PO Box 56076, Tawa Wellington 5249; Secretary ph 232 5901
Website: tawahistory.org.nz
The Tawa Historian
Newsletter #44 – January 2018
Dear Members and Friends,
A happy New Year to you all!
It will be hard to match the Society’s excitement and achievement of 2017 with the construction, unveiling and dedication of the Tawa Memorial, followed later in the year with the launch of Gil Roper’s book Tawa: the tree, the community and its reserves. However, there are new projects afoot, and by the end of the year there should be more interesting material available concerning Tawa’s history.
Patron
Members will recall that at last year’s AGM, Kerry Prendergast stepped down as our Patron, after 16 years in that role. The Executive was charged with considering a new person for that position, and after much thought, approached Mr Justin Lester, the Mayor of Wellington, to ask if he would be willing to act in that capacity for us. He replied that he would, and that matter was then confirmed at our December 2017 Executive meeting. We are both delighted and grateful the Mr Lester is able to take on this position, and we have been pleased to already have experienced his support and guidance.
Tawa: the tree, the community and its reserves
Members have probably noted that our first print run of 155 copies of this book sold out before Christmas, so a reprint was considered. Due mainly to Gil Roper’s efforts in publicising this excellent book, we had expressions of interest from a number who had missed out on the original purchase. We are, these days, wary of printing too many books, and having them sit on shelves in our storeroom, but, having looked carefully at the reprinting option, decided to reprint another 125, with expressions of interest already totalling about 70. That reprint has been received, and is available for purchase now from the Tawa Library.
New books under way
Mike Steer is working on a history of Takapu Valley, and Bruce Murray has all but concluded a book about the historical features of south Tawa in the vicinity of Willowbank Reserve, and has commenced work on the Mexteds of Pluckley, in Kent, and of Tawa Flat.
Tawa Memorial
Work on the Memorial is now complete, and we believe that all that we need to pay for the construction has in fact been paid by now. Should any extra expenses be required, a small sum is available to cover such matters. We have reported what we have done to the Lottery Grants Commission, and they have signed that off. Some necessary work was required late last year after a storm damaged an acacia tree on the northern of the Memorial area. The WCC decided that the danger presented by the damaged tree required its total removal, and this was promptly done. Very late last year the stump of the tree was ground out, to conclude that particular exercise. Members passing by the Memorial might care to let one of the Executive know of any damage to the area. For example, the stakes supporting the two white maire trees on the south side of the Memorial have twice been broken, and the WCC have renewed one stake promptly, and have been notified of another broken stake. We have also noted that the protective coating originally applied to the five seats of the Memorial was not satisfactory. It has been removed, and replaced by a new coating on all the seats.
WW1 Memorial Stone
The WCC have agreed with a request from the Tawa RSA, supported by THS, to move a Memorial Stone, currently in Willowbank Reserve, to sit near to the Tawa Memorial in Grasslees Reserve. The WCC will bear all the costs of so doing. The stone has fixed to it a plaque, dated 11/11/1993, related to the 75th anniversary of the ending of WW1 at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Some kind of ceremony will be held at the Memorial on 11 November 2018, to mark the 100th anniversary of World War 1’s conclusion. We will talk to the RSA about this.
We now have quite a Memorial Corner in Grasslees Reserve, with the Tawa Memorial itself, the Best Memorial, the Brian Webb Memorial Rose Garden (THS is in discussion with the WCC regarding a small memorial notice to inform people about Brian Webb who died 50 years ago), and, shortly, the WW1 Memorial Stone.
Kind regards,
Bruce Murray
Chairman,
Tawa Historical Society