Know your town

The Anglican Church

On the  J D Bair 1870 plan of Waihinga four section were set aside for churches section 18 Catholic, 28 Scottish, 37 English and 40 Wesleyan. However only the Presbyterians  took up the offer. The Anglican opted for a section in the new town of Martinborough, as did the Catholics, the Wesleyans did not come in numbers but did build a church in Featherston.

At first the Anglicans gathered for worship at Mr Bright’s Weld Street forge  shed. When the new school was opened in 1875 they used this for their monthly, then fortnightly, Service. It is recorded that in 1881 the Minister asked permission to ring the school bell a quarter of an hour before the 3.30pm Service to remind his parishioner to hurry along.

To begin with Martinborough was a part of the Greytown parish and it was through this that in 1882 the Bishop made a grant of thirty pounds ( 2018 = $5,312 ) towards  building a church in Martinborough. A building committee comprising the Rev H White, J Badland and  T F Evans was formed and tenders called. The tenders were opened at Mr Evans’ shop with the W Benton’s tender of  one hundred and eighty five pounds ( 2018 = $32,415) being accepted. The church was completed in 1883 ad officially consecrated in 1885, although still as an outpost of Greytown. … Continue Reading

Library News

Hello from an empty shell of a library. So sad to see the empty shelves and no heels on the walls! This is short as I am typing it on my teeny weeny phone screen. Using one finger to type is quite alien to me as I am used to touchtyping at a fast pace.
By the time you get this paper we will be ensconced in our new premises. Our volunteers have been life savers. Without you all we would not have pulled off the move in such a tight timeframe. It will take us a little while to get ourselves on track but meanwhile I want to thank everyone for being so patient while we were closed over the two weeks. 

We are heading on full steam with the Summer Reading programme, so register your children now. Alison is in charge and has some exciting things planned for everyone. My finger is now fed up with tapping away so this is all my news for 2018. Happy Christmas everyone. Shirley

Museum News

Summer Opening Hours

The museum’s normally opens from 1.30 until 3.30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.  

From Christmas until the end of January these hours are extended and the museum will be open every day from 11.30am until 3.30pm.

Old Town Hall Display

To tie in with the opening of the refurbished Town Hall, we have put together a display about the Hall’s early days.   Pop in and see it any time from 8 December, (see opening hours above). 

New Acquisition

Long time Martinborough resident Ray Lind has gifted the museum a “Troughton & Simms” surveyor’s level.  It was made in London and used in the Wairarapa in the 20’s and 30’s.  Ray was given it when he retired from the Featherston County Council (later SWDC) in 1989. Like many of these old instruments it was made to last, with hardwood legs and brass fittings.  … Continue Reading

Book reviews

To offer a choice for holiday reading  here are a couple of very different books for consideration: ‘A change of key’ and ‘James Comey – a higher loyalty’.

A change of key

The characters in A change of key by Adrienne Jansen are a number of refugees living in a Wellington city council high rise set of flats. Each lives in their own isolation having  their own back story which, for various reasons they do not want to talk about. 

The city council’s decision to raise the rent gradually brings them together to fight a common cause. In doing so  barriers are gradually broken down as ethnicity suspicions and rumours are proven groundless. Music  proves to be the one thing several have in common and the basis of eventual friendships.

Having worked with refugees in New Zealand Adrienne Jansen can portray an authentic background for her story giving the reader an insight to the problems that these people face as they integrate  into their new way of life. 

A nice undemanding holiday read, I find having a book set in a town I’m familiar with somehow always adds to the story . Anybody who has earlier read Marina Lewycka’s novel the Lubetkin legacy will no doubt notice the similar setting and plot; a group of immigrants living in  London council flats bought together by a common fight with their council landlord.  … Continue Reading