PO Box 56076, Tawa Wellington 5249; Secretary ph 232 5901
Website: tawahistory.org.nz
The Tawa Historian
Newsletter #51 – October 2020
Dear Members and Friends,
Book launch
Just a reminder that our Society’s latest publication, Tawa, its recreational parks and reserves, by Gil Roper, will be launched at 6pm on Monday 12 October 2020 in the Tawa Library. It will not be a lengthy affair. Speeches will be given from 6.15pm; Gil will explain the reasons behind the book and briefly outline its contents; members of the Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves (FOTBR) will be present; and food and beverages will be available. Members will be able to purchase the book at a reduced cost of $30 (rather than the actual price of $35); and the proceedings will conclude at about 7pm. We look forward to seeing you there. We must also acknowledge with thanks the support of the FOTBR in providing a substantial donation they have made towards the costs of printing the book.
AGM
After a hold-up in the date of the AGM because of Covid-19 restrictions, the AGM was held on Wednesday 23 September 2020. Decisions made included my temporary appointment as Acting Chair of THS; Mike Steer elected as Deputy Chair; Ken Woodgate as Hon Sec; Bill Hinkley as Hon Treasurer. Others elected to the Executive were Phil Harland; Richard Herbert (Website); Lois Mexted (Archives); David Parsons; and Gil Roper. All members have received copies of the Financial Statements and the Chair’s Report for 2019-2020.
Photo exhibition
At the recent Executive meeting some time was spent discussing how best to handle the Stan Yuchnowicz Collection of 50+ photographs that the THS has recently been gifted. Firstly it was decided that we need to get all the photographs professionally scanned so that, in case of loss or damage, the collection will be protected. First steps in this regard have been taken.
Secondly, it was recognised that, while our major purpose over the first couple of decades of THS’s existence has been to get a good deal of Tawa’s history into book form before it is forgotten, there are members for whom writing history is not ‘their thing’. This collection of photos however opens up a different form of involvement for members. A collection of photos needs not only to be kept safe for the future, but to be displayed for the public at large to see and inspect. The Executive believes that over a period of time, 15 - 20 photos, with accompanying explanatory texts, could be presented in three exhibitions to the public somewhere in Tawa, perhaps over the next 2 years.
In order to do so, there may be members who would be prepared to undertake the following:
1. search for, and book in a local (and hopefully) central Tawa place for the display;
2. select the photos to be displayed;
3. produce the explanatory notes for each photo, noting that all necessary assistance will be provided regarding the content of the notes;
4. choose the dates and hours to be open for the exhibition;
5. assemble the photos and notes for the display; and
6. at the conclusion of the exhibition, break the display down, and return the contents to their storage place in our rooms in the Tawa Community centre.
Anyone who would like to take part in this project, please contact Ken Woodgate (Hon. Sec.) on 232 5901, or Bruce Murray on 021 240 5515.
Kind regards,
Bruce Murray
Chairman,
Tawa Historical Society