11 minute read
Books
WORDS: MARIANNE TREMAINE
Metaphors and meanings
Delving deeper into the symbolism of our historic places
Metaphors are important in history. Although people tend to see history as being concerned with facts, it is more concerned with interpretation, and, to illuminate the more elusive shades of meaning when interpreting history, metaphors are often useful. The books in this column show examples of the ways in which metaphors expand meanings. The first two books, The Akaroa Lighthouse: How a Small Community Rescued an Important Piece of their History, by Ben Hutchinson (Akaroa Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc., $35), and Sunset to Sunrise: An Illustrated History of New Zealand’s Lighthouses, by Timothy Nicol (New Holland Publishers, $39.99), deal with the history of lighthouses in New Zealand.
The first tells a story of determined community preservation; the second records the histories of particular lighthouses and the courageous spirit required by lighthouse keepers to live in often very inhospitable and dangerous surroundings. For example, in Sunset to Sunrise, Timothy’s caption under a photograph of the Karori Rock tower (page 152) says of its site, a small, craggy, barren rock: “Access by helicopter was exciting, as the radius of the whirling blades almost exactly equalled the distance from the tower to the last seagull on the right
(the seagull is on the edge of the rock), necessitating a high degree of personal agility with the helicopter ‘on the hover’”.
This level of excitement, mixed with the privation experienced when stores ran low, is not what most of us seek in our working lives, but obviously lighthouse keepers were equal to these challenges. Nevertheless, lighthouses do hold a fascination for most of us.
The lighthouse beam and its importance as a beacon to sailors provides a metaphor for everything that functions as a guiding light in our lives, giving the lighthouse its strong, symbolic intensity. In contrast, The Akaroa Lighthouse concentrates on a single lighthouse and its history, as well as the heroic community effort made to achieve its preservation after it was decommissioned in December 1977.
New technology – automatic lights – had made it obsolete. A new and modern lighthouse had been commissioned and the Marine Department had decided either to burn the old lighthouse or push it into the sea.
When the residents of Akaroa realised that the old lighthouse was going to meet such an ignominious fate, a public meeting was called, and that
meeting led to the inception of the Akaroa Lighthouse Preservation Society.
The society had to find a site and organise the shifting of the old lighthouse to preserve it as a part of local history. The story of the eventual success, despite many setbacks, is an absorbing account and will encourage other community groups in their attempts to preserve their own local historic buildings.
Reading this book will make those who have problems achieving their conservation ambitions realise that if the Akaroa lighthouse could be saved, then almost anything must be possible.
The third lighthouse book, Oliver Goes to Stephens Island Lighthouse, by Grant Sheehan and illustrated by Rosalind Clark (Phantom House, $25), is the third in this series of children’s books about lighthouses.
Oliver’s parents take him to Stephens Island Lighthouse because they are writing a story and supplying photos about the island to a geographic magazine as part of their work.
Oliver is very excited, anticipating the trip, but it turns out to be even more
GIVEAWAY We have one copy of Leading the Way: 100 Years of the Tararua Tramping Club, signed by the authors, to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of an envelope to Book Giveaways, Heritage New Zealand, PO Box 2629, Wellington 6140, before 30 March 2020. The winner of last issue’s book giveaway (Making History: A New Zealand Story) is J B King, Auckland.
exciting than he imagined. He has his first ride in a helicopter and he sees strange and wonderful birds and animals on the island. He learns about the work of a lighthouse keeper and about the importance of conservation to preserve native birds and animals.
A great story for children that adults will enjoy reading with them, this book is interesting and thought-provoking, with a lot of effortless learning in the story and the illustrations.
Through its title, For King and Country – Four Brothers, Four Crosses: A New Zealand Story, by Jock Vennell (Wily Publications, $22.49), makes it clear that metaphors and meanings in this book will be about war.
The book gains its power and significance from the clarity and simplicity of its message about how the loss of four of their five sons in World War I affected an Invercargill family. Jock, a former journalist, writes in a way that takes you right inside the family with stories of the boys’ experiences as they grow up, explanations of their reasons for deciding to go to war and also the day-today routines of army life and life on the battlefield. Jock uses the sons’ letters, and those of other New Zealanders who fought alongside them, to take us into their thoughts and feelings.
To read their words and feel how much they care about their family, their comrades, their brothers – and their genuine desire to fight so that the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives already will not have been in vain – is engrossing, yet disturbing. You know there are four crosses, yet these four brothers are so admirable, the loss for their family is too huge to bear – and almost too huge for the reader to bear.
Another book on New Zealand in World War I is The Bulford Kiwi: The Kiwi We Left Behind, by Colleen Brown (Bateman, $39.99). At the end of the war, the men expected to go home to New Zealand and their families immediately. But only a limited number of ships was available and those able to pull rank were often able to jump the queue.
Waiting in Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain in southern England for many months, the men became fractious and there were some alcohol-fuelled riots protesting their situation. Finally, the focus shifted to creating a huge limestone kiwi on Beacon Hill by Sling Camp to commemorate all the New Zealanders lost in the war. “A monument built by soldiers, not governments, for them and their mates” (page 14).
The Bulford Kiwi still exists as a lasting memorial. It was restored in 1980 and made a protected site by the British Government in 2017.
In Leading the Way: 100 Years of the Tararua Tramping Club, by Shaun Barnett and Chris Maclean (Tararua Tramping Club in conjunction with Potton and Burton, $59.95), the metaphor of ‘leading’ has the double meaning of leading others on a tramp and leading in the sense of being the first tramping club in New Zealand. The Tararua Tramping Club was established in 1919. Older members of the club were called ‘the fathers’; younger members were called ‘the fry’. The generation between had been lost in the war. The club led and supported the formation of tramping clubs in other areas and introduced other activities, such as mountaineering.
Women were important in the club membership, with many contributing their energies and enthusiasm. Importantly, the club has made a contribution to conservation over the years. Seeing the beauty of the bush, the waterfalls, the birds and the mountains first-hand makes the importance of protecting all that beauty seem even more of a necessity.
Publishing this history has been an ambition of the club for many years and this book realises all that ambition. The photographs are wonderful. The quality of the paper and the presentation are impressive. The stories are inspiring and often humorous. There are amazing stories of club trips in New Zealand and overseas. You are bound to meet people you know in its pages and you may even find yourself digging out your old tramping boots, making some scroggin and setting out to enjoy one of the nearby tracks.
Books are chosen for review in Heritage New Zealand magazine at the discretion of the Books Editor. Due to the volume of books received, we cannot guarantee the timing of any reviews that appear and we are unable to return any copies submitted for review. Ngā mihi.
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mana whenua: guardians of the land maunga: mountains tūpuna maunga: ancestral mountains
WORDS: CAITLIN SYKES • IMAGERY: JASON DORDAY
Climb EVERY MOUNTAIN
With the harsh heat of summer abating, autumn is a great time to explore the maunga of Auckland with the kids
For those who live in Auckland, or if you’re planning a visit, there are no better vantage points from which to take in the harbour city than the summits of its many maunga. There are 48 volcanic cones stretching across the city, and from Te Rangi i totongia te ihu a Tama-te-kapua/Rangitoto Island to Maungawhau/Mt Eden to Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill, they provide the city with many of its most significant landmarks.
Nothing stretches legs both old and young like a hill climb, but walking the maunga of Auckland also provides endless opportunities to connect with the region’s heritage.
Some of our family’s favourite excursions have included experiencing the thrill of flyovers while exploring military heritage on Takarunga/Mt Victoria on Anzac Day, and getting a taste of holidays past at the Bach 38 Museum – housed in a bach restored by volunteers from the Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust – on Rangitoto.
But one of our most enriching maunga experiences has been learning more about the one in our own backyard – Te Pane o Mataoho/Māngere Mountain. The tūpuna maunga of Tāmaki Makaurau stand foremost in the historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural identity of the iwi and hapū of the mana whenua of Auckland.
Taking a tour of the maunga offered by the Māngere Mountain Education Centre and guided by mana whenua helped to open our eyes to amazing features: its shell paths, for example, which emit a satisfying crunch when walked upon, are actually designed to provide an alert for intruders.
www.aucklandnz.com/visit/ discover/volcanic-cones
www.mangeremountain. co.nz/visit/guided-walks
ALBERTON MARKET DAYS supported by
Sundays, 8 March and 12 April (Easter Sunday)
Alberton Market Days are back! Restock your pantry and gift cupboard. Shop local and enjoy the atmosphere in the garden.
A cracker day out from 10am-2pm
n Specialty produce n Artisan food stalls n
Handcrafted goods n Talks & workshops n Children’s activities
n Live music n Pop-up tearoom n
Explore Alberton with discounted admission (children free) n
Alberton, 100 Mt Albert Road, Auckland n (09) 846 7367 n www.alberton.co.nz
With up to 67% Government funding available The time to strengthen your heritage building is RIGHT NOW.
Find out if your building is eligible
FANCY LONDON? Beautiful accommodation in the heart of the West End.
Stay informed with our monthly e-newsletter, covering the latest heritage news and events
Enjoy the elegance of the art deco restaurant or unwind in the stylish buttery of this friendly, affordable and historic London clubhouse. The ROSL Clubhouse is within walking distance of London’s top attractions and a peaceful base for business travellers. www.roslnz.org.nz info@rosl.org.uk
Consider leaving a gift that will last forever
A gift in your will could provide a lasting legacy for our nation’s heritage and help preserve our history for future generations.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE? Contact Brendon Veale for further details.
0800 802 010 • bveale@heritage.org.nz PO Box 2629, Wellington, 6140 • www.heritage.org.nz
Live your dream… say“I do”in style!
Pure gold setting at Highwic
Highwic Newmarket, Auckland Tel: (09) 524 5729 highwicfunctions@heritage.org.nz A fine Victorian mansion, refurbished from top to bottom. Spacious heritage gardens are perfect for marquees or use the Ballroom and Billiard House for true Victorian ambience.
Love with a French twist at Pompallier
Pompallier Russell, Bay of Islands Tel: (09) 403 9015 pompallier@heritage.org.nz The French place in the heart of the Bay of Islands. The language of love is perfectly interwoven into the lush gardens and lawn which offer you the ideal outdoor venue, mere steps from Russell’s beachfront.
Bring your fairytale to life at Alberton
Romantic and elegant, set amid large historic gardens – Alberton is the perfect backdrop for intimate weddings. Enjoy wedding drinks on our expansive verandahs.
Alberton Mt Albert, Auckland Tel: (09) 846 7367 alberton@heritage.org.nz
Hit some heritage trails this autumn and explore our path to nationhood
Experience the heart and soul, and stories, of pre-Treaty New Zealand’s Northland, where Māori and Pākehā first met, traded, philosophised, fought, loved – and established a nation like no other.
Download FREE the Heritage Trails app (Apple and Android) - your gateway to some unforgettable heritage experiences.
Heritage New Zealand’s other free apps:
MORE TO DOWNLOAD FREE!
• Waikato’s peaceful hills and plains once rang with battle cries and the boom of warships. Explore the Waikato War (1863-64) with our driving tour www.thewaikatowar.co.nz and explore the battle sites for yourself. • Visit highstreetstories.co.nz for over 90 stories, histories and anecdotes of life in Christchurch’s High Street precinct before the quakes. • Public houses, Private lives take a stroll through an archaeologically-informed history of five colonial Christchurch hotels.
