Museum director for annual lecture
The 2022 Mina McKenzie Lecture will be given by Dr Bronwyn Labrum. The director of Whanganui Regional Museum has written widely on Aotearoa’s social and cultural history, notably in her book Real Modern, a study of New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s. The subject of her lecture will be Stories of change and innovation in the regions: Women in New Zealand museums since the 1950s.
This is a particularly appropriate topic for a lecture honouring Mina McKenzie as it was her energy and focus that led to the establishment of the Manawatu¯ Museum, Te Manawa’s predecessor. McKenzie began as a volunteer, balancing family life with lobbying and promoting exhibitions before taking on a part-time position. Eventually, she became the first director of an enlarged museum in 1978. Labrum says female directors brought new perspectives to collection building with a stronger emphasis on social history.
Her lecture is at Te Manawa Museum on November 7, at 7pm.
The lecture is part of Local History Week, which starts on Sunday.
Throughout the week, images from Queen Elizabeth’s visits to Palmerston North will be on display at Central Library and on Monday at noon, Lesley Courtney will talk about those visits. There will be behind-the-scenes tours of city council and Massey University archives and on November 6, Professor Richard Shaw will talk about his memoir The Forgotten Coast.
Shaw shares that his ancestors once farmed land in Taranaki confiscated from Ma¯ ori and sold to his greatgrandfather, who was with the armed constabulary when it invaded Parihaka on November 5, 1881.
Also on November 6, Hoffman Kiln, Palmerston North Electric Power Station and Caccia Birch House will hold open days.
The full programme is at citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz or from Central Library.