Russell locals want to buy Police House

The Russell community is getting together to try to buy the historic Customs House on the waterfront.

The site and buildings are owned as a Crown Entity by
the Police and latterly used as the local policeman’s home until he was evicted several months ago. It needs significant maintenance and upgrading.

The Police have started a Crown Property Disposal process but the property is subject to a Treaty of Waitangi claim by local Rāwhiti iwi.

In the meantime, a community group in Russell is forming a charitable trust to try to buy the land and buildings to ensure the future of the property is retained in perpetuity for the Kororāreka community.

Spokesman John Maxwell, said that through collaboration the Russell community can create a project that not only preserves the house but also honours Kororāreka’s rich history.

“By working together and sharing valuable perspectives and insights, we can create a legacy that benefits the entire community,” he said.

The trust proposes a community-mandated plan be presented to the Crown requesting that the charitable trust assume responsibility for the property. This includes not only doing urgent repairs but also developing a comprehensive restoration of the building and the grounds.

It is intended the proposal will transform the building into shared office space with a cafe, meeting room and an event space that can be rented out.

“This vibrant hub would be a place where people can gather, connect and collaborate and provide ongoing funding for the maintenance and preservation of the unique historic landmark and protect its heritage value for years to come,” said Maxwell.

Community backing is required. That could include working bees to help carry out the necessary repairs and restoration work. It would also mean the community contribute financially and fundraising would be essential.

Village Arts celebrates Matariki

The art gallery in Kohukohu, known as Village Arts, is exhibiting works by local artists to honour Matariki.

The exhibition opened on June 10 and will run until July 16. It helps that the car ferry is back in service, which means the gallery is open again from Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 3pm.

The curators for the Matariki exhibition are Marg Morrow, John Wigglesworth, Lindsay Evans and Lynn Stewart.

Lindsay Evans said Matariki is a special time of celebration and renewal and the artists showing their work artists have this in mind in their creations.

“It is a time of change, a time to gather collective knowledge, and a time of harvest,” she said.

One of the artists exhibiting is Prem Tyler who has completed a woven hanging piece using silk and cotton.

Marg Morrow is exhibiting a photographic piece called Waka Haerenga. It’s a series of seven photographic images mounted on a kauri board.

Local artist Jo Barrett has completed a painting on canvas called Give Back More Than You Have Taken.

Village Arts also has a side gallery in which a selection of small works by local artists are shown. There is an eclectic mix of weaving, painting, prints, handmade books, woodwork, ceramics and jewellery.

The book collection in the side gallery includes a selection of Hokianga history books, New Zealand art, poems and stories from Northland writers.

New workshops at Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Two new workshops have been developed at Waitangi Treaty Grounds and specifically designed for teachers. They offer Aotearoa New Zealand Histories and Histories Go Digital.

Above and beyond providing historical facts, the workshops are planned to encourage critical thinking and to motivate students to analyse and form their own opinions.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Histories (ANZH) workshop provides teachers with an overview of the curriculum content from years 1 through to 10 before exploring scholarship activities related to Tino Rangatiratanga together with Government and Organisation.

The workshop also provides practical examples to assist teachers with ANZH learning and teaching.

The Histories Go Digital workshop integrates ANZH learning and technology by exploring the digital tools teachers can apply to their own education.

In the workshops the teachers will learn how the tools bring history to life, which will allow them to engage with the past in ways that were previously inconceivable.

Both workshops offer tailored experiences that can be customised to align with teachers’ local curriculum. That could include teaching about the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, New Zealand’s involvement in World Wars, or other local historical contexts.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds education manager, Monika Kern, said the learning team at Waitangi won a Ministry of Education contract in 2021 to develop classroom support materials for the new ANZH curriculum.

“What better place for teachers to develop an understanding of our past,” she said.

“The workshops offer an opportunity to equip teachers and students with the skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.”