Tawa Historical Society Incorporated

 

The Tawa Historian

Newsletter #9 – April 2004

 

INTRODUCTION
Members may be aware that our Chairman, Bruce Murray had been diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, and has had an operation to remove the growth.   I am happy to report that the prognosis is very hopeful, but Bruce has another operation to go, together with some chemotherapy.   I am sure that you will join me in wishing him the very best for the future.   I can assure you that he has worked very hard on your behalf, and we certainly look forward to having him back on board in a couple of months time.

In the meantime I have taken it upon myself to send out a newsletter to you to keep you abreast with the work we are doing, and to seek your input.

FUTURE PLANS
The following is the minutes of a recent meeting of the committee (or the interesting bits, anyway), and we earnestly seek your thoughts on the work we are doing, i.e.
Do you agree with the direction we are taking?
Are there projects that you think we should be doing as well?

General Business

Bruce gave us an update on his discussions with the Council on our ongoing projects :

• City Council Booklet on the Northern Historical Trail – The Council is completely redressing their information boards, and this affects the library.   As soon as the new design is approved, the notice boards for Tawa should go ahead.   The Booklet is in design stage.   There will be two booklets, one for Northern (which should include us) and one for Southern.

• Plaques marking the route of the Old Porirua Road – The Council wish to receive an exact plan for the location of the plaques to ensure that they will not affect anything running under that ground.   Bruce and Chris will look sites. (Refer later in this newsletter).

Bill advised that the proprietors of Porirua Print are to become members and would be happy to assist us with publication of THS material.   They already have extensive experience with the Onslow Historical Society, so this should be invaluable.

The committee then informally discussed other projects the Society could look at :

• Historical Houses – some work has already been done.

• Cleaning up the Tawa Cemetery – this has difficult and potentially dangerous access, and the perimeters in particular need a good clean up.   We will approach the Council to action this.   (Secretary to write to Works Department)

• We could write a history of the cemetery and the people in it.   Also the Grasslees Reserve.

• Completion of the work on the Ammunition Dump.

• Finalisation of work on the Constitution to enable tax deductibility of donations etc.

• Development of a Tawa Historical Society website through the current history being done at Tawa College where a link can be inserted.   We already have some information available through Tawalink, and could look at the work being done in this area by other similar groups, for example the Horowhenua Historical Society which has a lot of information available electronically.   (Secretary to send Steve Avery some preliminary material early next week)

• Expanding our use of public meetings with guest speakers to lift our profile and provide a better service to our members.

We need good writers to help with writing up a lot of the history being gathered, particularly as we would like to produce a number of pamphlets highlighting perspectives of Tawa’s history – its buildings and its people.

Agreed that we will circulate these minutes to the whole membership and seek feedback, other suggestions etc.

Meeting closed at 8.30 pm.

So, members, over to you – are there any other projects you would like to see pursued?

PLAQUES MARKING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE OLD PORIRUA ROAD THROUGH TAWA
I am pleased to advise that the sites for the plaques have been identified and marked on maps of the area.   We have written to the interested Council departments, and other bodies with water, electrical cables etc. in the vicinity (14 letters in all) and we are in the process of obtaining the appropriate approvals.

FINANCIAL REPORT
Club funds at present stand at $7,856.49.   We have 44 members.   Subscriptions are still outstanding from some of our members and I have attached reminder notices for these folk.

MEETINGS FOR 2003
The Executive will be meeting at Tawa College’s PTA Centre at 7.30 pm on the following dates :   5 May, 16 June, 7 July (if required), 4 August (AGM), 1 September, 6 October (in the College Library), 3 November and 8 December.   All these dates are Mondays.   Members are most welcome to attend any of these meetings.   In general they finish by 8.30–9.00 pm.

With best wishes

Yours sincerely



Bill Hinkley
Secretary/Treasurer

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