C/- Tawa Community Centre, 7 Cambridge Terrace, Tawa, Wellington 5028 ; Secretary ph 232 5901
Website: tawahistory.org.nz
The Tawa Historian
Newsletter #61 – December 2023
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THS Treasurer Michelle Calitz, Secretary Ken Woodgate and Chairman David Parsons pose for the Spring into Tawa photographer at the start of the day. |
Hello everybody
This newsletter highlights a few activities that the Tawa Historical Society has been involved with over the past few weeks.
Spring into Tawa (28 October 2023)
The Tawa Historical Society had a stall at the Spring into Tawa event on Saturday 28 October. Several members and supporters made themselves known to those on duty at the stall. It was nice to catch up with you.
We had a range of our books about various aspects of local history available for sale, as well as copies of our 2024 Journey through time calendar.
Copies of a surprisingly large range of our in-print books were sold on the day together with most of the calendars.
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The participants in the heritage walk pause at the Tawa Memorial precinct at Grassless Reserve on 4 November 2023 |
Wellington Heritage Festival (21 October to 5 November 2023)
As foreshadowed in an earlier email to members, the Tawa Historical Society participated for the second time in this region-wide event on Saturday 4 November.
A group of over 20 people participated in the event, with a mix of people from within the valley and visitors. The afternoon started at the Community Centre with a short illustrated talk by David Parsons about the development of Tawa since the early 1800s, in particular the residential and commercial buildings. Then Michelle Calitz led the walk that took in Tawa Railway Station, the Memorial Precinct, the locations or sites of several historic residences, several of the Old Porirua Road roundels, Tawa School and finished at the Bucket Tree Motel.
The event was productive from a THS point-of-view. Connections were made with a range of individuals that have resulted in further opportunities to promote the society and a volunteer to be our next archivist.
Forthcoming book revision and reprint
The society has published a revised version of Phil Harland’s earlier work in the Tawa Historical Series, The Ammunition Bunker, Takapu Road, Tawa Flat. The book is updated with reminiscences from local residents that came to light after the original booklet was published in 2007. The booklet is available from the Tawa Library and costs $10.
2024 Calendar
After a gap of a few years, we again produced a locally themed calendar. To be honest we were slightly unsure of the market and decided to take a conservative approach by printing (only) 100 copies. We were blessed with a very successful Spring into Tawa event at which, as already noted, most copies sold.
There is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that all copies have now sold and so we made a tidy wee surplus to support our on-going projects. The bad news is with all copies sold, and if you thought that a calendar would make a good stocking-filler for someone with a local connection, but haven’t done anything about it yet, you have missed out.
We are heartened by the positive feedback to the 2024 calendar and so are likely to produce one for 2025.
A new book for 2024
Work is well underway for our next publication, collating, editing and updating (where appropriate) the historical writings about Tawa in the Kapi-Mana News by Bill Secker in the 1970s and ’80s. When it is ready for launch, we will alert members.
The executive committee would like to thank you for your on-going support of the Tawa Historical Society during the past year and wish you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
David Parsons
Chairperson,
Tawa Historical Society