In this issue

• Feedback on David Hadfield’s talk in December
• The forthcoming February session – Ann Evans on the History of Whareroa Farm — Tuesday 25 February
• Other confirmed sessions for 2020
• The organisation for this year.

Thanks to our December speaker: David Hadfield

Fifty people packed out the Uniting Church meeting room in Raumati to hear David Hadfield speaking about his famous great-great-grandfather, Octavius. 

It was an excellent presentation involving a Power Point which incorporated photographs from the time and appropriate quotations from the legendary missionary. 

Octavius was a sickly young man when he came out from England to Northland in the late 1830s and he wasn’t expected to survive for long. However, he lived to become Archbishop of New Zealand and died at the age of 90. He had a huge impact both locally and nationally.

The audience – our largest for 2019 – thoroughly enjoyed the session.

The February speaker – Ann Evans

Ann was a key figure in the community action which ultimately saved the Whareroa area for the Kapiti people and the wider public. In recent decades she has co-ordinated the huge amount of work done by the Whareroa Guardians on planting and track building. The Farm is a great credit to the 50+ people who have given their time and effort in developing this wonderful community asset.

I will cover the history of the farm and the more recent restoration project. I have quite a lot of background information from John Porter and the various archaeological studies that were done for DOC and NZTA.  Ann Evans

• Tuesday 25 February at 7.30 pm

• • Kapiti Uniting Church
  • 10 Weka Road, Raumati Beach
  • Enter via the main church door.
  • Gold coin koha. Thanks
  • A light supper will be served following the talk.

2020 – confirmed speakers and topics

• • 31 March — Professor Mark Dickson on putting the evolution of the Kapiti Coastline in a global and national context. 
  • 21 April 21 — Roger Childs on  Gallipoli – Myth and Reality. Did this disastrous defeat really build national identity?
  • 26 May — Sir Kim Workman. “I thought I would talk about his connections with the Kapiti Coast, through firstly, my  Ngai Tara whakapapa, the earliest iwi to live in the Kapiti  area, and secondly through my great- great-grandfather, Scottish whaler John Stanton Workman, who first arrived in Aotearoa in 1834, and whaled at Tokomāpuna Island from 1840.  I would then share the experience of growing up in a mixed descent whānau, with a Māori father and a Pākehā mother, and the influence of my tipuna, on my life.”
  • Other speakers later in the year will include Hari Jackson, David Hadfield and John Robinson.

 Suggestions for topics and speakers are always very welcome.

The organisation for 2020

Essentially we will continue much the same as last year with monthly speakers on a Tuesday with a gold coin koha. The koha covers our expenses. So no subscriptions or an AGM. If you are on the mailing list you are a member. The following people are involved in the organisation.

• Lesley Robinson and Pam Childs will be co-ordinating the suppers, but would appreciate some assistance! 
• Gordon Dickson will be handling the bookings and liaison with the Kapiti Uniting Church.
• John Robinson is the Treasurer and Roger Childs organises publicity and contacts.

If anyone else would like to help out or has speaker ideas, contact John or Roger.

All the very best for 2020.

–Roger Childs and John Robinson, Coordinators of the Kapiti Historical Society