2010 News Archive

Welcome to the Society’s first Newsletter. It is your Committee’s intention to, in future, make three issues a year to update you on the Society’s activities over recent months and to announce our future programme.

At the same time, your views will be most welcome as to comment on activities past but more importantly, to alert us to any areas where our heritage is threatened. The Society’s aim is, within its very limited budget and resources, to protect and enhance aspects of the past so that they are not lost to future generations. 

We hope that you enjoy this Newsletter, wish you all the very best for Christmas and look forward to you attending Society functions in the New Year.

Items that appeared in this newsletter:

2010 Heritage Cabinet Grant

2010 Remuera Childrens' Home

2010 Saint Walked the Streets of Remuera

2010 The Reserve on the corner of Shore and Arney Roads

2010 Thomas Cheeseman Talk

Street Names of Remuera

2010 Remuera Walk

Novelty & Childrens' Watch & Clocks Display

2010 Aerial Photos Recently Acquired

2010 Christmas Event

The Remuera Heritage annual Christmas event will be held Sunday 12 December at 2 pm in St Mark’s Church Remuera Rd. 

Nicholas Sutcliffe, Organist and Musical Director will speak on the history of the organ and play some music. Christmas afternoon tea in St Mark’s Hall will follow.

The Reserve on the corner of Shore and Arney Roads was named Judge Arney Reserve after Chief Justice Sir George Arney, by the previous Hobson Community Board, despite recommendations it be called Arney Reserve, Sir George Arney Reserve or Chief Justice Arney Reserve. The Community Board was disappointed the error was made at all and has allocated $600 to rename the park Arney Reserve. Sir George was appointed the second Chief Justice of New Zealand in 1857. He remained in the role for 17 years. (Articles from East and Bay Courier 4/08/2010 – Amy McGillivray).

We now have 6 high resolution photos taken in the aerial survey SN146 flown 22 April 1940, which are the earliest aerial photos of the Remuera area. 

These were purchased from NZ Aerial Mapping Limited, who gave our Society a very generous discount on the retail price. These photos will shortly be uploaded to our website for your viewing, however the private copying of these is restricted by the owner’s copyright.

Our Chairman Terry Sutcliffe selected 40 smaller items from his horological collection to create an exhibition of Novelty & Children’s Clocks and Watches. 

These are still on display in the Rotary Heritage Cabinet at the Remuera Community Library. The Society also prepared an informative pamphlet to describe each of the items on display. 

Each exhibit is a mechanical timepiece, and they range in age from the late 1800s through to the 1970s. Terry was assisted by Sue Jackson at the Library on Sunday 19th September and 3rd October to talk about horology in general and some of the more interesting exhibits.

We are very grateful for a $2,000.00 grant, recently received from the Hobson Community Board, as a contribution towards our own dedicated cabinet for storage and display of our Society’s items. The final design is currently being worked out by the Committee, and once completed the cabinet shall be located in the Remuera Community Library. 

We are now keen to acquire items of local history to put into our collection and archives. If anyone would like to discuss donating material to our Society, please contact Terry Sutcliffe at 523-3883 or Margaret Harris 372-6056.

On 17 October 2010, the Catholic Church recognised Mary MacKillop as a Saint. Although born in Australia in 1842, she stayed in Remuera on 3 occasions.

 In 1902, after undergoing treatment in Rotorua for a serious rheumatic condition, Mary MacKillop was brought up to convalesce at the Sisters of St. Joseph convent at 21 Middleton Road (these premises are still standing) where she spent 6 months. Mother Mary walked the streets of Remuera and Newmarket, coming to know the residents and parishioners of the day. Mother Mary was a great educationalist, and she founded the order the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Australia in the late 1860s, with the goal of serving the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged, particularly through education. She ultimately arranged for the Sisters of St Joseph to establish their school here, firstly in Middleton Road, and then in Beatrice Road, Remuera.

 A shrine has been erected in her honour and is located on the eastern side of St. Michaels Catholic Church, Beatrice Road.

NOVELTY AND CHILDREN’S CLOCKS & WATCHES DISPLAY 

Our Chairman Terry Sutcliffe selected 40 smaller items from his horological collection to create an exhibition of Novelty & Children’s Clocks and Watches. 

These are still on display in the Rotary Heritage Cabinet at the Remuera Community Library. The Society also prepared an informative pamphlet to describe each of the items on display. 

Each exhibit is a mechanical timepiece, and they range in age from the late 1800s through to the 1970s. Terry was assisted by Sue Jackson at the Library on Sunday 19th September and 3rd October to talk about horology in general and some of the more interesting exhibits.

HERITAGE WALK

This was on the morning of 18^th September 2010.  Due to poor weather conditions, it was not overly attended.  However, Jennie Hayman and Sue Jackson stoically led the group from the foot of Mt. Hobson, along Remuera Road, down Arney Road, Bassett Road and back up Middleton Road to Remuera Road. 

Many buildings of local interest and heritage value were seen and discussed en route.