Tawa Historical Society Incorporated

 

The Tawa Historian

Newsletter #5 – October 2002

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM was held on Monday 12 August 2002 at the former Tawa Borough Council Chambers, and was attended by some 30 people, including Northern Ward Councillors Robert Armstrong and Ngaire Best.   As part of the proceedings the retiring Chairperson, Philip Harland, presented his report (copies of which are available on request).

Kim Townley, Manager of the Colonial Cottage Museum (66 Nairn Street, Wellington) was welcomed to the meeting, and explained the background to the existence of the museum within the Wellington Museum Trust which is supported by the Wellington City Council.   She emphasized the need for careful planning when such projects are proposed.

An election of officers and committee was held with the following results :
Chairperson :   Bruce Murray
Deputy Chair :   Philip Harland
Secretary :   Susan Butterworth
Treasurer :   Bill Hinkley
Auditor :   Peter Chisholm
Committee :   Brian Abel, Pam Edmonds, Chris Gaunt, Gaylene Lines and Elizabeth Sutton.

The Society’s Patron, Mrs Kerry Prendergast, Mayor of Wellington was welcomed to the AGM as Patron and reelected for a further year.   Mrs Prendergast spoke briefly to the meeting and brought with her the historic robe and chains of mayoral office.

SECRETARY
Since the AGM Mrs Butterworth has indicated difficulties she has of continuing as secretary due to family and work commitments.   The Society is very grateful to her for her work.   She has been replaced by Bill Hinkley who will now act as both Secretary and Treasurer.

THANKS TO PHIL HARLAND
Phil has made a major contribution to getting the Society up and running and is, of course still heavily involved.   However, his personal circumstances do not allow him to continue on as the Chairperson.   We are all very grateful to Phil for his splendid work and for his vision for this undertaking, and are glad he has not had to withdraw entirely from the Society.

PRIORITIES FOR THE TAWA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
At its last meeting on 7 October the Committee approved a paper from the Chairperson setting out our priorities for the short to medium term.   These priorities recognize that the Society is still getting under way and has little by way of financial resources.

A copy of these priorities as approved is attached to this newsletter so that all members will be aware of the broad direction the Society will take.

IMMEDIATE AIMS FOR THE YEAR 2002–2003
The Committee felt it very important that, as soon as possible, the Tawa community should see some evidence that the Tawa Historical Society is not only making some impact in our community, but is undertaking some initiatives which residents will see are useful, worthwhile and reflect the Society’s priorities.

The committee therefore agreed that, while members have a variety of interests which they will continue to pursue, the Society will concentrate on certain particular matters this year.   They are :

1.   Northern Suburbs Heritage Trail
To work with the Heritage Officers of the Wellington City Council prior to the reprinting of the WCC’s heritage trail booklet about the Northern Suburbs.   We have recommended to the WCC that now the booklet is out of print it should be reproduced in two parts :
for Kaiwharawhara / Ngaio, Khandallah, etc
for Johnsonville, Grenada, Middleton Road and Tawa
Phil Harland has already submitted much material to be included in any publication

2.   Tawa Walking Map
We have recommended that a “walking map” (A3 size fold out) be drawn up and made available to guide people on one or two walking tours around Tawa

3.   Information Boards
The Committee have noted that the WCC have placed well prepared and well produced “Information Boards” containing interesting historical notes in various parts of Wellington.   (One such board is to be found next to Twigland Garden Centre on Middleton Road and relates to the “Halfway House” still standing there).   The Committee have identified six possible sites for such information boards :
(a) outside the public library
(b) on the corner of Oxford Street and the Main Road
(c) in Grasslees Reserve
(d) outside the Linden Social Centre
(e) outside the Tawa Cemetery, and
(f) near the Bucket Tree / Takapu Station.
At each of these sites information could be given regarding adjacent or nearby sites of historical interest.

The Chairperson has discussed these matters with Barbara Fill, Heritage Officer of the WCC and has been pleased at the encouraging response.

All the above matters are quite costly, and will not be implemented immediately; but they are all goals the Society will work to achieve.   It is our hope that once historical material begins to appear in the public domain, community interest both in Tawa’s history and the Tawa Historical Society will grow.

SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2002–2003
Not only does the Society continue to need your support, but we now need to demonstrate that we can “put our money where our mouth is” by making some contribution, however modest, to the projects on which we are working with the WCC.   To those ends therefore we both invite and encourage you to renew your membership for the year 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003.

Please therefore fill in and return the Membership Form as soon as possible.   Further forms for any of your friends and associates are readily available from the Secretary.

CONCLUSION
The Society’s first year has been largely one of thinking and planning.   We now have our general direction sorted out, and some specific objectives to pursue.   We look forward to your continued support, comment and assistance.


With all good wishes

Bruce Murray
Chairperson

 

 

 

Tawa Historical Society Incorporated

 

PRIORITIES OF THE TAWA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

1.   PREAMBLE
The following is written after the Tawa Historical Society has been operating for a little under one year.   It recognises that the Society is still getting under way, and has little by way of financial resources.   The Society has, therefore, decided on simple and straightforward priorities which may alter at some time in the future depending on resources available.

2.   HISTORIC SITES / HERITAGE TRAIL
The Tawa Historical Society will seek to accurately identify and to educate the Community about sites within the Tawa district that have historical significance.   Such sites as :

•   The early military stockades
•   The old Porirua Road
•   The line of the Wellington – Manawatu Railway through Tawa and Granada North
•   The original centre of Tawa Flat
•   The Tawa Cemetery
•   The Takapu Road School
•   The site of the original Tawa Railway Station

and other sites could form part of a heritage trail in Tawa with written information to assist pedestrians.   Such signs are relatively cheap and will raise community awareness of historic matters.

3.   HISTORIC BUILDINGS
The Tawa Historical Society will seek to identify and, if possible, assist in the preservation of buildings of historic interest within Tawa.   In particular the Tawa Historical Society will give its support to any person or group who wish to protect or preserve an historic building or site.   In this connection, however, the Tawa Historical Society will need to consider seriously :
•   What is an historical building
•   Whether all historical buildings can or ought to be saved
•   The implications of the considerable costs (fire and burglary protection for example) that ensue from responsibility for historic buildings.

4.   A TAWA MUSEUM
The establishment of a Tawa Museum will inevitably be an expensive time consuming activity, and ongoing costs and maintenance may be prohibitive.   Further, the trend for recent museums is to create interactive rather than static displays, and this may require a level of finance and expertise which is beyond the Tawa Historical Society, certainly at moment.   For the time being, therefore the Tawa Historical Society does not see the establishment of a museum as a priority.   However, the Tawa Historical Society would be very supportive of any group or trust set up to establish and administer a local museum, particularly if this became essential to protect an historic site or building.

5.   A TAWA MUSEUM / ARCHIVAL MATERIAL
The Tawa Historical Society will seek to identify and make known where historical material about Tawa (written, recorded, photographic, pictorial) is held either in private or public hands.   Where appropriate it may seek to generate such material, particularly through oral history.

Where the Tawa Historical Society obtains, is loaned, or becomes responsible for such historical or archival material, it will endeavour to see that such material is given proper archival storage.

The Tawa Historical Society will also make known and encourage the use of current archival material that is publicly owned in Wellington and Porirua.

In all its work the Tawa Historical Society will ascertain and use the correct names of people and places.

6.   WEBSITE FOR THE TAWA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
To become a first point of reference (probably through a website) for people wanting to enquire about Tawa’s history.



NOTE : It is reiterated that the priorities listed above are ones that the Tawa Historical Society, with very limited funding and minimal personnel can undertake with a reasonable degree of success.

If and when the Society expands, or when finances permit, the activities of the Tawa Historical Society may well be expanded.

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