Five members of the Heritage Unit give their recommendations for Auckland Heritage Festival 2019.
Marguerite Hill (Heritage Researcher, Heritage Information Management team)
"My recommendation is New songs and old slides of Auckland's distant past, a musical story-telling of some of Auckland’s more interesting characters. I went along to one of their performances at the Auckland Heritage Festival a few years ago and was impressed by their smooth sounds and how much historical research they had put into their songs. This year there will be a slide show as well as cakes, coffee and wine."
When: Wednesday 16 October, 7pm-10pm
Where: Cafe one2one, 121 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Cost: Koha (donation)
Sheri-Ann Atuahiva (Team Leader - Māori Heritage Team)
"My recommendation is Paopao: the art of Māori tapa. My cousin Charles Royal (historian) tells a story about the aute tree being brought to New Zealand and planted near Waharau, Western Firth of Thames. However it did not survive, so I would be interested to hear from Arapeta Ashton who is presenting the piece Paopao."
When: Saturday 12 October, 11am-2.30pm.
Where: Nathan Homestead, 70 Hill Road, Manurewa
Cost: $5 Bookings required
Noel Luzzi (Senior Specialist, Built Heritage Implementation team)
"For my first Auckland Heritage Festival, I will do the tour of the restoration work of the steam ferry Toroa. I did a lot of cruises on Belle Epoque steam boats in Switzerland, and my son is always keen on learning about those beautiful boats. Looking forward to being able to cruise on it in 2025!"
When: Sunday 6 and 20 October, 11am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm
Where: Toroa Restoration Yard, 2 Selwood Road, Henderson
Cost: Koha (donation). Bookings required
Megan Patrick – Principal Advisor – Special Projects, Built & Cultural Heritage Policy team
"I’m looking forward to attending as many of the Exploring Sacred Spaces events as I can. The Inter-Faith Council and the ISSO have organised five guided tours of the Papatoetoe Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, the Birkdale St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church, the Ōtāhuhu Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple, the Royal Oak Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Rānui West Auckland Masjid & Islamic Centre. As well as seeing some amazing buildings, I am looking forward to hearing the stories of people who worship in these temples, churches, and mosques."
Various dates and times:
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Saturday 5 October, 2.30pm-4pm
- St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Birkdale, Tuesday 8 October, 7pm-9pm
- Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, Saturday 12 October, 6pm-7.30pm
- West Auckland Masjid & Islamic Centre, Sunday 20 October, 2.30pm-4pm
- Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple, Saturday 26 October, 2pm-4pm
Cost: Free
Mica Plowman (Principal Heritage Advisor, Cultural Heritage Implementation team)
"I think we have an amazing line up. I’d go to all of them if I could find the time. If I had to pick one, it would be the West Auckland Heritage Conference: Destination West.
The Waitākere Ranges Local Board collaborates with council and community to put together this amazing conference that celebrates incredible stories from the area’s past. It gets better every year.
This year we have three keynote speakers, including:
- Robyn Mason presents research on Henry Swan and Swan’s Arch - one of my favourite west Auckland heritage sites
- Archaeologist Isaac McIvor will outline the excavation of the Daring shipwreck recovered from Muriwai last year
- Historian Graeme Murdock will present on early Māori ancestral journeys in West Auckland."
When: Sunday 20 October, 10am-3.30pm
Where: Titirangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Titirangi Road, Titirangi.
Cost: $15 plus booking fee, includes lunch and afternoon tea. Bookings required
Auckland Heritage Festival runs from 5 October to 28 October, and brings more than 200 exciting, enriching and entertaining performances, talks, walks, exhibitions and workshops to the region. Pick up a programme from your local library, or visit the website or Facebook page.
