Rotorua Library: January 2019

Friday, 25 January 2019

Te Aka Mauri Birthday Celebrations

In the week ahead, Te Aka Mauri will be celebrating its first birthday with a 5 day celebration beginning on Tuesday 29 January and finishing on Sunday 3 February. Each day will have a different focus although there will be some shared threads throughout.

TUESDAY 29 JANUARY begins with Hono Whakamana Day. There will be Ngā Pūrakau o Te Arawa (Te Arawa stories), Ngā Kemu Māori (early games of Te Arawa), He Pī Ka Rere) (preschool programme), Maori maps and Maori Land Online database workshops, Maori Artwork Demonstrations , documentary films paying homage to Te Arawa koeke/kaumatua, a Maori focused library tour, Mirimiri ( Maori massage) and a Kapa Haka performance in the Jean Batten Park

WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY is Technology Day. Come along to the Makerspace where there will be opportunities for teachers and students to see the education programmes on offer and to try out coding, robotics, and the cool stuff the children come here to do with their classes. SeniorNet will be available, there will be a talk and opportunity to experience Virtual Reality, Nigel Ward will speak on Cartooning and Te Waka Pounamu ( the Mobile Learning Centre van) will be in the Jean Batten Square.

THURSDAY 31 JANUARY, Health Day. Te Aka Mauri is a space shared by both the library and children’s health services. Come and see how these 2 services work together. There will be tours of the Health Hub and the oral health and ear vans will be on site to do free check-ups for children. Play specialists will exhibit and there will be presentations on Maori health and a healthy eating demonstration. Check out the Brave Heart Exhibition in the Jean Batten Square as well.

FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY is Heritage and Research Day. There will be a screening of an edited version of Kerry Fowler's documentary on the 125 years of the history of the library, an Ancestry database workshop and “The Library that was” tours of how the library used to be laid out. A panel of wahine from Ohinemutu will share and there'll an opportunity to share your memories of Rotorua Library. There’ll also be a quiz available all week covering all areas of Te Aka Mauri.

SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY, Community Day will feature Trilingual NZ storytelling, an interactive play Goldisnowrellahood, and Bay Pride Rotorua will celebrate diversity and togetherness. Multicultural activities will be taking place….

SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY is our final day of celebrations and it’s finishing up with a Whanau Day. Come along and learn to play old fashioned games, indulge in face painting and enter the paper plane making contest. The day will finish with a family movie in the Discovery Space.

Click here for the full programme, watch out on our Facebook page for updates but do make sure that you manage to pop in some time during the week and join the celebration!

Friday, 18 January 2019

Float plane - 50 years in Rotorua

This month marks fifty years since the first commercial float plane service begun in Rotorua.

Float plane. Credit: Rotorua Photo News, No. 66, 15 March 1969.

In 1968, the Rotorua Aero Club made an application to the Rotorua City Council to introduce a float plane service. The Council declined the application in June stating that the service would be 'to the detriment of the public's right of enjoyment of lake and the lakefront reserve.'

In November 1968, The Daily Post run with the headline 'Floatplane on lakefront by Christmas'. The Council was considering approving the application provided consent from other affected parties was obtained. In December the application was granted.

A Cessna 180A, ZK-BVG was chosen as the aircraft for the the initial service. The Cessna has been used as a charter plane in Rotorua since 1959.

Cessna 180A, ZK-BVG, before conversion to float plane. Credit: Flying the Thermal Skies (Stafford, Don, 1983).

Captain Freddie P. Ladd piloted the first service. Ladd with 30 years flying experience had come to Rotorua from Auckland in October 1968 to organise the service.

The four-seater plane was consecrated by Reverend N. Te Hau before its first demonstration passenger flight on Friday January 10 1969. The passengers on the first flight were Mayor of Rotorua Murray Linton and his wife, and the chairman of the Rotorua County Council J.B. Thomas.

Commercial flights began the following day.

Mayor Murray Lindon, watched by Captain Ladd, cuts the ribbon to set the float plane service in action. Credit: The Daily Post, Friday 10 January, 1969, p. 1.

This article was written with information from The Daily Post, Rotorua Photo News, and Don Stafford's book Flying the Thermal Skies. Lending and reference copies of Flying the Thermal Skies are available from the library.

This post was written by Graeme.

Friday, 11 January 2019

Rotorua Sculpture Symposium c2014-

New Sculpture Trail in Government Gardens

The inaugural Sculpture Symposium was held 29th November to 12th December 2014. Organised by Rotorua District Council Community Arts advisor, Marc Spijkerbosch. Seventeen local and national sculptors worked in stone, wood or stainless steel, including guest artist Glebos Tkachenko who traveled from Russia to take part. Daily Post 24 November 2014.

The theme chosen was 'The Returning Soldier' as part of Rotorua's commemoration of WW100

Winner : Judges selected nationally recognised sculptor Anna Korver's piece 'The White Mouse' depicting New Zealand war hero Nancy Wake, as the winning artwork which was installed on the new Sculpture Trail in the Government Gardens, she also received $10,000 as part of her prize. Daily Post 24 November 2014.

The Rotorua Electricity Charitable Trust purchased two more sculptures for the city by local artists, these being 'Forever Remembered' by Paul Bottomley and 'Tank Trap' by Jamie Pickernell to add to the new sculpture trail. Daily Post 28 January 2015.

Anna Korver's piece The White Mouse
Photo courtesy of Kete Rotorua

Tank Trap by Jamie Pickernell. Photo Courtesy of Kete Rotorua

Forever Remembered by Paul Bottomley
Photo courtesy of Kete Rotorua

In 2016 the next symposium was entitled 'Sulphur Lakes Sculpture Symposium' and took place 19th to 27th November 2016. 14 artists worked in an open space and locals were encouraged to go down and watch and see the artworks take shape.

The theme this time was 'The Energy Within' capturing Rotorua's geothermal and cultural environment. As with the first symposium, the winner's creation became a permanent part of the Rotorua public art collection.

Another 3 pieces were purchased to enhance the new boulevard in Kuirau Park, they are : Takutaimoana Harawira - Kuirau : Nigel Scanlon - Ore Ore : Peter Edwards - Te Korokoro o te Parata (Throat of the Parata). All remaining work was installed on the Sculpture Trail until the next symposium in 2018.

Winner of the 2016 Symposium was local artist Trevor Nathan with his piece 'Synergy' it "reflects the interaction between rural and urban environment and how we come together as a city to create the energy in our town"

Daily Post 23 November 2016 and 3 March 2017.

Trevor Nathan 'Synergy'
Photograph by Alison L.

In 2018 the latest Sculpture Symposium was again referred to as the 'Rotorua Sculpture Symposium' and featured 18 sculptors from New Zealand, Switzerland and Iran.

The theme was 'Nga Wai o Rotorua - The Waters of Rotorua and was run from 16th November to 26th November.

This year's winner is Rory McDougall of Hokitika with his piece 'Waters of Rotorua' made from Taranaki Andesite Stone it represents the thirteen main bodies of water alongside the rivers and hills of the Rotorua area.

A further three pieces are being considered for purchase for the public art trail.

This year there is a People's Choice option for the first time, so get on down to the gardens and vote for your favourite, you have until 17th February 2019 to get your vote on the Creative Rotorua Facebook page
Daily Post 26th November 2018.

Photographs of a few of 2018 entries, Get your vote in now

Visit the Creative Rotorua Website to download the current Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail Brochure
and don't forget the Rotorua Public Art Trail also has some fantastic pieces of sculpture.

This post is by Alison. All photographs of the latest entries taken by Alison.

Friday, 4 January 2019

New Year Babies

Everyone love babies, don't they? One of the regular items that appear in the Daily Post is the New Year baby photos. So I thought this year why don't we have a look back in the Daily Post and see what delightful photos we can find. Maybe there will be someone you know...