Archive for the ‘Heritage’ Category

By David Luoni

Cuba Crisis No.1. Image courtesy of Tauranga Art Gallery, from a private collection.

Gore’s Eastern Southland Gallery is hosting a compelling retrospective of Edward (Ted) Bullmore’s art entitled ‘A Surrealist Odyssey’. Ted Bullmore was a southern lad who grew up on the family’s farm at Balfour but his talent lent itself to acquiring cultural rather than rural capital. Gore has now caught up with Bullmore’s genius and is proudly celebrating it. If only we’d had the foresight to do this 40 years ago when Bullmore needed it, having returned home from a productive nine year stint in Europe only to find himself working in relative obscurity in Rotorua. Sadly, Ted Bullmore died young, aged only 45, after having a heart attack in 1978.

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It’s just been announced that the New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Materials Annual Conference will take place in Auckland from 21 to 23 October 2009.

Conservation in Public
The conference will provide a forum for discussion about conservation in Aotearoa, its past and its future. It will be an examination of the public face of conservation and methods of keeping the profession relevant in our rapidly changing world. If we are to continue to preserve our material culture, how can we promote a better understanding of why it should be done and how it might be achieved?

The conference will also present an opportunity to challenge current practices and allow meaningful debate amongst the public and heritage sector.

To register or see the conference programme visit the NZCCM website.

Want to know more? Visit www.nationalservices.tepapa.govt.nz, email natserv@tepapa.govt.nz or call 0508 NSTP HELP (0508 678 743).

I’ve just finished watching the double-boxset of the TV series Rome (again!), the factitious and bawdy remaking of Rome’s slide from republic to empire. Much of the story evolves around the characters Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, on-again-off-again members of the famous 13th legion, and it’s their ‘real life’ (ok, ok, it’s a TV show and might not be totally real) stories that provide a lot of the colour.

Fast-forward a couple of millennia and the stories of one of New Zealand’s own famous fighting units are now being given life on the web. The launch this week of the 28th Māori Battalion website brings together the historical overview, interactive campaign maps, photos, video and audio, a full Battalion roll from the Cenotaph database, and resources for further research into the Battalion’s story.

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Featured in NZ On Screen’s January releases are a number of films from the National Film Unit: a couple each from the Weekly Review and Pictorial Parade series, a documentary about Peter Snell, the tourism promo Snows of Aorangi, and a grim, terrifying, educational piece on what not to do in the New Zealand bush, Such A Stupid Way To Die.

Coverage of the NFU is growing regularly and covers some of its earliest work from the Weekly Review in the 1940s through to docos from the 1970s and ’80s. With some it’s the connections that are interesting – Snows of Aorangi combined the work of photographer Brian Brake (director and camera) with a James K. Baxter-scripted narration. In others it’s seeing what now-famous New Zealanders did in a former life – Sam Neill’s early work as a director is on show in Architect Athfield and Flare – A Ski Trip, both from 1977, as well as others. Or for pure nostalgia, there’s a 1970 film about ‘artistic recluse’ and railway enthusiast, Barry Brickell.

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From the Arts Foundation

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Pakariki Harrison (Ngāti Porou), Master Carver, during the Christmas break. He died at his home at Harataunga, Kennedy Bay on 29 December 2008 in his 81st year.

Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished people of his generation in the field of Māori art and particularly as a leading Tohunga Whakairo (Master Carver), Paki committed himself to a life-long pursuit of knowledge, once thought to be lost forever. His learning extended well beyond the techniques of carving to its symbolism and role in transmitting tribal history. Years of research enabled him to analyse and explain the importance and symbolism of the waka taua (war canoe), whare whakairo (carved house), kowhaiwhai and other traditional Māori arts.

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The launch last week of Sir Donald McLean’s papers has concluded a busy few weeks for the National Library, which also joined Flickr’s Commons project and released (in partnership with organisations throughout the country) the DigitalNZ project (blogged previously at Digital New Zealand brings mashups to metadata).

McLean’s papers are hugely significant and one of the most important records from the time. He was the Chief Land Purchase officer during the years leading up to the 1860s land wars, first Native Secretary and, later, Native Minister up until just before his death in 1877. Throughout his career he documented and kept records of his activities and correspondence, generating over 100,000 pages of diaries, correspondence, letterbooks, telegrams and other papers.

To celebrate, we’re giving away a copy of Ray Fargher’s biography of McLean, The Best Man Who Ever Served the Crown?

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