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Paul Diamond, Curator Maori at the Turnbull Library, talked about the current exhibition in the Turnbull Gallery, “Not One More Acre …”, commemorating the Land March of 1975. The emphasis was on photographs, starting with the “defining image” of Whina Cooper and her mokopuna, as Paul explained the enormous significance of more than 250 colour photographs taken by an American, Christian Heidegg, which were donated to the Turnbull but are now serving an important new role in jogging memories and helping illuminate the sequence of events and the simultaneous process of consciousness-raising which occurred.

On 10 November Barbara Francis, Wellington researcher and retired teacher spoke about Agnes Moncrieff and China, 1930-1945: ‘You don’t travel in China at the full moon’. Agnes (Nessie) Moncrieff worked as International Secretary with the YWCA in China from 1930 to 1945, describing her experiences and achievements in vivid weekly letters to friends and family and in monthly reports to the YWCA in New Zealand. Barbara Francis became a close friend in Nessie’s later years, and then she spent eight years transcribing and annotating Nessie’s papers – deposited in the Turnbull Library. She has now transcribed and edited Nessie’s correspondence for publication by Victoria University Press.

On 13 October Peter Scott, with Philippa Durkin from the Rona Preservation Trust, spoke about the campaign to save the Rona: Alex Turnbull’s racing yacht. The Rona, a classic kauri racing yacht built for Turnbull, has been called as historically significant to Wellington as Katherine Mansfield’s house. Peter Scott (a former National Librarian) told the story of Alex Turnbull becoming a keen yachtsman and commissioning his first racing yacht in 1892. The wealthy young businessman – already an avid book collector – was happy to devote most of his weekends to yacht racing. And he was unstinting in his energy and enthusiasm: he bought smart outfits to look like a sailor, but he was also definitely competitive in his desire not just to take part but to win his races.

On Tuesday 8 September, Fergus Barrowman, Wellington publisher and literary editor, spoke about New Zealand Publishing Today, exploring trends in New Zealand publishing from the perspective of his 30 years as Publisher of Victoria University Press. Changes in technology, dwindling numbers of stock-holding bookshops, the influence of Bill Manhire’s creative writing course, the continuing need for subsidies and many other aspects of the book trade were covered in Fergus’s excellent overview.

On Thursday 19 November at 5.30 pm:

Paul Diamond, curator of the Turnbull Gallery exhibition:

“Not One More Acre …” The Maori Land March 40 years on

Tiakiwai Conference Centre, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa,

Aitken Street entrance

Public talk, all welcome

The National Library 50 Years On: Its Role and Challenges for the Future

Panel Discussion: Thursday 17 September, 5.30 pm

Ground Floor, National Library, Molesworth Street

 To mark the 50^th anniversary of the passing of the National Library Act 1965 the National Library Society and the Friends of the Turnbull Library jointly presented a panel of experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the National Library in the next 50 years.

PANELLISTS

Alan Smith: Alan Smith was Deputy National Librarian through the 1980s introduction of online networking, the move into the present building, and the era of state sector reforms. Long-time member of both Friends of the Turnbull Library and the National Library Society, he was President of the latter 1998-2001.

Don Hunn CNZM: Eminent NZ diplomat and senior public servant, Don Hunn is the immediate past Chair of the Library and Information Advisory Commission, the statutory body which advises the Minister responsible for the National Library.

Professor Charlotte Macdonald: Professor of History, Victoria University of Wellington, Prof Macdonald is an authority on the National Library’s role, especially that of the Alexander Turnbull Library, as the repository of national literary taonga and a vital source for research.

Professor Anne Goulding: Professor of Library and Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Prof Goulding is the Research Degrees Programme Director. Her main focus is the management of public libraries. She is also Editor of The Journal of Librarianship and Information Science and has published widely on public library services.

Karen Clarke: Currently Library Manager, St Patrick’s College, Karen Clarke has worked in school libraries for 18 years. She is Wellington Chairperson of School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) and the Wellington regional representative on the SLANZA National Executive.

Minister for the National Library Peter Dunne has announced the appointment of Dr Aroha Harris, Dr Jock Phillips and Dr Sydney Shep to the Guardians Kaitiaki of the Alexander Turnbull Library. Helen Tait (Chair) has been re-appointed for a further three-year term. Helen Walker continues her current term of appointment.

UK researcher Dr Gerri Kimber has been visiting New Zealand for the fourth time in her diligent search for more information about Katherine Mansfield. Her latest trip is as the 2015 recipient of the Friends of Turnbull Library Research Grant, investigating KM’s early years in Wellington.

Her public talk at the National Library on 4 August, called Tea, Zen and Cosmic Anatomy: the mysticism of Katherine Mansfield drew connections in Mansfield’s literary and personal enthusiasm for Japanese culture, evidence of her early reading of The Book of Tea, and analysis of poems written in 1909-10. Gerri explained that Mansfield took to wearing a kimono at home, read the poems of Yone Noguchi and talked about visiting Japan. This was at the time of the enormously influential Japanese-British Exhibition in London, and Gerri entranced her audience with her comment on Mansfield’s short Japanese-style bob hairstyle was similar to that of a Japanese doll available for sale at the huge exposition!