Waipā celebrates Heritage Month
Local history will come to life next month when Waipā District Libraries celebrate Heritage Month.
Te Awamutu and Cambridge libraries are hosting a raft of free presentations and activities throughout February that explore the district’s heritage.
Community services manager, Sally Sheedy, said there is something for everyone on offer, with activities ranging from heritage walks to information sessions run by authors and historians.
“Heritage Month is a fantastic opportunity to hear from local experts about the history of Waipā,” she said.
“We encourage residents to come along and discover more about what happened in their backyard.”
Historian Alan Hall will host the first official Heritage Month event, a discussion of Te Awamutu’s development through stories of some of the town’s heritage commercial buildings. The event will be held at the Te Awamutu Library Community Room at 6.30pm, Wednesday 5 February.
Following on from the presentation is a walking tour through Te Awamutu, Friday 14 February.
The 90 minute tour, led by Alan Hall, begins at the Te Awamutu Library and journeys through the town with a focus on commercial heritage buildings.
Waipā district councillor, Roger Gordon, is leading another heritage walk in Cambridge on Friday 7 February.
The two-hour walking tour departs from outside the Cambridge Town Hall and passes through locations of interest including Victoria Square, St Andrew’s Church, the Le Quesnoy memorial, Victoria Bridge and the Volunteer Fire Brigade.
“The heritage walk explores a potted history of Cambridge,” Gordon said.
“We have wonderful stories to tell about the town and many are within a condensed area of the CBD so are an easy walk. To truly know where you are heading, you must learn your past and this is a wonderful opportunity to improve your understanding about the place we call home.”
Another must-do is the information session for Te Ara Wai Journeys, a unique self-guided tour of culturally significant sites in Waipā district. Those interested should head along to the Te Awamutu Library Community Room on Wednesday 12 February.
Te Ara Wai Journeys was launched in December at the Mighty River Domain on Lake Karāpiro – one of the featured locations of the free experience. Learn more about Te Ara Wai Journeys at www.tearawai.nz.
To register and to check out the full line-up of Heritage Month events, head to www.waipalibraries.org.nz.