4 minute read
Morison’s Bush: dancing at your own risk.
It would be a very large-scale map of New Zealand that has Morison’s Bush marked on it – so why does it have a book of dances named after it? For country dancers in the Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay area it was for many years the centre of social life. Dances there were not to be missed.
It all began in 1953. Before then there had been country dancing clubs in many parts of the country, most of which had started as the dancing circles of local Scottish Societies, and none of which had much relationship with each other. Some far-sighted dancers in the Wellington and Hawkes Bay areas suggested getting together and forming an association. Mr and Mrs L J Coe had arranged dances at Morison’s Bush in 1952 and there, in October 1953, a meeting was held, an association formed, and a tradition begun. Morison’s Bush was one of the earliest outposts in the Wairarapa, taking its name from Duncan Morrison who settled there in 1856. It was an isolated place connected by a coach service to Wellington over the steep mountain range of the Pimutakas, but travel by car made light of the miles and mountains, and dancers came from north and south. ‘Coming home with the milk’ early in the morning after dancing was often a reality in those days.
For some years the Wellington/Hawkes Bay Association of Scottish country dancing clubs held two or three dances a year, and each club was asked to provide a demonstration. Remarkably, the hall stood up to the dancing, although a notice on the inside of the door which dancers read as they left said Persons using this hall do so at their own risk! Originally built for the military camp during World War II, the ladies’ cloakroom was still labelled Officers, the gentlemen’s Other Ranks, and the supper room Chaplain.
Another highlight of those early days was the formation of the first local country dancing band. This was organised by the energetic and ever-enthusiastic Jack Seton from among Hawes Bay musicians. Jack’s own performance on the drums was much appreciated, and in addition to live performances the band had several 45 rpm records to its credit. The popular dance Seton’s Ceilidh Band was written by Bruce Fordyce, a young piper who was invited by Jack to play at dances. With Jack, Nancy Baxter and Shirley Child, Bruce ran the first New Zealand summer school at Napier Boys’ High School in 1954-55. At the third summer school the New Zealand Society was officially born, and the Wellington/ Hawkes Bay Association became an affiliated organisation.
It is interesting to see the number of dancers today who are the children and even grandchildren of former members. The family feeling fostered in the early days has continued and is one of the real strengths of the clubs today.
To celebrate the RSCDS Centenary this year, a lively crowd of close to 60 dancers gathered in Wellington on 29 April for an afternoon of trying out dances from the past. Four long-time tutors from the RSCDS New Zealand Branch Wellington Region (Iain Boyd, Romaine Butterfield, Edith Campbell and Elaine Laidlaw) taught dances from the early days of Scottish country dancing in the lower North Island. The Cranberry Tarts, Aileen Logie and Hilary Ferral, provided music from the original tunes and arrangements used by wellknown Wellington musician, the late Peter Elmes. Dances included Mirth’s Welcome, GovandaleReel,JoyBeWi’You,Feshiebridge and Kelburn’s Reel from The Morison’s Bush Collection, which was published in 1978 to mark the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Wellington/Hawke’s Bay Association of Scottish Country Dance Clubs.
