Guest editorial | Victoria TrowAs we look ahead to Archaeology Week 2024, I’ve been asked to provide an editorial from my perspective as a roguish but charming, real-life archaeologist.When I tell folks I’m an archaeologist, people are usually quick to say, ‘there can’t be much archaeology here, right?’ After I parry that with the fact that people have been here for about 800 years, there’s the inevitable ‘but it’s not like it is in Europe’. And sure, there’s no digging down to reveal a medieval village on top
of a Roman fort on top of a Celtic ruin on top of a Neolithic campsite. But – setting aside the hopefully obvious point that archaeological sites in Aotearoa have no less value than those overseas – there’s such a good challenge in working to understand the sequence of human history here from sites that are spread across such a short period of time (archaeologically speaking). Not to mention how meaningful it is to be able to offer archaeological information to the iwi, hapū, or communities that are very much tied to these sites.Our archaeological
record is so precious, and we need to all be doing our utmost to protect these physical points of connection to the past. Here’s where I pivot to you, dear reader! One of the greatest risks to our archaeological sites today is climate change. Our archaeological record is overwhelmingly concentrated on coastlines and waterways, which have been the focus of settlement both for the first arrivals from Polynesia and for European settlers. Sea level rise, coastal erosion, catastrophic weather events and land instability threaten an overwhelming proportion of Aotearoa’s cultural heritage. So, I’ll leave you on this note – what’s good for the planet is good for heritage.
Victoria Trow
Archaeologist Poutairangahia Tairangahia a tua whakarere, tātakihia ngā reanga o āmuri ake nei.
Honouring the past, inspiring the future.
Preserving tomorrow: Futuro House listed as a historic place The heritage values of a near-perfect example of a 1970s architectural classic have been officially recognised. Read
article | Mawehe atu
“Dissent was one of the driving factors”: listing Addington Cemetery We recently listed Addington Cemetery – Ōtautahi Christchurch’s oldest public cemetery – as a Category 1 historic place. Read article | Mawehe atu
Ngāi Tahu Archive: decades of research gifted An afternoon tea in the Ngāi Tahu Archive in Wigram, Christchurch acknowledged many hundreds of research hours by Drs Christine and Peter Tremewan. Read article | Mawehe atu
Liz Mellish wins Wellingtonian of the Year Heritage Award Our warmest congratulations to Liz Mellish, Māori Heritage Council member, on being the winner of The Post Wellingtonian of the Year Heritage Award for 2023. Read article | Mawehe atu
Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement celebrates opening Hundreds of descendants, guests and supporters gathered to celebrate the opening of this new community heritage park. Read article | Mawehe atu
Mangaweka Cantilever Bridge receives heritage recognition The 120-year-old Mangaweka Cantilever Bridge has been listed on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Read article | Mawehe atu
Jos Divis cottage opening a brilliant occasion The opening of the repaired Jos Divis cottage at Waiuta marks another highlight for this unique Tohu Whenua site. Read article | Mawehe atu
Incentive Fund for heritage: opening soon! Our National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund (NHPIF) opens for applications on 29 April and closes on 21 June.Read article | Mawehe atu
"There’s gold in them thar hills!" Marry O’Keeffe and Michael Grace recently spoke at a meeting of the Maritime Archaeological Association on Wellington’s gold rush and the Albion Battery at Terawhiti. Read article | Mawehe atu
Response, recovery and disaster preparedness Our senior staff were invited to present at the Ngāti Kahungunu Taonga and Contemporary Art Archive and Restoration Wānanga and symposium alongside members of marae and hapū affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Read article | Mawehe atu
Documenting Our Heritage: the results are in! The winners of the Southland edition of the Documenting Our Heritage Photography Competition were recently announced as part of Southland Heritage Month. Read article | Mawehe atu
Billiard table back on the rebound An old but not so familiar friend has returned to Highwic, the historic Newmarket mansion cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Read article | Mawehe atu
New stained-glass window in All Saints' Church Dunedin A new stained-glass window for a heritage church is not a common occurrence. Read article | Mawehe atu
🎙️ Reporter Reads
A unique window into St Faith’s Kaitohutohu Whanake Niki Partsch reads her story on the conservation work at St Faith's Anglican Church. Listen | Whakarongo
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga at Archaeology Week 2024!Our staff have arranged a number of events in support of New Zealand Archaeology Week 2024, held from 27 April to 5 May. Read article | Mawehe atu
Archaeology Week 2024: full line-up WHEN: 27 April-5 May
WHERE: Various
NATIONWIDE Discover the full line-up of events for Archaeology Week 2024. Photo: Dr Kurt Bennett
Visions for Dunedin | The Legacy of Cargill's Castle WHEN: Wednesday 24 April
TIME: 5.30pm
WHERE: Dunedin City Library
DUNEDIN Join Steven De Graaf (Chair) and Jill Bowie from the Cargill’s Castle Trust to learn more about the history of Cargill’s Castle and the ongoing work of the Trust to preserve this iconic Dunedin building.
Love & Marriage: Images of Romantic Unions WHEN: 28 March-23 June
WHERE: Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House
CHRISTCHURCH Love and Marriage: Images of Romantic Unions is a touring exhibition from The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. It draws together works from archives and art collections and asks us to consider the differences that exist between cultural norms and lived experiences.
Open Christchurch 2024 WHEN: 3-5 May
WHERE: Various
CHRISTCHURCH Open Christchurch, the annual festival of architectural excellence, returns in May with a packed programme that invites attendees to discover Ōtautahi through its architecture and landscapes.
Honouring Our Father’s War: The Story That Can Now Be Told WHEN: Wednesday 17 April
TIME: 5.30-6.30pm
WHERE: National Library
WELLINGTON & ONLINE Most children of men who returned from WW2 knew very little of their father’s war experience. Often, however, they left clues. In her book The Stink and other WW2 Stories of a Wellington Soldier Carolyn Adams has pulled together her father’s writings and photographs and filled in the gaps with the official record.
NZIA City Talks: Sutch a House WHEN: Monday 15 April
TIME: 6.30pm
WHERE: City Gallery Wellington
WELLINGTON Tracing the journey and ‘trials’ of Ernst Plischke after fleeing Nazi occupied Austria, and the lead up to the design brief which gave the ideal modernist house that he always envisaged. Photo: russellstreet (Flickr)
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga membership is the best way to explore and protect this country's most significant heritage places.As a member, you'll gain free access to the places that tell the story of our unique history. And when you leave these shores, your membership will open the doors to 1,500 heritage places around the globe!Most of all, your membership helps to protect these places for generations to come.Photo: Melanesian Mission courtesy of Marcel Tromp
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