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Wednesday October 17, 2018
Local women recognised after 125 Years of Women’s Suffrage
The panels that give the life stories of the 18 women that did vote have been prepared and will be part of a display at the museum. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
This year, New Zealand celebrates becoming the first country in the world to give women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The Wainuiomata Historical Museum Society has researched the participation of Wainuiomata women in the very first election available to them, and is inviting residents to learn about local history. An event has been organised to locally celebrate the Wainuiomata women who registered to vote 125 years ago. Organised by the museum society, Wainuiomata Pioneer Church Preservation Society, Love Wainuiomata and the Wainuiomata Community Hub, it is part of the larger Wellington Heritage Week. Gavin Wallace, from the museum society, says the aim is to “encourage our residents and families to get out and explore our local heritage.” Society researcher Dawn Chambers, a descendant of the pioneering Sinclair family, will talk about what happened locally 125 years ago, how of the 50 eligible to register to vote, only 18 women did so and that the electorate for Wainuiomata
at the time was Otaki – as well as other curious facts. The event will be held at the community hub at 1.30pm on October 20. Panels that give the life stories of the 18 women that did vote have been prepared and will be part of a display at the museum. Gavin says these will form the basis of a novel Heritage Hunt to be held October 21 to 28 in conjunction with the pioneer church and Love Wainuiomata. The Hunt is a quest to answer questions about the 18 registered women, such as who were born in Wainuiomata and who were married in the Pioneer Church. The answers can be found by reading the information panels and inspecting the church graveyard, he says. Hunt competition forms can be picked up and dropped off at the community hub or the museum. The museum will be open 2-4pm on the Sundays, and also on Labour Day. The successful entries will go into a draw for a prize generously donated by local businesses.
Carnival of lights just days away Riddiford Garden will light up for HighLight, Lower Hutt’s very own carnival of lights. On from October 19 to October 22, with this year’s theme is Wild Things, the carnival will be split into five zones each with imaginative and interactive light installations and performances. Carla Steed, HighLight’s director, says the theme has invoked incredible creativity and use of imagination.
Visitors can expect live performances, roaming entertainers and a feast of popular food trucks including Beat Kitchen, House of Dumplings, and The Dukes of Sandwich as well as late night openings from local cafes, Carla says. HighLight’s charity partner this year is Te Omanga Hospice. The money raised will be used to rebuild its earthquake-prone building. Entry is free.
New Zealand app connecting Kiwis to nature A New Zealand activity-finding app teamed up with the Mental Health Foundation to highlight free outdoor adventures for Kiwis as part of Mental Health Awareness Week last week. Along with exploring waterfalls, walking through beautiful gardens, and along hidden coastal treks, Romer featured Wainuiomata’s Gum Loop Track as an activity people could do. Mental Health Foundation strategist Ciaran Fox says the selected activities showcased hidden gems across the country. She says the idea was to encourage people to get out and explore their own backyard during awareness week. “Discovering new things and getting out in nature are both proven to give your mental health a boost,” Ciaran says. “Romer has removed the sometimes difficult task of actually finding something to do. Now, all they need to do is log on, swipe away and find their next adventure at their fingertips and on their doorstep.” Romer was launched last year by 23-year-old Christchurch entrepreneur Emily Heazlewood as a way to crowdsource local activities for people to discover. It has since been selected into the Vodafone xone accelerator programme. With more than 40,000 downloads, the app has hundreds of outdoor adventures people can connect with.
HighLight starts this weekend and will see thousands flock to Riddiford Garden in Lower Hutt. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Helping out by making reusable bags Colleen Scrimshaw has been making bags from recycled materials and selling them at the new Homedale weekend markets ahead of Countdown getting rid of single use plastic bags. The local resident has put a lot of effort into her bags, using old materials and a range of techniques to make them. Labour List MP Ginny Andersen showed her support towards Colleen’s creativity and Countdown removing plastic bags from stores. Colleen Scrimshaw and Ginny Andersen at the new Homedale weekend markets. PHOTO: SUPPLIED