I, Terry, had an hour to myself this morning in Masterton, Wairarapa, NZ. I parked in the main street at the north end and on impulse was drawn to Aratoi - Wairarapa's Museum of Art and History. The current major exhibition is He Manawa Whenua: He Puna Wai - Water Way. This display of art via various media grew out of a journey by the artists to Canterbury to observe and discuss water use in that region. The exhibition came to Masterton after it had been staged in Ashburton, Mid Canterbury. As the image and video above demonstrates it, among other things, reflects on dairying and water issues. As the son of a dairy farmer who lived and worked on his father's dairy farm alongside the Manawatu R. south from Palmerston North near Opiki, I am sad at what's happened! In the1960's, while the effects of water degradation were beginning to appear e.g. effluent flowing downstream from the Longburn Freezing Works, eels, carp, flounder, etc. were plentiful in the river. With many I lament the intensification of dairying. Phil Dadson writes the following introduction to his AV presentation above, Moo Cow Blues: Moo Cow Blues! Dairy is HUGE in NZ. Returns to the NZ economy is HUGE. Here is another intriguing work in the Exhibition Water\Way exhibition at Aratoi, Masterton 13 April – 4 August, 2019
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As we begin to develop this website I am reminded of the sonnet above written by John Keats in 1817.
As a beginning high school student in the mid 1960's I recall the sense of wonder that this writing engendered in me. I read it at the time in the context of also reading Homer's works - the Iliad and the Odyssey - as set readings for English. Living on a southern Manawatu dairy farm I was well aware of the night sky and the deep questions it posed for me like, "What does it all mean?" and "How far does it go?" and "Who or what is behind all this? The questions were always accompanied by a deep sense of awe, almost reverence, at the wonder of the creation. I welcome the integration into NZ social awareness of the Maori celebration of Matariki in the heart of winter. It makes a lot of sense to me to engage with wondering about the sky and the stars, as well as the other aspects of creation that Maori culture especially invites to do during this renaissance of appreciation for the traditions of tangata whenua In a way I have spent my life trying to unravel, as best I could, the mystery which is creation and by extrapolation for me, God. As an Anglican priest nearly 40 years on from my ordination I still am deeply moved by the reading of this poem which invites us to identify with Homer and Chapman and Cortez the explorer of the Americas. They like me, and perhaps you, enjoyed exploring and the thrill of discovery. For me to engage in the research and study of one's family history and story, our whakapapa, is a noble and lifegiving thing to do. I hope, as it develops, that this website will become an engaging place for you because it touches the deep place within you which is the story of our families. Terry Alve |
AuthorMargaret & Terry Alve live in Tawa, NZ. Between them they are linked to several families from the UK and Germany who emigrated to Tasmania and Aotearoa-New Zealand between 1850 and 1925. Archives
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