More to Lions than Rugby

Written by Brent Fafeita, History Curator – Museums Wellington

The British and Irish Lions roar into Wellington this week. With the city primed to host and play its part in the historic rugby series, it’s good to remember that Wellington’s connection with Panthera leo (lion) is far more extensive than just that played on the rugby pitch. In fact, although obviously not native to New Zealand, ‘lions’ feature prominently throughout Wellington, past and present.

Most people acknowledge both the value and importance of the lion to the balance of life and diversity in the animal kingdom. Zoos across the world host lions in their stocks as a means to educate the public and safeguard the species. Wellington Zoo is no exception. Two of the Zoo’s historic lions stand proudly in The Attic at Wellington Museum – King Dick (1898-1921), the Zoo’s first lion and currently on loan from Te Papa, and Rusty (1977-1997), the Zoo’s last lion to undergo taxidermy. Together their kingly presence highlights the change in thinking away from taxidermy to a greater emphasis in education and animal welfare.

Margaret Mahy’s ‘The Lion in the Meadow’

The lion is more than an animal however. Displayed alongside King Dick and Rusty are other mementos from the material world that evoke the lion, such as Margaret Mahy’s (1936–2012) popular A Lion in the Meadow publication, the Wellington Children’s Hospital mascot Hospi, and other lion memorabilia and merchandise. As a symbol of strength, leadership and dependability, the lion features prominently elsewhere – it is entwined within the Wellington City Council crest and is also the symbol and mascot of the Wellington Lions (provincial) rugby team.

Wellington Lions (provincial) rugby team top on the left.

It defies belief then, that with so much attention, attribution and source of inspiration that the species is under threat from extinction. Perhaps their plight is mirrored in past lion extinctions from Wellington’s history. Premier Richard Seddon, known also as King Dick for his ‘lion’ qualities, faced challenging political times late in his career and succumbed to mortality in 1906. Lion Brown, once a treasured beverage served in pubs across the region and a fierce rival to Lion Red (Auckland based), is now a distant memory. With the challenges of the modern age, let’s hope the British and Irish Lions don’t reach a similar fate for a host of reasons. Most of all, for the combative tie with New Zealand’s homeland.

Lion Brown beer cans & toy Lions with King Dick on the screen on the right.

Such connections between homeland and colony stretch across years, events, peoples and interests. Wellington Museum tells aspects of this story with England and the historical lessening of those ties as other immigrant groups arrived. Some groups, like those from India, have their own animal avatars – the elephant. At the start of the 20^th century many New Zealanders saw themselves as ‘cubs’ with ‘Mother’ England represented by the lion. Now as a nation, we align more with the flightless but staunch kiwi.

Kamala the Elephant, Wellington Zoo in 1970.

 The act of associating ourselves with a symbolic feature of our environment is a measure of the human condition to need, and search, for belonging and identity. This is also evident with sports team names. Often, these names have humble beginnings but their meaning grows into something far greater than intended and becomes entrenched far deeper in more people than just those playing on the pitch.

That’s not to say every name has identical characteristics. Take the team names featured this week for example. Reasoning behind the Lions is understandable and already stated. The Wellington Super Rugby team, the Hurricanes, found meaning in a weather event heavily symbolic of the area. And the All Blacks, derived from a misspelt term during New Zealand’s first British tour in 1905, depict a silver fern, an icon of native New Zealand flora. Lining these and other symbols up against each other based purely on the symbol, and ranking order would likely be far different from that of their team. Above all, a name is only a name, for it is the legend behind the name that matters. Conversely, the weight of a name can be immense and burdensome – the British and Irish Lions know they harbour legendary status, but they also have much to prove.

Replica of All Blacks ‘Originals’ Rugby Jersey (Museum Collection)

And therein lies the crux – just as the animal species is threatened, so too is the Lions rugby concept. If the animal is allowed to wane and the symbol allowed to diminish, will the rugby battle also lose attraction? Both iterations of the lion are equally endangered if the original lion, the animal, is not treasured so. The same importance we place on the symbol should be conveyed in protecting the species.

There is cause for hope however. The Lions valued contribution to the first All Blacks test on this tour is evidence of that, as too are their supporters that epitomise camaraderie and passion. Likewise, there are great examples of progress in lion conservation and education such as that happening at Wellington Zoo. Wellington’s future lion connection appears in good hands. Needed however is more support from those with big wallets and more importantly, those with big voices. The future may be uncertain with challenging times ahead for all types of ‘lion’, but what is certain, is that the lion in all of us can make a difference.

Just stand up and roar.

Rusty the Lion in the Attic at Wellington Museum

 

The Legend of Matiu Somes

By Richard Latty, Visitor Services Host – Wellington Museum.

Every day thousands of Wellingtonians travel down the motorway overlooking Te Whanganui-a-Tara. They glance upon the natural beauty of the harbour thinking ‘You can’t beat Wellington on a good day’. In the middle of this harbour sits three Islands, Matiu/Somes, Makaro/Ward and the smaller Mokopuna. The larger of the three islands, Matiu Somes, tells so many stories, but just how much do Wellington locals know about its varied history?

Matiu Somes from above with neighbouring Mokopuna. Image by Lloyd Homer of GNS Science.  Cite page ref: Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, ‘First peoples in Māori tradition – Kupe’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.Te Ara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2394/islands-in-wellington-harbour

THE NAME
Matiu/ Somes tells stories of both the Māori history of the region and its more recent colonial takeover. Before the arrival of the first European settlers in 1839-1840, the island was known solely as Matiu, named after the daughter of Kupe, the first Polynesian explorer to discover Aotearoa (believed to be between 720-920AD). Kupe is said to be responsible for the naming of up to 60 locations in the Wellington region.

Map showing the many places in the Wellington area named after Kupe. Cite page ref: Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, ‘First peoples in Māori tradition – Kupe’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/2389/kupes-places-around-cook-strait

Once the first settlers had arrived in what they knew as Port Nicholson, they named it Somes island after Joseph Somes, who was then Deputy-Governor of the New Zealand Company. He was the largest ship owner in England at the time, with the Tory (the first New Zealand Company ship to arrive in Port Nicholson in September 1839) being purchased from him and a number of other settler ships coming from his fleet. Somes himself never visited New Zealand but it played a big part in the Wellington venture both financially and logistically.

FIRST AND LAST POINT OF CONTACT FOR VISITORS TO TE-WHANGANUI-A-TARA/ WELLINGTON

It is believed the first Māori chief to settle in Wellington, Tara, and his kin first occupied Matiu and explored the harbour and its vicinity before establishing their permanent home on Te Motukairangi (the Miramar Peninsula). Later, in 1835, Ngati Mutunga (a Taranaki tribe who settled in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara following the Musket Wars) hijacked the ship Lord Rodney from Matiu and set sail to invade the Chatham Islands.

Exercise yard at maximum security station, Somes Island. Dominion Post (Newspaper): Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post and Dominion newspapers. Ref: EP/1970/5206/18a-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Welington, New Zealand./records/22906689

Following colonisation, the island was used for recreational use until 1872 when an English ship sailed into Wellington Harbour flying the yellow flag which signified that smallpox was aboard. The passengers aboard were quarantined on Somes with the decision quickly made to build a quarantine station for animals and humans. A cemetery was built for those who did not survive diseases such as typhoid, smallpox, scarlet and influenza. The population of the island was estimated at 600 in 1919 following an influenza epidemic.

Perhaps the most iconic story of the island being used for quarantine was in 1903 when fruit and vegetable grower Kim Lee was sent to the island after other individuals in his industry claimed he had leprosy. He was sent to the small island off the coast of Somes known as Mokopuna, where he lived in isolation in a cave. The modern day belief was that Lee did not have leprosy. There was a general anti-Asiatic view at the time and this story showcases the result of these views. He died after approximately 6 months on the island. With no post mortem done, no confirmation could be made as to whether Lee indeed had leprosy or not.

DEFENSIVE STRONGHOLD
Māori used this site as a strategic pā site (defence fortress). Local iwi would flee to Matiu when rival iwi were advancing from other parts of the region. The site offers a 360 degree view so any incoming waka (canoe) could be viewed giving the local iwi time to plan their defence. The high banks of Matiu made it difficult for attacking iwi to get in a good position to advance.

The island was again recognised for its strategic position in 1943 when anti-aircraft artillery was installed on the island. Japan had started bombing northern Australia and there was concern New Zealand would be next, with Wellington, the Capital, being particularly vulnerable. The guns were never fired (much like the Wrights Hill Fortress). The gun battlements remain but the guns were removed in 1944.

The anti-aircraft gun emplacements today. Reference: Department of Conservation, http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/matiu-somes-island/defence/history

INTERNMENT
During both WWI and WWII, the island served as a detention centre for people of alien nationality who were considered a security threat. Unfortunately, this included many people who had no affiliation to the regimes in their home country. Wellington had its own little Alcatraz. During WWI the internees were mainly German and Austrian, some of whom had been born in New Zealand and had families and businesses in Wellington. By WWII, there was an increased number of Italians and Japanese. German Jews were forced to share life on the island with proud supporters of the Nazi regime. There were allegations of ill-treatment from internees, including beatings, abuse and humiliation throughout both wars. Albert Zieger, an internee during WWI claimed he was taken to the beach, beaten and locked in the cow shed for up to 8 days after a soldier claimed he had laughed at the role call. This is one of the many claims showcasing rough treatment internees receieved during WWI and WWII.

German internees on Somes Island. Hart, Roger: Photographs of Somes Island and other subjects. Ref: 1/2-112228-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand./records/22401714

MATIU SOMES/ ECOLOGY AND TOURISM
In its nearly 180 year history since colonisation, Matiu/Somes has been thrown around government departments to fit the times. After stints with the Marine, Health, Agriculture and Defence departments, the island was put under the control of the Department of Conservation (DoC) in 1995. Around the same time, the name was officially changed to Matiu/Somes as recognition to both the Maori and Pakeha history of the island and the rejuvenation of te reo Māori during the 1980s and 1990s.

Kiwi guardians on Matiu Somes Island. Department of Conservation, http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/toyota-kiwi-guardians-around-wellington/matiu-somes-island/

 

Visitors can now take the ferry over daily and discover the natural beauty of the island while discovering the remains of the history. The visitors’ centre is housed in the old internee hospital. You can still see the quarantine stations and the gun embattlements put in place during WWII. Perhaps most importantly has been the return of native plants, birds, reptiles and invertebrates being released to thrive in the pest-free environment (DoC officials will check your bag for rodents upon entry to the island).

Matiu Somes Island owners, Taranaki Whānui, in co-management partnership with DoC and tirelessly supported by a community of volunteers, are dedicated and devoted to protecting, preserving and promoting its natural beauty and rich history.

East by West ferry departs from Queens Wharf and Days Bay Wharf daily.

The Wellington Museum offers a Ship and Chip tour, involving a 45 minute tour of the Museum, a fish and chip lunch and a return ferry trip from Queens Wharf. Call 04-472-8904 or email museumtours@experiencewellington.org.nz to book.

FLUX at Wellington Museum

Flux at Wellington Museum is launching on 28 March.

With the space aimed particularly at 18-30 year olds, Flux will be open for the community to share their stories through art, photography, performance, virtual reality, multimedia and more. Decisions about how it operates and what happens in that space are made by a co-op advocating for community voices.

In this post, we talk to Bena Jackson – a Massey Fine Arts student who is currently interning at Flux;

Can you tell us about the concept behind Flux? What are you hoping to achieve?

Flux is a new dynamic, co-operatively run space at Wellington Museum which challenges the museum status quo. It is aimed at 18-30 year olds who can use Flux for exhibitions and public programmes; creating content and experiences; exploring different ideas and perspectives; and building community relationships. We hope to host an incredibly diverse range of exhibitions, performances, workshops, programmes and many other things which haven’t even been thought of yet. Flux is incredibly lucky to have the support of the museum behind us whilst also having a huge amount of flexibility to present things outside of the museum’s constraints. The co-op works together to make decisions about how Flux operates and what happens in the space. Flux is hopefully not one specific thing; we want it to be open ended and flexible as things come and go.

And the name?

We went through quite a long process to find a name. The concept of the space has changed over time, so lots of names got thrown out for various reasons. The name Flux was originally going to belong to the first exhibition of work in the space but it clicked with the way we want the space to operate and we latched onto it! The word flux talks about continuous change and the flow of things or people in and out of a space. It is really perfect for a venue which will be used for quite diverse things and which will be frequently changing and transforming as different groups and people come through with their own ideas. The space and the collective will be in a constant state of flux, so it seems like a pretty good fit.

What’s been involved in getting Flux off the ground?

So many people have put in time into getting what is now Flux, started. I have only been involved since December and already a lot has gone into it, but many people have been working on it much longer! I’ve mostly been working on helping to plan the opening exhibition and some of the first programmes, as well as starting to figure out how organise and bring together all of the different people into some kind of identifiable and useful co-op.

Max Fleury and Lily Tunnicliff will both show their work in the opening exhibition.

 

There is so much more that has gone into it from so many people though. From the original concepts which Flux has evolved from, the designing and construction of the space, identifying who the space is actually for and what it is about, and figuring out and negotiating how Flux is going to operate in relation to the museum, the writing of a vision, strategy and kaupapa, thinking about marketing and connecting with all the different people who are going to make flux a success.

And finally, can you tell us about the opening?

Flux will be officially open from 6pm on the 28th of March! We’re launching with an exhibition of young Wellington artists who’ve responded to the concept of flux and transition. On the night we’ve got local bands girl boss and Zero Cool performing, food and drink and hopefully lots of people. It’s really an opportunity for people to come and check out the space in person and to start thinking about how they might want to be a part of it themselves. We’ll talk a little bit about what’s happened so far and what’s going on next, and have some information about getting involved but mostly it should just be a whole lot of fun and hopefully the start of some more very exciting Flux projects!

In the meantime we can be reached at flux@experiencewellington.org.nz or found on Facebook @fluxatWM

 

Fact or Fallacy? Five Urban Legends from the Cable Car Debunked.

 By Jay Èvett

Ask any Wellingtonian to rattle off a local legend from their day and you will get different stories depending on when they grew up. You may hear about tooting in tunnels, Japanese submarines in wartime Wellington Harbour or speculation over the identity of a certain fountain-bucket thief. However, one source of stories remains constant across generations – the early days of the Wellington Cable Car. But as with all urban legends, sometimes spinning a good yarn can get in the way of the facts. I’ve gathered together the top five tales you’re likely to hear about the Cable Car and tried to set the record straight about what really happened: are they fact or fallacy?

Tall Tale 1:
The Cable Car was built amidst a web of backdoor deals and shady agreements

Muir & Moodie (Firm). Wellington cable car and city. Ref: 1/2-003716-F.Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22798789

FACT: The Cable Car’s early days are a web of conveniently interlocking business interests and political back-scratchings. There were so many intricate deals cut that it’s impossible to capture the full picture, even a century on. For example, whenever the line’s construction was delayed by the Council, heavily critical articles were published in the New Zealand Times to put pressure on them to cease the delays. The same newspaper purchased a plot on Lambton Quay, which it then leased to the Kelburne & Karori Tramway Company to build its lowest cable car terminal and offices – offices which were occupied by directors of the company, one of whom was a leading board member of the New Zealand Times. See, complex – and that’s just one small part of the web.

This net of convenience was cast so wide that there were few influential personalities who weren’t connected to the project, from former mayors and newspaper editors to business moguls and even a Prime Minister!

Tall Tale 2:
The Cable Car engineer’s young daughter was the first person through each tunnel

Kelburn cable car line, Wellington. Original photographic prints and postcards from file print collection, Box 10. Ref: PAColl-6208-14. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22837982

UNVERIFIABLE: While there are multiple reports that Vera Fulton – engineer James Fulton’s 11-year old daughter – was the first person to pass through all three tunnels, there are no contemporary sources confirming this. What we do know is that Fulton’s tunnels were plagued with bad luck, casting significant doubt over whether this claim is true. A delicate and precarious job by nature, once two work gangs connected their tunnels in the middle it was common for the smallest worker to be sent to check its integrity. This highly dangerous task brought with it the potential for a section of the wall to collapse – something Fulton knew all too well as it happened several times during his work on the Karori Tunnel.

Did James Fulton allow 11-year old Vera to undertake this risky task not just once but thrice? We may never know but we’re more than happy to hear from anyone who could verify this tale for us once and for all!

Tall Tale 3:
Victoria University was bribed by the Cable Car to build in Kelburn

Hunter Building, Victoria University, Wellington. Adkin, George Leslie, 1888-1964: Photographs of New Zealand geology, geography, and the Maori history of Horowhenua. Ref: 1/4-023178-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22697476

FACT:  Believe it or not, even institutions of higher learning were not above the power of the Pound. After searching for a location for its new campus, in 1901 Victoria College decided to build adjacent to the Cable Car line, abandoning plans to build in Mount Cook. What changed their mind? A liberal £1,000 ($178,000 today) ‘donation’ from Cable Car investor and Northland suburb developer Charles Pharazyn was offered to the College, on the condition that their campus was built in Kelburn. [E1]

This was to the despair of Mount Cook residents, who had been hoping that Victoria College would convert the former Mt Cook Prison into their primary campus. However, thanks to Pharazyn’s ‘generosity’, the iconic Hunter Building opened its doors in Kelburn three years later and in doing so ensured a steady stream of customers to the nascent Cable Car for years to come.

Tall Tale 4:
Prisoners were used in the construction of the line

Terrace Gaol, Wellington. Crown Studios Ltd: Negatives and prints. Ref: 1/1-032512-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22887211

FALLACY: Contrary to popular belief, prison labour was never used during the Cable Car’s development. Tunnelling was a highly precise skill that was in short supply during the line’s construction. It’s unlikely that a significant portion of the Terrace Gaol’s population were skilled tunnellers (who hadn’t yet tunnelled their way out of the prison itself!).  Likewise, with dynamite used extensively to blast the line into Kelburn Hill it is just as unlikely anyone wanted to risk convicts handling anything explosive. This myth appears to have been inspired by prison gangs building infrastructure in Kelburn, at the time mistaken to have been working on the Cable Car line, as well as the use of the infamous ‘convict bricks’ from the Terrace Gaol brickyard to form the tunnel walls.

Tall Tale 5:
The 1973 accident was the only serious incident in the cable car’s history

FALLACY: While the best-known incident was the 1973 accident in which a construction worker was totalled after walking in front of a downward-bound cable car at Clifton Station, it was not the only significant occurrence in the line’s history. In the days of non-existent Health & Safety practices, the Cable Car was a hotbed for serious injuries and even deaths. Seriously heavy and originally incredibly cumbersome to operate, most reported incidents related to the cars’ unwieldy brakes and inability to stop promptly. This led to a record number of shattered bones, facial injuries, and compound fractures  among unlucky passengers and passers-by, including the amputation of a 10-year old girl’s foot after she stepped off the carriage too early and was caught by the wheels. Several deaths also occurred on the line, the first recorded in the minutes of the company’s annual meeting in 1905 [E2] , with three further deaths in 1918, 1931 and 1932.

Despite being less grisly compared to previous incidents, the accident in 1973 tends to overshadow earlier accidents due to the significant impact it had on the Cable Car. Not only did it trigger a serious investigation and see the closure of the line in 1978, but it brought the city to rally behind the continued service the cars provided, eventually leading to the introduction of the fenced tracks and enclosed carriages we know today.

So, there you have it – the top five Cable Car urban legends laid out and laid bare. Have you got any other local myths you’re curious about? Pop into Wellington Museum or the Cable Car Museum and have a chat to the staff behind the counters – you may be surprised by what you find out!

This post is written by Jay Èvett, Visitor Services Host for Museums Wellington and Director of Te Pāhi Pōneke | Wellington Historical Theatre Co. Special thanks to Alice Moss-Baker for her tireless work helping find the truth behind these tales.

BOOK REFERENCE:

[E1] Kevin Bourke, Kelburn, King Dick and the Kelly Gang: Richard Seddon and political patronage (Wellington: Hit or Miss Publishing 2008), p.150

[E2] Perfect, Colin (Prepared for the Wellington Museums Trust). Conservation Plan and Restoration Review for Kelburn Cable Tramway Gripcar 3. 2007. ISBN 978-0-473-12203-4

Object(ive) Perception.

(Written by Brent Fafeita, History Curator – Museums Wellington)

“The new limitations are the human ones of perception”
– Milton Babbit, Brainyquote.com

The heated 2016 US Presidential Election showed us that perception now strongly roams across Fact and Fiction. ‘Fake news’ is the buzz term and ‘actual fact’ is, at least to some, a matter of perception. ‘Truth’ varies according to utterer and intended usage.

Facebook news engagement, 2016. Source: Vox.com 

But perception (and bias) are not easily talked about when looking inward at ourselves. It is one thing to talk of how others have difficulty with this, but altogether another to overcome personal and work-place resistance to talk of our own. Only through continual reflection and seeing through others’ eyes can we get a sense of all the possible alternate views and viewpoints. We then become better critical thinkers about the world around us.

In museums, we showcase protected objects, but these objects only exist because some person or persons in history deemed the object important enough to collect and protect – sometimes a factor of happenstance, sometimes of personal status or power. Likewise, the history connected to an object has been retained because some person or persons thought it too was important to collect and protect. The reality of recording history however lends itself to influence by the beliefs and thinking of the recorder. And as perceptions change overtime, so too do collecting habits. Those who collect now are selecting what to collect based on their current worldview, beliefs and bias.

Exhibition entry panel. Source: Museums Wellington

Ngā Heke, at Wellington Museum, is a celebration of objects with varied amounts of ‘known’ histories. One objective is to promote thinking around what the object is and why it is here. Some of these objects demand their story be told as known by the Museum, while some allow for a minimalistic label approach to encourage imagination. For others, we offer alternate histories to challenge the very notion of fact – one is the Museum-told history while another is a fabricated but possible history. Visitors are encouraged to choose the history they believe or prefer using voting tokens, and then are invited to create their own alternate histories nearby. All these methods highlight perception and bias in varying ways.

Voting tokens. Source: Museums Wellington

Among many meanings, Dictionary.com defines perception as ‘the state of one’s ideas, the facts known to one.’ The key words here are facts known to one. Further, the many meanings of perception highlight the many forms it can take, and like an optical illusion, these can be different from different viewpoints. Our minds interpret what our senses record, and sometimes the mind only interprets what it wants or is able to comprehend.

Source: The Exploratorium

Other forums address perception in a variety of ways. Othertimelines.com showcases an ‘alternate history’ timeline, and The Museum of Alternative History (MOAH) presents ‘a selection of the fittest explanations for the nature of the world and universe, and alternate histories contrary to … well … history’ (museumofalternativehistory.com/). An alternate history theme park in Virginia (closed 2012) titled Professor Cline’s Dinosaur Kingdom (roadsideamerica.com/story/10790), was a reimagination of the American Civil War with the inclusion of dinosaurs. How much different would history be if this was the actual case?! In text, the book ‘Provenance: An Alternate History of Art’ edited by Gail Feigenbaum and Inge Reist explores:

”… in myriad ways how an owner’s relationship with a work of art or, in varying degrees, with the object’s previous owners can change irrevocably the way the work will be perceived and understood by future generations.” 

Many museums throughout history have operated on the basis of being an authority on our material world. Museum practitioners however should discuss more our challenges with perception and bias. In a user-defined world, perhaps perception is best left up to the ‘user’ – the one connecting with the object in the moment? Although lovely in concept, this appears near impossible. We encounter bias by merely placing objects on display. They are selected, presented and interpreted using some form of bias, known or unknown. By discussing our challenges in being objective, visitors are reminded that we too are governed by the same challenges of perception. And if judgement comes, we should welcome and embrace it to further the discussion of how museums of the 21st century should act.

‘Write Your Own Label’ wall. Source: Museums Wellington.

Looking ahead, we can’t be certain of future collecting practice, or even of the collections themselves, including the information attributed to them. Of importance is perhaps not the information, but the actual connection between object and ‘user’. Further, instead of rewriting history based on current perception, we accumulate and promote the creation of more. In this way value is placed in the many, not just the one believed correct. It is my view that all things extending from the material to the immaterial, from history to today and beyond, are governed by the perceptions of those partaking, and therefore those partaking are fundamentally the most significant aspect. Then again, that is just my perception, even if subconsciously, I am being biased.

‘All our knowledge is the offspring of our perceptions.’
– Leonardo Da Vinci, Notable-Quotes.com

 

Whose story?

(Written by Nik Bullard, Social History Curator – Museums Wellington)

Nairn Street Cottage, the Wallis family home for over a hundred years, is a gem quietly tucked away in Central Wellington. The Wallis family story spans three generations – the original settlers Catherine and William who arrived from England in 1857, their daughter Clara who moved back into the Cottage with her children around 1910 and Clara’s daughter, Winifred, who was still living in the family home in the 1970s. Due for demolition, public interest saw the house saved and restored. It opened as a museum in 1980.

(Catherine and William Wallis, Museum Collection)

But how does a museum tell stories about people they don’t know and who have now passed away? This is an issue we have telling stories about the Wallis family and their home. Although we know a good deal about the Wallis’, we don’t know enough to be definitive about them.

We can get around this by talking about society back in the day – this is what life was like back then, this could be why the original settlers emigrated here, these are the social and technical changes they would have experienced along the way. So we know enough about life from the 1850s until the 1970s to paint a rich enough general picture of how life was.

But going from the general to the particular is more difficult. There are the fantastic research facilities such as Papers Past at the National Library (and the Wallis’ turn up in old newspapers) and the City Archives has the Cottage’s house and services plans. Probate records, court proceedings, school rolls, property transfers records can reveal information too. We can ask architectural experts about specifics to do with the house (mortise and tenon joints, hand-made nails, native timbers etc).

Wellington Independent, 1871. Image: National Library of New Zealand.

 

But that still leaves us with the problem of how to get down and personal with the Wallis’ themselves. The next stage of development at the Cottage is to tell the story of the house and the three generations of Wallis’ who lived there across time. As a social history curator for the Cottage, I’ll do this by giving Catherine, William, Clara and Win a room each and theming it in a different era (ranging from 1860 to 1970). I’d like to pretend they are still alive at that time and talk about their thoughts on issues of the day and the wonders of technical advancement.

But what did they think and believe? How did Catherine and her daughters (and her husband and sons for that matter) feel about women’s suffrage? The 1913 Waterside lockout? Were they for or against that? How did the Great Depression and both World Wars affect family members? Turning on the first water tap or electric light? How did that feel?

1913 Wellington Waterfront Strike from Alexander Turnbull Library, Sydney Charles Smith Collection (PA-Group-00242) Reference: 1/2-046169;G

The other tool we have at our disposal is talking to family members – of which there are a lot! Perhaps a relative can give some insight into the moral or political character of a Wallis. Or this method can yield memories of relatives visiting the Cottage and what furniture and fittings may have been there. We have brief transcripts of a couple of relatives’ memories but we would LOVE to hear from anyone else who has stories of the Wallis’ to share.

The Wallis’ Primitive Methodist Church on Webb Street. Image: National Library of New Zealand

Telling biographical stories is an interesting dilemma and one that historians face all the time. When reading an historical account of someone’s life (biographical or autobiographical), bear in mind that it is someone’s interpretation of that person and events of the time. It’s good to think to yourself, ‘So whose story is this?’ ‘Do they have an agenda or are they pushing a bandwagon?’ ‘Are there other views about this person or event out there?’ I suggest you research widely and then make an informed decision yourself.

  

But back to Nairn Street Cottage. Along with technological developments, I want to talk about the issues of the day, especially the huge changes that have occurred in society for women over that time. However I’ll be pretending to be a Wallis family member and this will be coloured by my own political and personal views. Although I will try to speak with integrity and authenticity, it will be a case of ‘poetic license’ and the hope that I am telling stories that are close enough to the real thing.

If not, visitors are always there to tell me where I went wrong! And believe it or not, we appreciate that in the museum world.

Photo illustration based on image from Wallis Family Collection.

 

 

Photo: Justine Hall