything else we can do, we
are more than happy to make the arrangements either
regionally or nationally. Keeping in touch is a two
way process.
Our next major focus is on meeting in Dunedin in
early April 2013 for an interesting weekend of conference and AGM. There is so much of historical
value and interest in Dunedin and Otago, whether
you know the area from past visits or you have not
been there before. Make it your late summer holiday
and you will be glad you have made the effort.
eil Algar
President
From the desk of the Secretary
The Executive recently met (following Auckland
Regional Day) at Kinder House, apart from the usual
agenda items I take this opportunity to up date members on several important topics.
Historic Places Trust, with the advent of the proposed New Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
Bill (submissions closed on the extended date of
17th August): we decided in the interest of keeping
in touch and abreast of the proposals to join Heritage
Aotearoa. Our thoughts are that united we stand
divided we fall, and we have a major responsibility
to our members to keep ourselves and consequently
you informed.... watch this space.
A positive was in our approach to address the ethnic
development of other cultures in New Zealand (their
new environment) and how it may affect our history.
After a meeting with the Human Rights Commission
we have been accepted into the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme. (info at www.hrc.co.nz)
Members experiencing activities in their local area
with other ethnic groups are encouraged to share
their actions. Please advise the Secretary.
In the name of Historical Tourism the Secretary is
developing a prototype project planning document in
an endeavour for the knowledge and experiences
held within our membership be 'tapped' for the benefit of all local communities and duly recognised.
This has been taken up by Placemaking New Zealand and they are working with Matamata Historical
Society on what we hope can be something we can
offer other historical societies doing great community developments.
We continue in our efforts to work with Museums
Aotearoa and understand the loss of the Heritage
Trails organisation may be past recovery, any ideas
the Secretary would welcome.
One Question : Does your Society/Museum have a
welcome sign entering your town or city? Please let
me know. [email protected]
Obituary
Diana Stuart – Masters
(27 April 1933- 8 September 2012)
Diana was on the Federation Committee for a number of years serving it more particularly when the
committee was based in Auckland with committee
meetings being held at Papakura. She did attend
several national conferences.
Diana was born in Auckland, living on the North
Shore for much of her early years, attending Narrow
Neck School and Takapuna Grammar School. She
also spent time at a school in Christchurch, the
home of her maternal grandparents. Her grandmother came to Canterbury, as a child, on the ship
Jessie Osborne in 1875. On this maternal side was a
family with strong socialist principles mixed with
Presbyterian background, all liberally applied. (Her
uncle, James Thorn, was an editor of the famous
paper, The Maori Land Worker.) It was further enhanced when Doris Thorn, Diana’s mother, married
Jack Wein, a man of Polish Jewish origins.
Her interest in history came from her school years
and was actively pursued for most of her life. After
university she took up a career in nursing, graduating in 1955. Soon after this she went to England
finding a place in a London hospital. Before her
eventual return to New Zealand she served on a kibbutz and undertook a survey for the World Health
Organisation in parts of Israel. After marriage (in
Melbourne) and with her two children growing up
she returned to Auckland Hospital to become a nursing tutor in the School of Nursing.
Beside the Federation Committee, Diana also was a
member, and on the committees, of several history
groups such as, Auckland Historical Society (also
President at one time), Ewelme Cottage
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September 2012
Management Committee, NZ Historic Places Trust
Regional Committee (and was editor of the newsletter); the NZ Federation of Historical Societies;
Auckland Medical History Society; Waikato
Historical Society; and Ex-Nurses Association. Her
membership of the Friends of the NZ Ballet, and
U3A, was held in Auckland and Waikato. In 1973,
as a member of the NZ Folk Lore Society, she
helped transcribe graffiti found in the Waihi Police
Station lock-up cells. Another activity enjoyed in
later years was acting as guide on historical tours to
Sydney and Tasmania, and on Auckland street
walks.
Membership of the Friends of ‘The Elms’,
Tauranga, continued her interest in Celia Brown,
who had lived there, (later Mrs John Kinder) and her
sister-in-law, Maria Ellen Kinder (nee Wood). Both
these interesting women were the subjects for biographical talks which were later published. Diana’s
major effort was as a joint author of the history of
Auckland nurses. Diana gave talks at all the historical groups she belonged to both in Auckland and the
Waikato.
There is so much more in her life that could be recorded and we are fortunate that we knew her.
Condolences have been extended to her family and
members of the Federation were present at her
funeral in Hamilton.
John Webster.
Welcome to
our 1ew Members!
Coromandel Heritage Trust
Puketapapa/Mt Roskill Historical Society
annual fair incorporating the 5 year anniversary. With this will be the unveiling of a new
display for the museum of Len Shaw’s railway
models which he built painstakingly through the
years, mostly using his memory of long visits to The
Catlins. As well a new edition of Those Were The
Days, stories from past and present residents,
will be on sale. The Catlins Area School Kapa
Haka will perform and the usual fun of the fair activities – stalls, chocolate wheel, barbecue, coffee –
will be on offer.
“A new exhibition of the popular paintings from the
South Otago Arts Society will be in place for the
summer season, and work is planned for a new series of local identities. Students from the school
with their art teacher have photographed and interviewed people of the district and it has been such a
popular display that a further group of people have
been identified.”
Helensville
The Society received news on 9 August that an
application to the ASB Community Trust for a grant
of $80,000 for the Helensville Archival Building
Project was successful. According to the Society’s
newsletter: “Work on the project will start as soon
as possible. Stage 1 will be to lower the building on
to its permanent foundations, and build the entrance
ramp and steps. Stage 2 will be build the special
archive room onto the north side. This area will be
fire proofed, heat controlled, air conditioned and
fitted with special archival storage units for the
original books, papers, photographs, clothing and
other exhibits.”
Additional funding will be required to complete the
project, including a reception area for accessions,
toilet facilities and a study area.
Kaikoura
Kinder House Society
Couldrey House Society
Society News & Views
Catlins
Received via email from Carolyn Deverson (of the
Catlins Historical Society).
“It is five years at Labour Day weekend since the
new Owaka Museum, Wahi Kahuika the meeting
place, opened. After seven years fund-raising,
designing and building the Museum was opened by
Dunedin MP Pete Hodgson on Saturday October
20th, 2007. This Labour weekend we will hold our
In the Society’s August newsletter, a special school
holiday programme hosted by the Society is
described.
“As part of the Sports Tasman Holiday Programme
we hosted a group of 30 children plus 6 adults early
in July. We decided to go back in time, they had to
do without electricity. We lit a couple of candles
and turned out the lights while talking to the children about doing everything without electricity. We
told them how they had to light a fire to get hot water, and also to do the cooking … After questions
and answers we moved on to games and the different things we made and/or used for entertainment
when young.
September 2012
5
“They played marbles, made tractors out of cotton
reels with a piece of candle, and a rubber band,
made clip clops out of paua shells (we hope the parents all enjoyed the noise they made when they took
them home), knitting, made rats tails (French knitting), put some Meccano together, paper puzzle,
knuckle bones, and old fashioned scrap booking.”
tage retention and acknowledgement, produce a
digital newsletter, take part in the Auckland
Heritage Festival (second time this year), attend
Auckland Regional Gatherings (second time this
year as well) and hold regular Society meetings in
the district. Just recently, they’ve also joined the
NZ Federation of Historical Societies. All this
within just over a year.
Kapiti
Queenstown
In their September 2012 newsletter, the Society
reported that the Kapiti Heritage Trail has now been
restored, with signs renewed and four Heritage Trail
brochures produced.
This year the Society have published Edith Cavell:
a bridge and bravery, by Danny Knudson. I’m not
sure what the price is (I have seen prices like $17$18 online already), but I’m sure the Society
would be able to provide more information (see ad
for their calendar in this issue).
From Kapiti Coast, State of Environment Report
(1999), page 34:
“The Kapiti Coast has a heritage trail that highlights
27 historic sites and events in the District. The trail
was initiated by the Kapiti Historical Society and
the Kapiti Coast Promotion Council, and assisted by
the Otaki and Waikanae Historical Societies.
“The sites include historic battle grounds, sites of
Maori villages, historic churches and plaques relating to health camps and the origin of health stamps.
The trail can be followed by a system of signs and
descriptive plaques and will eventually form part of
a nation-wide trail.”
Otahuhu
On 1 September, the Society in conjunction with the
Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board held a celebration
lunch to mark the centenary of the formation of the
Otahuhu Borough Council. Around 160 Otahuhu
residents attended, with the Auckland Council
Mayor Len Brown as a special guest. Patron of the
Society Brian FitzPatrick spoke about the thirteen
Otahuhu Mayors from 1912 to 1986.
Puketapapa / Mt Roskill
Your Editor is at present one of the committee
members on this new historical society here in
Auckland. For a very young Society (incorporated
only last December), I must say the team led by
Garth Houltham have hit the ground running, as it
were. The Society has appeared in articles published
in the local community newspaper, as well as the
regional Aucklander, regarding Garth’s “Roskill’s
People” database project, along with a number of
campaigns and research projects aimed at preserving
what remains of examples of Mt Roskill’s heritage.
Among these: the former Mt Roskill Fire Station,
and former Mt Roskill Borough Council offices.
The Society has appeared before the Puketapapa
Local Board giving presentations in support of heri-
This softcover 64 page book describes the bridging
of the Shotover River at Arthurs Point, the current
bridge completed in 1919. An elderly gold miner
named Jack Clark took it into his head that the
bridge be named after Nurse Edith Cavell, executed during World War I. To this end, he painted
in large red letters on his fence “To Cavell
Bridge”, and used white bridge to dub the bridge
itself “EDITH CAVELL BRIDGE.” As the book
says, by the time the paint faded, the name was
adopted.
September 2012
6
South Otago
Received by email from the Society.
The Sam Perkins tribute.
During the early preparations for the Gabriel’s
Gully 150th celebrations it was recommended that
other communities in the Clutha District investigate their own historical gold rush milestones that
could, in turn, be celebrated. Sam Perkins was
selected to represent the Lower Clutha and the day
of the 2012 Clutha Leader Big River festival cho-
sen as the date.
Following the historic precedent of the 1861 false
gold rush to Mataura, a tribute was planned to run
a cavalcade from Mt Stuart to the Clutha River in
conjunction with the annual raft race. The primary
goal at this point was to get actors, representing
Sam Perkins and his mob, to Balclutha in the spirit
of the gold rush. Eventually this resulted in three
decorated in gold rush fashion by theatrical and
historical society members. Renowned Dunedin
director Evelyn Mann offered her services and
crafted the Perkins text from the museum into a
theatrical production called “the demise of Sam
Perkins”. The original Sam Perkins song written
for the event by musician Phil Garland was to
become the final curtain call for what had become
a twelve hour day for some.
While the cavalcade was originally intended to be
an advertised event with many riders and walkers
the tribute run of pack horses that eventuated was
very well received. Trail boss Alf Bradfield and
the small band of riders (pictured above) all agreed
they enjoyed the Fella burn component so much
they would like to do it again next year. The use of
the Hillend hall during the cavalcade also created
great interest from the local community, who got
into the spirit of the occasion on the day. The heritage raft powered by the actors and cavalcade
riders, using shovels as paddles, did not win the
race but was given the prize for best heritage craft.
It delivered the crew safety to Balclutha in time to
play their role in the theatrical reenactment of the
thrashing of poor Sam. An enthusiastic group from
the community had hired period costumes and, in
conjunction with the display of gigs and buggies
from the museum, created an enjoyable celebration
of Clutha Heritage.
More on Bishop Monrad
Kia Ora, Neil, Lisa and others,
Clutha District organisations taking an active role
in an annual event. With the Clutha Leader Big
River festival as a venue, predicted to attract a substantial audience, community theatre was prepared
and original music scored especially for the occasion.
A completed raft was donated for the occasion and
I was interested to read of Bishop Ditlev Gothard
Monrad in Keeping in Touch, May 2012. I had not
long ago read something about him in Heritage
Matters (which has sadly just shut up shop) and I
wrote about him to a message board which has
British and Danish people, beginning (in keeping
with what you said about the different cultures we
are not fully conscious of): “Lots of people have
come from overseas to make an impact on New
7
September 2012
A 90th birthday party
for
rail survivor
at Pleasant Point.
On 18 August 2012, Pleasant Point Museum &
Railway celebrated the 90th birthday of their
Ab699 locomotive. From the Timaru Herald,
17 August.
“Society president Bryan Blanchard said although the engine doesn't qualify for a card
from the Queen, members were planning a
royal-worthy reception tomorrow. The public
would have the chance to ride two night trains,
departing from Pleasant Point railway station at
both 8pm and 8.30pm ...
“Mr Blanchard said although the engine was 90 years old, it still ran like a 20-year old.
"It's one of the few steam locomotives to work in South Canterbury and avoid the scrap heap," he said. "It
might seem like there are plenty of steam engines left in New Zealand, but when you look at how many there
were, they're actually pretty rare."
The engine entered service in 1922 and worked throughout the North Island before being shipped to the South
Island in 1958. Mr Blanchard said of the 141 Ab-classed engines that were made, 699 was one of only seven
left.” (Images courtesy Bryan Blanchard)
Zealand society, but recently I read of one from
Denmark born 200 years ago this month. He was
treated as a celebrity (no wonder – ex-PMs didn’t
come to live in New Zealand every day). He settled
in Manawatu in the North Island, buying land where
Palmerston North would soon become. Two of the
sons were given free land after serving in the militia,
and the first grandchild born in New Zealand came
in September 1866.”
Apart from his own life, some of his descendants
had a strong impact on New Zealand life and its
economy. His sons remained farming in New Zealand till the death of Viggo’s wife suddenly, leaving
7 children, from 18 to 3 years old. Viggo returned
to Denmark and stayed there but two of his sons
returned within a year and divided the farm after
their marriages. In 1883 one of them imported the
first newly invented cream separator from Denmark
and its arrival was an important step in the modernisation of the New Zealand dairy industry. But soon
after
that
the
family
left
for
America.
And a while ago I wrote the following to the same
messageboard: The other day a group of people
riding penny farthings came into town on their way
to Victorian celebrations in Oamaru, about 3 hours
from here. Three of them were riding what were
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September 2012
called Dursley Pedersen bikes, an odd triangular
shaped bike. They happened to tell me that the
chassis was invented by the same man who invented the cream separator and that rang a bell in
my head re Bishop Monrad who I wrote about quite
recently. I thought originally his descendant had
invented it, but it was that he had had it brought to
New Zealand for the first time.
One of many fascinating stories of the people who
made up early New Zealand.
When I went looking for more information on this,
I found a fascinating story about the inventor
Mikael Pedersen. He was a farm boy whose
interests lay in engineering and invention. He came
to Britain with his second wife in 1905 and lived
there, inventing the triangular bike (which I was
told was modelled for its shape on the Forth
Bridge) and other items. The bike was only moderately successful, though it made riding more
comfortable.
Other Organisations
Carolyn Deverson (of the Catlins Historical Society, but writing on my own behalf)
The following is a compilation of emails received in
May this year from Vanessa Grant.
My name is Vanessa Grant, I am a New Zealander
residing in Tasmania. I have recently become
involved with the work of Ian Evans of the University of Newcastle.
In 1920 he returned to Denmark and died, more or
less forgotten, in an old people’s home. He was in
a pauper’s unmarked grave till his body was exhumed and brought back to Durnsley in 1995. I
found his story quite fascinating. This site gives a
fairly abridged version of what I read on another
site.
The work concerns the deliberate concealment of
every-day objects in hard to reach places within old
houses. Most commonly shoes, clothing, or mummified cats and they are found most frequently
bricked/plastered into chimneys, walls and under
floors near chimneys and in attic crawl spaces or
drop spaces on either side of chimneys.
http://www.dursleyglos.org.uk/html/dursley/
industry/pedersen/pedersen.htm
We are in the process of trying to see how widespread this practice was. At present we believe it
was very widely practiced and any New Zealand
finds will add to what we know.
Bishop Monrad advocated religious freedom in
Denmark, despite being a bishop, and school reforms, and also worked on a new constitution. In
New Zealand the family became friendly with the
local chief Te Peeti Te Awe and learnt Maori
[although modern-day people complain about
European taking over Maori land and oppressing
them a surprising number learnt Maori, understandable in the early days, but surely not essential by
1866. In the book about immigrants in 1842 I am
reading some of the men on board learnt Maori
from the Maori seamen on the ship].
They established a garden and grew tobacco to
ward away mosquitoes. Other Danes arrived.
Maori attacks in 1868 forced them to leave
Manawatu and one of the first of the young with
them was fatally killed by a lone mere-wielding
Maori. They went to Wellington and from there the
elder Monrads returned to Denmark, leaving a
collection of 596 drawings and etching by some of
the great masters, most of them now at Te Papa
(New Zealand National) Museum. He had another
stint as bishop and as a parliamentarian, remarried
aged 64 after the death of his wife and died in 1887.
Being a New Zealander I tend to come back from
time to time and could visit some sites in person.
However so long as finds are well recorded by
someone at the site of the find we can add them to
the body of research. Most finds are either kept by
the home owner or donated to local museums.
One find from New Zealand has already been
brought to Mr Evans’ attention, but with over 100
and rising in Australia, and many appearing in the
US and of course England where the practice seems
to originate it is anticipated that may more will
come to light as old houses are renovated or destroyed.
I hope this will be interesting for you, I know as a
keen arm chair historian it caught my attention dramatically.
For more information, and how you can take part:
http://www.oldhouses.com.au/
http://newcastle-au.academia.edu/IEvans
September 2012
9
From Queenstown and District Historical Society
Our 2013 Calendars
On Sale Locally & by Mail Order
The 2013 calendar consists of hand-tinted postcards of the
Wakatipu printed in the early 1900s. So this time every picture is
in colour.
They are an unusual combination of photo and painting.
The A4 calendars are perfect gifts for posting, and are our main fundraiser.
Price: $15.
Available in Arrowtown at the Museum and Village Dairy; in Queenstown at PaperPlus; in Frankton at Summerfields Pharmacy; and at Remarkables Park at Hamills Restaurant.
Mail Orders: $17 (to include postage)
Send orders with return address to:
Historical Society Calendar Sales, P.O.Box 132, Queenstown
10
September 2012
Wellington Region
Heritage Month 2012
The Launch of Heritage Month 2012 (Our HeritageOur Stories) for the Wellington Region Heritage
Promotion Council was executed by the Mayor of
Wellington Celia Wade-Brown on Saturday 1st
September to an audience of enthusiastic members
including our Secretary (and past executive member) Neil Curgenven at the Von Kohorn Board-room
in Museum of Welington City and Sea Queens
Wharf. on Jervois Quay.
President Phillip Vallance welcomed members and
Vonnie Nunns Chair of our hosts the Wellington
Historical & Early Settlers Assn, introduced Guest
Speaker Judy Siers.
Judy with current Mayor Celia was elected onto
Wellington City Council in a by election in 1992. At
the time, they recalled, Heritage, Historical things
and the like were like swearing but the Council did
buy into the heritage trails and these have recently
been reviewed. Judy was pleased to acknowledge
how Heritage items are now included in all council
activities and reports.
Judy also presented her draft (under review) of the
100 year history of the Wellington Historical and
Early Settlers Association, the launch of this book
will be on the 27th September and mentioned one or
two relevant extracts to the gathering before passing
over to the Mayor to "do the honours"
A list of the month’s activities can be found at
www.wellingtonheritagepromotions.org.nz
FitzGerald’s Town: Lincoln in the 19th Century by Neville Moar (self-published 2011, softback 194 pages. $30 + p&p)
From the back cover: “FitzGerald’s Town tells the
story of Lincoln and its first forty years from foundation in 1862 to about 1900. It discusses early
business activity, the efforts of the farming community to improve their lot, the development of infrastructure, and its impact upon the village and district. This is the story of those who lived there, of
the churches they built, the organisations they supported, the games they played and the tragedies
they shared.”
Punctuated with photographs and maps, and with
each chapter complete with list of endnote sources,
this is a lively and informative addition to the resources available on the history of Canterbury.
Available from the author ([email protected]) or
from Manaaki Whenua Presss at Landcare
Research, P O Box 40 Lincoln 7640.
Do YOU have an important event coming up in
the next 12 months (or longer)???
SHARE THE MESSAGE
If this issue of Keeping in Touch came to your society
by email, why not forward it to others in your society
so they can read it too?
Society webpages on the
Federation website
Interested in having a web page on the
Federation’s site? Contact Wynne HaySmith
([email protected]) or the Editor for more
details.
Let us know, so we can include YOUR EVE1T
on the newsletter calendar.
1Z Federation
of Historical Societies
Publication Loans Scheme
Don’t forget: if your Society needs that extra bit of
help in ensuring your research book makes it out
there before the public, the Federation does have a
loans scheme to assist. Contact our Secretary 1eil
Curgenven, PO Box 1625, Paraparaumu Beach
5252 , or email: [email protected]
11
September 2012
"Hospital on a Hotspot" by Susan Butterworth - a book published on the history of
QE Health
"This warmly written warts and all account of
Rotorua's Queen Elizabeth Hospital by Susan
Butterworth makes a refreshing change to many
pallid historical works.
... From easily accessible documents, the author has
stitched all the nuggets and minutiae into a splendid
whole, often drawing necessary and correct conclusions."
Book review by Phil Campbell, "Rotorua Review"
02 May 2012
As a guideline, and as this is a frequently asked
question, koha has usually been anything from $10 $30. Postage costs are $6.00.
Enquiries and orders to be addressed to:
Secretary, QEH Community Trust, PO Box 1342,
Rotorua or email [email protected]
End Thoughts
The myth of “life in the 1500s”, outlined by the
editor in the previous issue of Keeping in Touch,
merits the question of, “how did all the statistics of
that era come to be compiled and knowingly kept
for reference in the 21st century?” Stay clear of such
“facts”.
After almost two decades of being involved with
historical groups, and the general public, I feel one
of the worst habits we have is of generalisation on
almost on all aspects of our past. I found, unfortunately, teachers to be culprits of misplaced information, although estate agents probably beat them at
the game. Here is a random collection of what I
mean.
Early settler pakeha males who married a Maori
female did not always marry a “princess” – if this
were so what did no early female marry a “prince”?
In central Auckland there is no Princess Wharf or
Street – it is Princes, with or without the apostrophe.
Governor William Hobson, and his wife, were never
‘Sir’ and ‘Lady’ – and he was not the ‘Governor
General’ – Hobson was Lieutenant-Governor firstly,
then Governor. Governor-General did not start until
1917.
“Caring for Antiques. A basic conservation
workshop”
It is wrong to believe that “all the early settlers”
returned to England after several years here, and not
all the early settlers came from England anyway.
at Highwic on Saturday 6 October 2012 from
10.30am to 3.30pm. The workshop is taught by
Madelaine Abey-Koch. Madelaine is a conservator
specializing in preventive conservation and has
worked - among others - for the National Trust in
England, English Heritage and the British Museum. Places are limited and we are taking bookings now.
The settlers did not have to bring “everything” with
them – the ships would not have had the room for
the assorted household goods, plus the house.
Christiane Pracht
Visitor Services
Co-ordinator
Highwic and Ewelme
40 Gillies Avenue
Epsom
P 09 - 524 5729
F 09 - 524 5575
www.highwic.co.nz
Opening Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday
10.30am - 4.30pm
In old family photos those females dressed in black
dresses, with white aprons and white caps, are not
necessarily the servants. When you see photos of
your ancestors taken in their old age wake up to the
fact that they didn’t look like that when they arrived
years before.
If it were true that in “those days” everyone had
servants, I ask “who were the servants of the
servants?” Every family in the past was not large –
despite Alfred Buckland’s 22 children.
It is wrong to suppose that “everyone” “in the old
days” wore black clothing and never smiled, especially when being photographed.
Household goods such as chairs, tables, settees, etc,
were not, as claimed “made to last in those days”. If
they were why do we need to buy such items now,
as surely there must be a plentiful supply left. And
where are all the things “made to last”? Even now
some tradesmen make things to last.
I’ve lost track of the number of houses in Auckland
which were the home – “for several years” – of
Bishop Selwyn; John Logan Campbell; George Grey
and numerous other well known individuals. A
remark that Campbell had a house at Onehunga at
which he kept a slave has to be treated as suspicious.
The British Army was known by their individual
regimental name, and not as “The Redcoats” which
was a colloquial expression among the population.
It is wrong to suppose that sewing machines “were
only invented in the 1900s”; that everyone up until
the 1940s had to make their own butter; that the
Auckland Harbour Bridge, the Sky Tower in
Auckland, and rugby “has always been there”; that a
post-war house filled with antique furniture culled
from antique shops does not make it “a historic
house”, nor does renovating a 1900 house to look
like a Victorian villa make it such.
In New Zealand we do not have Tudor houses – we
do however have Tudor style, but estate agents
would argue with that if you believe all the advertisements trying to sell – Tudor; 16th Century Merchant house; Georgian mansions; French farm
houses. We have all these, but as a style.
Nor can you have an “English garden” –in New
Zealand you can only have an English styled garden.
If you lived in England then you can.
Many of our historic homes were not designed by a
registered architect, so why worry if you can’t find
one when researching your home.
When tracing family trees it is not necessary to visit
every cemetery throughout the country, nor wait
until one can visit the Turnbull Library “as they are
the only library that has all the right records” and
“they are the only archival repository in New
Zealand”.
Think carefully when researching. Take every
reference with a grain of salt. Verify, verify and
verify again and again. Just because grandma said
that great-grandad arrived in the country in time to
take part in the Treaty of Waitangi think again, as I
had to recently when I discovered that great granddad would have been only eight years old at the time
as well as being a fully fledged sailor!
Be careful, otherwise you may end up by coming to
the conclusion that the legends of 1500 were right.
John Webster.
Want to swap, give away, buy or sell
something?
Feel free to contact the Editor. I’m happy to put up
notices for members for anything you would like
the rest of the Federation to know about.
Bluff railway station was once described as the world’s southern most of its kind. This version was completed
in 1904, and described thus in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand (1905): “A ladies' waiting-room and lavatory,
parcels and booking office, the stationmaster's office, and the rooms for guards and porters are on the
ground floor; and the offices connected with the goods department, on the next floor. There is a commodious
passenger platform, and a verandah extends the full length of the building. In addition to the station building,
there are large goods, engine and coal sheds. About twenty trains arrive and depart from the Bluff every day,
and the stationmaster's staff numbers about twenty, including clerks.” Passenger services ceased in 1967.
The station was, sadly, demolished. (Image from my postcard collection — Editor)