Welcome to Hidden Stories of the West

Robin Taua-Gordon, Environment, Heritage and Education Manager for Te Kawerau a Maki will explain historical connections of Te Kawerau a Maki to West Auckland, discuss some of the projects that Te Kawerau a Maki have been involved in over the last 5 years and share some of the aspirations and visions of the iwi for the future.

Michelle Edge fosters and facilitates storytelling in the Waitākere Ranges and other regional parks in her role as an Interpreter with Auckland Council.  “In a box under the bed” explores sources of stories and how to unhide them. She will also share and show examples of creative storytelling.

Sarah Elsby will be talking about the history of the Karekare house and the current residency programme that they run, in partnership with The Eden Arts Trust from early March to late November each year.

Rosemary Deane is the Curator at Te Toi Uku, a museum in New Lynn telling the stories of West Auckland commercial ceramics including Crown Lynn. She will tell us how she got to the bottom of a Crown Lynn myth just by asking the right person.

Cynthia Smith, Chair of the McCahon House Trust shares some of the hidden stories that fill the McCahon house – before, during, and after it became a museum.

Claire Inwood, current caretaker and Nancy King, descendant of Les Waygood and founder of the Waygood Foundation Piha will talk about continuing a tradition of family in community, through landcare, gardens, education and the arts.

Jeffery Wells, architect and Lopdell House trustee on heritage value of the Lopdell Precinct – from restored Hotel Titirangi to the recently build Te Uru.

Historic events have often inspired good stories, songs and even contemporary art installations. Te Uru Director, Andrew Clifford, discusses the gallery’s latest exhibition, The thrum of the tide, which takes its inspiration from the legendary kauri dancefloor that is said to be buried under five metres of sand in the Te Ana Ru ‘ballroom’ cave in Whatipu, having originally been installed there by local timber mill workers over 100 years ago.

Sandra Coney delves into one of New Zealand’s greatest criminal mysteries and how it was unravelled and finds there are still surprises waiting to be uncovered. Sandra’s parents were honeymooning at the small beach settlement of Piha when the cry went up that there was a fire in the Carew-Thomas bach in the valley. What looked like a tragic fire turned out to be something much more macabre.

Peter Hosking will talk about the secrets unveiled by the the excavation of the middens of the Te AhuAhu pah in Piha. What does it tell us about the petrels and other seabirds that used to be abundant on the West Coast of the ranges? Why did they disappear and why are they currently returning to our coasts?

This is a story about a sheep on the run.
He was brave, adventurous and so much fun.
He was a Westie through and through.
He liked exploring and history too.

Our story is a mix of the tale of Benson, his owner Clint, our amazing communities, and the history of the area which Benson uncovered on his own El Camino.

Librarian Raewynn Robertson will show a few photos of Phillip Percival Sharp (b.1915-d.2014) who was in the Ambulance Corp in the Middle East during WWII. A long-time resident of Huia and a former caretaker of Whatipu Lodge, he had a long affiliation with the Titirangi RSA and donated his war-time photo albums to the RSA. These albums were loaned to Auckland Libraries for digitisation and some of the photos are now online.

Military truck stuck in mud, El Alamein, 1942 TRS-A02-24-02

Melissa Laing, Arts Broker for the Whau Local Board, will be talking about 15 month programme About Walking, co-presented by Te Uru that used creative walking methodologies to connect people to history and place. 

Local artist and About walking co-curator Christina Houghton will talk about her two walks Wayfinding Waikumete both in Glen Eden as part of About walking & Auckland Heritage Festival.

When Foster’s Bay at Huia buzzed to the news that a second woman had been found dead at the ramshackle home of ex-bushman Cornelius Bartholemew Bryan.

Every year the last presentation is a very special one – sometimes poetry, music or video all inspired by our West Auckland heritage. This year it will be very special: Sir Bob Harvey and Moby Dick! Is it possible the whale which stranded in Whatipu is the illusive Mocha Dick, Herman Melville modelled his Moby Dick on??? A rollicking tale with lantern slides, shanties and the odd harpoon…