Online show to celebrate Kiwi women
Cricket gloves belonging to one of the original White Ferns were the first item uploaded to an online exhibition celebrating Kiwi women of significance.
Girls Of Significance/Ko¯ hine ta¯ pua is a collaboration between Te
Papa’s National Service Te Paerangi and Girl Museum, an online space dedicated to girlhood.
National Service content and resource advisor Emma Philpott said she was on the lookout for items from the childhoods of women of significance to add to the collection.
‘‘It might be a school journal of Helen Clark or a cricket bat that belonged to Emily Drumm,’’ she said.
The cricket gloves belonged to Pearl Savin, who played for the White Ferns in the team’s first international cricket match in 1935. A photo of the gloves was uploaded to the online exhibition by the New Zealand Cricket Museum.
Savin was presented with the gloves for being Auckland’s player of the match against an English side in 1935 – the same game which lead to her selection for the White Ferns.
The White Ferns did not play for 13 years after their debut, meaning Savin only ever played one test for New Zealand.
Museum director Jamie Bell said the New Zealand Cricket Museum appreciated the opportunity to contribute to Girls Of Significance.
‘‘We are always trying to look for ways to connect our stories to bigger social stories,’’ Bell said.
The exhibition’s organisers were also interested in stories about girls who made a positive difference in their communities today and hoped schools would also be involved in the project.
Girls Of Significance/Ko¯ hine ta¯ pua is linked to the Kiwi Chicks blog, which was set up by National Services Te Paerangi and Girl Museum in 2012.
Kiwi Chicks is an online space where museums can upload their collections relating to girlhood.
The Kiwi Chicks blog features items such as clothes, toys and books, which give an insight into the lives of Kiwi girls as they grew up in the 18th to 20th centuries.
Girls Of Significance/Ko¯ hine ta¯ pua is aiming for a more in-depth exhibition of tangible items with meaningful stories behind them. It was launched on April 25.