St Joseph’s Home for Incurable opens 113 years ago (29 January 1900)
This home for so-called ‘incurables’, in Buckle Street, Wellington, was an initiative set up by Reverend Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, with the help of Catholic nuns, the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. Mother Aubert was the founder of this religious congregation, in 1892.
Prior to her work in Wellington with urban poor, she had gained notice for work in rural areas, especially with Maori in the Whanganui. This French-born nun was also well-versed in the use of Maori medicinal practices and herbs and had manufactured her own medicines, like the one shown below.
’Paramo’ medicinal preparation in box, circa 1895, Wanganui. Mother Mary Aubert. Gift of The Sisters of Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay, 1990. Te Papa
Her new venture began with 11 beds for men and women. From 1901, a soup kitchen was being run from the premises. Then, in November 1903 a crèche opened in nearby cottages for the babies of working mothers.
In October 1903, an article in the Evening Post called the Home a ‘resting place for the decrepit, the unfit, the unfit, the maimed people the outside world has no use for’. Mother Aubert and her Sisters were praised for their dedication ‘to lift[ing] fallen humanity from the slough of the world, no matter how they got there’.
Old men’s home, Ashburton, New Zealand. Muir & Moodie, Te Papa
The Home, which depended on public donations, was the first of its kind to open in New Zealand. A reliance on private charity was normal for many other similar institutions, such as the one shown above.
Although the Old Age Pensions Act had been passed in November 1898, it was not until after 1935 that the New Zealand government became the main provider of social welfare.
The mutual appreciation of ‘green stone’ jadite (jade) and nephrite (pounamu) provided an ideal platform for re-establishing a cultural exchange.
The exhibition required ease of installation and minimal object handling to ensure the safety of the taonga. This meant Object Support staff had to find innovative and aesthetic solutions to display all 216 objects. Small and fragile items, matau (fish hooks), pendants, and hei tiki were all stitched to acrylic panels. Fishing line was selected for it’s strength and transparency and the anchor bend knot was selected for absolute non-slip security.
Curator Dougal Austin condition reporting all 216 objects, November 2012. Callum Strong.
Larger items like mere and toki were displayed on stainless steel mounts, carefully welded to exact dimensions of each unique taonga.
Exhibition display case. November 2012. Callum Strong
Large touchstones were supported on thick acrylic disks, mounted on plinths. The heaviest weighed nearly 200 kgs! An intricate lifting apparatus was designed and fabricated by Object Support staff so that it could disassemble to fit in the crate and be re-assembled on site so either a forklift or six strong people could lift the touch stone into place.
Yi, er, sun TAI (one, two, three LIFT!) Was the first thing Transit Preparator Callum Strong learnt for his role supervising the install at the National Museum of China.
Huaxai Art Handlers lift the 200kg ‘Te Huriki’ Snowflake. November 2012. Callum Strong
The installation went very smoothly with just two minor alterations required to fit the display cases. The exhibition team of NMC included amazing craftsmen. After some sign language, quick sketches and lots of nodding they fabricated a new lift and mount to maintain the overall quality and safety of the show.
The staff of the NMC were welcoming, friendly and very appreciative to be displaying the national treasures of Aotearoa. Xie xie. Xie xie. (shee-ya) Thank you. Thank you.
Rātana is a Māori adaptation of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Founded in 1918 by T.W. Rātana (1873–1939), Rātana has become a major Māori church in New Zealand with over 45, 000 Morehu or followers (as at the 2006 census). T.W. Rātana was raised Presbyterian with Wesleyan influences, so it is highly likely this religious familiarity has influenced the presentation of the Rātana kākahu, which show a distinct and direct correlation to the Protestant ecclesiastical vestments. The clothing that symbolised authority within the Protestant faith was adapted as the symbols of authority and leadership in the Rātana faith.
From its establishment to today, the Rātana Church continues its role as an important faith and guide for many Māori across the country, and T.W. Rātana had a major impact on Māori leadership in the twentieth century.
A.005127; At Ratana; 1939; Maori; Raine, William Hall
A.005115; Ratana; about 1933; Raine, William Hall. 5 men (all 5 wearing suits), on house porch, attending the 60th birthday celebrations of Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana (centre, front row) :- Back row (left to right) – PK Paikea, T Omana. Front row (lerft to right) – HT Ratana, Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana and ET Tirikatene.
Rātana Ministerial Uniforms
Uniforms are of great importance to the Rātana Church, especially as visual signifiers of the specific roles and duties of the wearer. There are three levels of Āpotoro – three different ministers/readers, and each of these is identifiable by their various prescribed uniforms.
In the image below, you can see three types of minister uniforms.
The different Āpotoro at Rātana Pā. Photograph courtesy of Robin Ohia. 2011.
The Āpotoro Rēhita or the Registered Apostle is an official registered minister who not only has spiritual duties but also legal. They are legally mandated to carry out the similar duties as a Justice of the Peace. (Purple cassock, white surplice, purple stole)
There are also the Āpotoro Wairua, the lay-readers, who support many followers of the Rātana Faith with spiritual counsel and guidance. (Blue robe, red stole)
There are the Akonga, or the disciples in training. (White surplice, yellow stole)
Colour origins
The design origins of the Rātana ministerial clothing lie within the Old Testament from the Exodus gospel: “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39, 1)
The Donor – Mita Ririnui
The Honourable Mita Ririnui in his Āpotoro Rēhita robes. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
These kākahu were gifted by Honourable Mita Ririnui, a retired Labour MP for the Waiariki District and an Apōtoro Rēhita in the Rātana Church for the last 25 years. He lives in Tauranga, where he was born and raised, and is of Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pukenga descent. He continues to carry out Treaty Settlement work following his retirement from Parliament in 2011 and was raised in the Rātana Church:
“I have always been a member of the Rātana Church, my dad was a member of the Rātana Church, my granddad was a member of the Rātana Church so that’s the only religion I have ever known. …. I have always followed the philosophy of the Rātana Church; much of it has been instrumental in my upbringing.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012).
Mita became an Ākonga at the relatively young age of 27 and just a few years later he was made an Āpotoro Rēhita. His ascension within the church not only meant a commitment by him as an individual, it also required the commitment of his wider whanau. He described the special process in acquiring his appropriate robes for his new roles and the involvement of his family, almost as a rite of passage:
“My family gave me my kākahu – my first set of kākahu were my lay reader’s kākahu. My dad and his sisters gave me those. They were the only set of kākahu I had for that particular tūranga (appointment). When I graduated to the next level as an Āpotoro Wairua, the responsibility was mine from thereon…and so when I was appointed the position, I made a deliberate approach to the church authorities and presented my certificate. And once it had been signed, I made a deliberate attempt to purchase my own, because it had to be mine. And because the role became more important I had to take total responsibility.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
The Āpotoro Rēhita robes that he wore as a Registered Apostle were, in the end, paid for by Mita and his father. The involvement of family in the ordination and robing was significant. To acquire the robes, the pair made a trip to the Rātana Pā near Whanganui.
“They’re only made in the church office, Rātana Pā – these lovely ladies in the back room, with their sewing machines, having been seamstresses in previous lives, and I’d like to say made to measure, but they fitted me perfectly.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
Mita was then 30 years old, and still continues to practice today as an Āpotoro Rēhita.
Detail close ups of the kākahu. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
On a slightly more personal note, while I was brought up Katorika or Catholic, I was also raised alongside many of my extended family and members of my tribes who belonged to the Rātana church. Indeed three of my grandparents were raised Rātana (until my maternal grandmother converted to Catholicism after marrying my grandfather). So the Rātana church had a very strong presence in my childhood and I’ve always loved the colours and sounds of Rātana – their striking purple uniforms, hymns, the thunder and lament of the Rātana Brass Bands (otherwise called the Reo), and the solemnity of the spiritual Āpotoro. And in this, there were memories of watching uncles who were Āpotoro, dress in their Āpotoro robes, in readiness for Whakamoemiti or prayer service. There was a tangible sense of transformation and reflection as they dressed. In that short small and informal ritual of donning their robes over their everyday clothes they stopped being our uncles, and became spiritual leaders. I wanted to duplicate this process somehow in the Uniformity exhibition.
When I explained this to the Uniformity exhibition team and to Mita, they were in full support. And with huge amount of gratitude to the generosity of Mita, we were able to film the following clip here in our studio at Te Papa. We filmed his dressing process in the morning, and in the afternoon, I interviewed him about his life in the church and as an Āpotoro.
Filming Mita Ririnui in Te Papa studio. June 2012. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa 2012.
Adjusting robes for filming. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa 2012.
Mita Ririnui and the Curator. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
I’m always interested in hearing and seeing your own memories of churches in your life. Please feel free to share images or stories, either of the Rātana Church or of any other denomination.
He mihi:
Thank you to Mita Ririnui for his generosity in contributing to the Uniformity exhibition and sharing his personal stories with Te Papa.
Thank you also to Te Herekiekie Herewini, for peer reviewing this article.
Glossary:
Kākahu: Clothes, robes
Tūranga: appointed position
Āpotoro Rēhita: Registered Apostle
Āpotoro Wairua: Spiritual Apostle, Layreader
Ākonga: Acolyte, Learner
Whetū Marama: The crescent moon and star symbol of the RātanaChurch
Great interview about Te Papa’s newest exhibition, Game Masters, exploring gaming history since the Seventies, on National Radio’s This Way Up with Phil Louie, Host Supervisor, and Kristelle Plimmer, Concept Developer.
My love of gaming began in 1982, Cobham Court, Porirua, in the smoke-filled, illicit depths of the local gaming arcade that existed solely to extract as many twenty cent coins from me as possible. There, I learned to quickly jimmy the coin slot with a wire to wring a free game from the machine when the arcade operator wasn’t looking – more often than not, the machine resisted my efforts, and I’d soon find myself sulking outside on the pavement post discovery, rubbing a freshly-cuffed ear as I gazed longingly within.
Whiffy teenaged boys and the occasional brave girl shuffled between Defender and Galaga, Pacman, and DonkeyKong; conducting painful first romances against the marching, staccato audio of Space Invaders. Dodgy deals and frantic trades of lunch for “Gotta dollar, cuz?”in order to continue playing was the order of the day – and night. Even the frenetic whisper of “It’s the truant officer!” wasn’t enough to clear the den of glassy-eyed Spacies players. There were reputations to uphold, make or break. The most eligible boy in school wasn’t the brainiest, or the sporty one – it was the kid who had the highest score on Defender!
The Spacies parlour was located at the back of McDonald’s, and its proud claim to being New Zealand’s first golden arches added to the parlour’s infamy – and attraction. Every local teenage girl knew that she was in for a rocking good night when she was asked to “hang out and play Spacies” by a boy. The tantalising offer of a Big Mac and a game of Donkey Kong convinced many young ladies they’d found their Knight on a stolen BMX.
Ah, those were the days!
Fast forward thirty years, and the beloved arcade, console and pc games of my youth are now considered worthy of artistic contemplation in the new Game Masters exhibition at Te Papa. Who knew? My misspent years of playing games and having no social life finally pays off when Phil Louie, Host Supervisor of Game Masters, Te Papa’s shiny new exhibit, asks me to blog about the exhibit.
What’s a girl to say to such a generous offer? Next to designing the games, or getting paid to play them, writing about the games is the nearest thing to career nirvana I will probably ever experience, which doesn’t bode well for my career path! I ask the most important question – do I get to play the games? (For research purposes, of course!)
I feel inordinately special when Phil says “Yes” with a grin on his face. He’s a gamer, and we’ve had many discussions through the years about our favourite console, pc, and online games. He knows exactly what I’m thinking: ‘Awesome with a capital O!’
From Yuji Naka, Sonic the Hedgehog, to Will Wright, SimCity and The Sims, to Paulina Bozek, SingStar, one of the few successful female game developers in the industry; Game Masters explores forty years of game design, evolution, history, and technology. Packed with over 100 playable games – from the seminal Space Invaders, the arcade game that spawned a revolution in the Seventies, to the more recent, yet no less popular kinetic game Dance Central, this exhibit is proving to be one of the most interactive exhibits I’ve ever worked on. From six-year-olds to grandparents, casual gamers to hardcore, retro technology buffs to graphic animators – there’s something for everyone.
I am so stoked to find Eric Chahi’s Another World nestled next to Fable 3. Fable 3 will have to wait for another blog post, because I’m lovingly soaking up the graphics of Another World, which catapaults me back to 1992, when I first played this game. In my mind’s eye, I see a Twenty-something bright-eyed and bushy-tailed version of myself obsessively re-playing the same stage literally hundreds of times, and dying, just so I could see what happened next in Lester’s mysterious journey. It took a combination of timing, good hand/eye co-ordination, and sometimes pure smarts to get to the next fiendishly difficult stage, but somehow I managed to ‘clock” what has been rated the ’99th most essential video game of all time’ by 1UP.com.
What’s your memory of the first computer game/s you ever played?
Game Masters is on at Te Papa National Museum till the 28th April.
Seventy one years ago, New Zealand declares war on Japan after the bombing of the US naval bases at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii (8 December 1941)
The bombing of Pearl Harbour set the Pacific War in motion. This event and Japan’s subsequent expansion through the Philippines, Thailand and the Malaysian peninsula, followed by the capture of the strategic British naval base at Singapore in February 1942 and the bombing of Darwin in northern Australia, intensified fears that New Zealand would also be attacked.
Jigsaw puzzle, ’The Riddle of the Pacific’, 1944, New Zealand. J W Ltd. Gift of Alison Hutton, 2008. Te Papa
Home defence efforts intensified, while negative attitudes towards Japanese surfaced in benign every day objects, including parlour games, such as the puzzle shown above.
By 1941, the bulk of New Zealand troops had been posted to North Africa, one of the battle fronts shown of this comical map.
Poster, ’Berlin’, 1941, United Kingdom. Maker unknown. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967. Te Papa
The leaders of New Zealand, the USA and Great Britain came to an agreement that they would stay there while American troops were deployed to the Pacific. New Zealand would be used as their base for staging operations as well as training, picking up supplies and ‘R&R’ (rest and recreation) for troops.
Tens of thousands of Americans found themselves living in camps in New Zealand between June 1942 and mid-1944. Crown Lynn manufactured virtually indestructible plates, mugs and bowls, like this one, for the Americans to use while they were there.
Bowl, circa 1943, Auckland. Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd. Purchased 1995. Te Papa
Many of the camps were located near main centres of population, and troops came into regular with locals who provided home comforts, and hospitality and entertainment in venues like the club in the photo, which was set up by the Red Cross in Masterton. This club’s cafeteria catered to American tastes by adding hamburgers and cheeseburgers on its menu.
American Red Cross Service Club, Masterton, 1939 – 1945, Wellington. Gordon H. Burt, Te Papa
Romance often blossomed between New Zealand women and the glamorous visitors. Around 1500 women married an American sweetheart. Ada Menzies might have been included this number, except that her American fiancé, First Lieutenant Hugh Leidel, died from wounds at Tarawa in the Pacific in November 1943 – a month after their engagement.
’Sweetheart’ brooch, early 1940s. Maker unknown. Gift of Philip Menzies in memory of Ada Menzies, 2012. Te Papa
Hugh may have given Ada this brooch, featuring an optimistic ‘V’ for victory, while they were courting. It remained amongst her possessions until her death.
The influence of the wartime ‘invasion’ by the Americans on popular culture and international politics also continued long after the troops had departed from New Zealand.
The Te Papa Store has just taken possession of a range of new stock inspired by the museum’s natural history collection. Dead Set is by textile designer Genevieve Packer, and is based on Te Papa’s haunting and strange collection of bird skins.
DEAD SET | KOTARE CUSHION, Digital print on hemp / organic cotton
For the novice, of which I am in the case of natural history, bird skins are collected for research purposes, and are just that – boneless skins, stuffed with a bit of padding and a stick. Te Papa holds multiples of native bird skins. Collected over time and en masse they enable scientists to compare and contrast specimens.
Page from the British Museum’s 1970 guide for collectors on preparing bird skins.
Grouped en masse, where difference suddenly comes to the fore, Genevieve Packer saw a design opportunity. She writes:
‘This new range of printed textiles and paper continues to expand on my ongoing interest in how we package and sell our culture and history – not only to foreigners, but to ourselves. It takes native New Zealand birds commonly used on souvenir / gift products – such as the Tui and Pukeko – and presents them in the rarely seen form of ’skins’ from Te Papa’s bird collection, exposing the care and beauty involved in preserving our natural history.’
DEAD SET | MIROMIRO SCARF, digital print on silk/cotton
The little birds above are tomtits or miromiro, of which there are five different subspecies. Te Papa has 169 miromiro skins plus a few wings and tails. A mix of male and female, adults, immature and juveniles, the oldest specimen was collected on Chatham Island in 1871 and the latest donated from Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now Zealandia) in 2002. Today, Te Papa does not actively collect live birds, but we do accept donations of deceased birds from Department of Conservation staff or members of the public.
The bird skins are stored in drawers, arranged very much as you see above. It was an image of drawers upon drawers of colourful bird skins and their keepers at the Smithsonian, that inspired Genevieve to pick up the phone and ring Te Papa. She was put in contact with Gillian Stone who looks after the bird collection, and who soon found herself in the role of stylist. Genevieve worked with Gillian to curate and ‘style’ the drawers – removing any odd or particularly damaged birds, arranging their labels etc and giving consideration to overall composition. They were then photographed under Genevieve’s direction by Te Papa photographer Kate Whitley.
DEAD SET POSTER | PUKEKO, offset print on 170gsm
Genevieve chose to primarily focus on Pukeko, with their wonderful balletic legs, Miromiro and Kakariki skins, along with the Kotare and Tui. She has produced a range of products from cushion covers and scarves to postcards, that have already provoked quite a reaction.
‘The response has been quite polarising. Some viewers get it and love it. Others not so much! But it has certainly been a conversation starter.’
Both Buller’s Birds of New Zealand and Genevieve Packer’s provocative Dead Set collection are available from the Te Papa Store - Christmas gifts perhaps for bird lovers, conversationalists or provocateurs. Whether or not Dead Set is to everyone’s taste, it has been wonderful experience having a designer use our collections as a design resource.
Graham Jackson and his grandson Mathew Jackson Raines were thrilled to see the uniform of their ancestor Sergeant John Smith Jackson (1870-1963) on display in Uniformity: Cracking the dress code at Te Papa recently. Sergeant Jackson is Graham’s grandfather and Matt’s great-great grandfather.
Matt Raines and Graham Jackson checking out Sergeant John Smith Jackson’s uniform, 2012.
As a young man, John Smith Jackson joined the Gordon Highlanders – a famous Scottish regiment of the British Army. He later migrated to New Zealand with his family in 1910 and became a grocer and electrician in Petone, Wellington.
Sergeant John Smith Jackson, late 1880s-90s. Photograph courtesy of Beatrice Jackson and Pat McAllister.
Red tunics like this example were worn by the British Army from the middle of the 17th century. Soldiers became known for their striking scarlet clothing, and were sometimes called ‘Redcoats’.
The tunic on display in ‘Uniformity’, level 4, Te Papa.
The yellow cuffs and collar of this tunic are called facings. Yellow is the colour which denotes Scottish regiments. This tunic is similar to the standard British Army tunic of the period but was shorter at the front to expose more of the kilt worn underneath by Scottish soldiers.
This tunic looks smart, but would have been restrictive in battle. However, many believed in the Victorian period that posture and tight-fitting clothing were elements that marked a soldier. Smartness was allied to discipline.
Bizarre blobfish, toothy sharks and curious coral can all be found at Te Papa this summer!
Our host team got a sneak peek behind the scenes at the new Deep NZ exhibition before it opened to the public, with a fantastic talk given by Rick Webber, the curator of the exhibition. Full of weird and wonderful deep sea species, Deep NZ takes you on a journey under the deep ocean surrounding New Zealand.
Despite what you might think, this deep, dark world teems with life. You can see hagfish escaping sharks using a snotty defence, a scary-looking sea spider and an unusual anglerfish – trust me, you don’t want to come face-to-face with one of those.
Check out this video for a glimpse into the underwater world:
You can see more videos like this – with added narration – at the exhibition.
As hosts, we got the full rundown on the exhibition, so if you have any questions about it, please talk to one of us. If we don’t know the answer, or can’t find it out straight away, we can ask one of our experts who will get back to you.
The best thing to do is investigate the exhibition for yourself. Some of these strange sea creatures have to be seen to be believed.
93 years ago the first health camp opens at Turakina (25 November 1919)
New Zealand’s first health camp was founded by Dr Elizabeth Gunn. The first group of 55 children stayed in tents for three weeks. Gunn had been a military doctor, and brought this experience with her to the running of the camps.
Poster, ’Help promote Health!’, 1930, Wellington. W.A.G. Skinner, Government Printer. Purchased 2001. Te Papa
The camp was set up to boost the physical welfare of children, believed to be in danger of degeneration in the early decades of the twentieth century. The health camp idea spread around the country.
Otaki Health Camp children, 1945. From the portfolio: PhotoForum - John Pascoe, 1945, Otaki. John Pascoe.
In the 1930s, their administration was taken over the government. The camps were a plank in social security legislation implemented by the First Labour Government.
Publicity photograph for Health stamps, 1931, Wellington. Gordon H. Burt Ltd, Maker unknown. Te Papa
Stamps to raise funds for the camps have been sold since 1929. Many of the stamps were designed by notable commercial artists and feature strong graphic elements.
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Please note that some of them are not available for sale, supply or distribution. In any case, to purchase an image, please contact our Picture Library.
