Atholl Anderson and Aroha Harris

5.30–7.00pm Monday 27 April 2015, Century Theatre, MTG Hawke’s Bay, Napier

Atholl Anderson, FRSNZ and Aroha Harris will talk about new perspectives on Māori history, drawing on their work for Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History.  This book is shortlisted for the 2015 Science Book Prize.

Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History charts the sweep of Māori history from ancient origins through to the twenty-first century. Through narrative and images, it offers a striking overview of the past, grounded in specific localities and histories.
The story begins with the migration of ancestral peoples out of South China, some 5,000 years ago. More at Bridget Williams Books

Judges’ comments

Tangata Whenua is a beautifully produced, well illustrated and comprehensive record of the tangata whenua. Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney and Aroha Harris present archaeological and genetic evidence alongside history, traditional narratives and oral sources to produce this powerful story – both scholarly and readable – of Maori people and the land they live in.

This is a free public event – for more information, contact Dianne Park: dpark@mtghawkesbay.com, (06) 833 9936

Download flier here>

Seaweek Royal Society Lecture

7:30 PM, 3 March 2015, National Aquarium of New Zealand, Marine Parade, Napier

Anton Van Helden

Marine Mammal and Museum consultant, Illustrator, cartoonist, and entertainer

For 24 years, Anton managed one of the worlds largest collections of Marine Mammals, exhibition planning and design, collections management, research (particularly on beaked whales), specimen acquisition, preparation and preparative processes, illustration, communication, lecturing, workshop development and implementation and specimen handling. He was involved in adding over 1000 specimens of marine mammals to New Zealand’s national marine mammal collection.

Anton was involved in the description of Perrin’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon perrini), the resurrection of the Spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii) and adding several species of cetacean to the New Zealand fauna. He was instrumental in the development of the Whales Tohora exhibition (currently touring North America) and the exhibit Wild Design at Te Papa.

Anton produced numerous illustrations for Te Papa for the exhibitions NatureSpace, Blood-Earth-Fire, The Colossal squid, Whales Tohora and other online and printed resources.

Members and friends joined the Branch Council at the Holt Planetarium on Monday 8 December for a small celebration at the start of the festive season. This was prior to the evening lecture by Hamish Campbell.

This was also an opportunity to recognise the support for lectures we receive from the Holt Planetarium, and the staff at the National Aquarium who between them host most of our events. Thanks especially, Gary and Carol.

How and where to find them

Dr Hamish Campbell, GNS Science.
Monday 8 December 

Hamish Campbell, here to support the fascinating Dinosaur Footprints exhibition at The National Aquarium of New Zealand, delivered a virtuoso performance on topics far wider than merely the dinosaur record. Anyone who has heard Dr Campbell speak on radio or TV will attest to the clarity with which he communicates to a lay audience.

By the end of its ninety minutes, his talk, and his answers to the many questions from the audience ranged across the origins of the land masses that make up modern New Zealand and neighbouring islands, the tectonic plates and faults that determine its seismicity, the geology evident at its surface (including fossil discoveries), through to evidence of climate change and its likely future consequences.

Preceded by festive drinks and nibbles, this lecture brought the year to a fitting and entertaining close.

7:30PM Wednesday 29th October at the Holt Planetarium, Chambers St, Napier

The Royal Society of New Zealand undertook a major review of the rapidly changing New Zealand population, and the implications of this for the economy, social cohesion, education, and health. Its purpose was to promote informed discussion of the implications of the 2013 New Zealand Census for understanding the changing nature of New Zealand society.

Our Futures: Te Pae Tāwhiti brought together data and analysis from the 2013 census and other sources, together with input from a wide range of researchers, to provide evidence-based pointers to the future of New Zealand society. It covers seven key themes: diversity, population change, tangata whenua, migration, households and families, regional variation, and work.

More information here>

The presentation was delivered by Professor Paul Spoonley.

Distinguished Professor Spoonley is one of New Zealand’s leading academics and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He joined the Massey staff in 1979 and was, until becoming Pro Vice-Chancellor in October 2013, the College’s Research Director and Auckland Regional Director. He has led numerous externally funded research programmes, including the Ministry of Science and Innovation’s $3.2 million Integration of Immigrants  and the $800,000 Nga Tangata Oho Mairangi. He has written or edited 25 books and is a regular commentator in the news media.

In 2010, Professor Spoonley was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of California Berkeley and in 2013, a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Goettingen. He was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand Science and Technology medal in 2009 in recognition of his academic scholarship, leadership and public contribution to cultural understanding  and in 2011, his contribution to Sociology was acknowledged with the Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand’s scholarship for exceptional service to New Zealand sociology. In 2013, he was given the title of Distinguished Professor, Massey University’s highest academic title.