Waiheke Island Historical Society Inc. P. O. Box 206, Ostend, Waiheke Island 1843;
165 Onetangi Road, Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
Phone 09 372 2970
NEWSLETTER
February 2016
Greetings from your Committee.
General summary
2015 has been a successful, although varied, year in many ways. On the plus side, visitor numbers have remained fairly steady with the usual mix of those who call in out of curiosity, those ‘who have always meant to visit the Museum’ and those looking for specific information. On most occasions we are able to satisfy the requests of the latter, thanks in large part to the dedicated work of our archivists. We have also managed to keep the Museum open throughout the year despite the prolonged overseas absence of two of our experienced committee members. The recent addition of two new people to the committee, and another who has volunteered to assist with roster duty has been very welcome. All bring considerable energy and enthusiasm to ensuring the Museum remains a viable and valuable asset to Waiheke Island.
Our great loss has been the death of Judith Phillips. Judith died unexpectedly last April; her commitment to the museum, and extensive knowledge of the island and its history, has left a huge vacuum and we continue to mourn her passing.
You may have noticed that a considerable amount of work has been done on site thanks to ongoing volunteer efforts. Specifically:
The gardens have been reduced in size, tidied and replanted – they were getting completely out of hand
The Police Cell has been painted and rotten boards replaced
The toilets have been painted and are much more pleasant to use
Work has begun on repainting Day Cottage
Areas in the main building and in Goodwin Cottage have been carpeted (thanks to donor of the carpet)
New curtains have been hung in Goodwin Cottage
Some repair work has been done on the pianola.
There is still a lot of work to be done, but your committee is pleased with the progress to date, and we hope you are too.
AGM
The AGM was held on the 12th April 2015. The committee remained unchanged at that time, and the position of patron remains unfilled. The membership subscription has remained at $20 per person this year.
New Exhibits
In September the Museum was approached by Nora West with a request that the Museum host a reading of her book “A Change of Air” together with a major display of a real dolls’ house and associated items. We were pleased to do so and the display has been a major point of interest to our visitors.
Plans to set up new displays include a history of the island viticultural development, and further development of the mock tool-shed.
Lease issue
It was with considerable dismay that we learnt of the Local Board’s decision to re-visit the legality of the leases – particularly the one relating to the Golf Club. Despite repeated requests as to how this could impact on the Museum’s lease (given that our lease was the only one signed off by the Minister), no clear answer has been provided. Hopefully some definitive reply will be forthcoming.
Up-date on archiving
Thanks to the dedication and amazing work of Elsie, Ted and Elaine, we now have a comprehensive and detailed archive system. They have spent many months working through the stored documents, sorting them into categories, listing same, and developing a master list of where all the information can be found. In addition, Ted has scanned copies of all the photos held by the museum so that in the event of another fire we do have a comprehensive back-up.
Goals for 2016
Our main goal for 2016 is to raise sufficient capital to restore the Store room at the back of Dixie Day Cottage.
The existing store-room needs a lot of work to bring it to the point where articles can be safely stored. We are
currently looking at potential sources of funding and will be applying for grants.
Subscriptions
A reminder that membership subscriptions are due by the AGM to be held at 2.00pm on Sunday 10th April 2016 at the Museum. Like last year, no membership cards will be printed but receipts will be issued (on request) when subscriptions are renewed.
Acknowledgements
My sincere thanks to your committee who have worked very hard this year to ensure and consolidate the survival of the Museum. Special thanks to Jan Vail (Treasurer and part-time secretary); to Sue and Malcolm Philcox as well as Brenda and Rob Becroft for their hard work in the gardens and assistance with the maintenance of the buildings (painting, building); to Elsie, Ted and Elaine for their sterling work with the archives; and to Mary, Priscilla, Trish, Christine, Bob, Arnie and Mark for their work in helping make the Museum a venue Waiheke Island can be proud of.
We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
Anne Anderson
President.
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Membership renewal
Please return this form with your cheque for $20.00 per person to:
The Treasurer
Waiheke Island Historical Society Inc
P O Box 206
Ostend
Waiheke Island 1843
Or, if you prefer by internet banking to:
ASB 12-3011-0960967-00, reference WIHS and quoting your name.
Please update your details below:
Name:
Address :
Phone No:
Email: