Auckland Islands bicentennial
The abstracts, profiles and comments from the August 2006 Symposium are here.
Commentaries on the Writers' Forum are here.
On 18 August 1806 Captain Abraham Bristow, was returning to England
from Hobart in command of the Ocean, when he discovered the Auckland
Islands. (Unbeknown to Bristow and many Europeans who followed him to
these remote islands, Polynesian seafarers had discovered the islands
as early as the 13th century AD.) The Auckland Islands have an
interesting history of transient human contact and settlements and a
compelling fascination to almost all who visit them.
A committee with representatives of the Royal Society of New Zealand
(Mary McEwen), the Department of Conservation (Kevin Jones and Carol
West) and other enthusiasts (Paul Dingwall, Murray Williams, Ken
Scadden and Martin Cawthorn) organised events to commemorate the
bicentennial of their European discovery. Most were held at Science
House, 11 Turnbull Street, Thorndon, Wellington, with a reception on
Thursday 17 August, sponsored by the Department of Conservation. On 18
August, the day of the bicentennial, a full day symposium was attended
by some 100 enthusiastic participants.
The morning covered the human history of the islands. Rowley Taylor
told the story of Bristow’s the 1806 discovery and other speakers
included Rhys Richards, Prof. Atholl Anderson, Mr Wilford Davis, Paul
Dingwall, Nigel Prickett, Elliot Dawson, Rachael Egerton and Kevin
Jones. After lunch there were papers on the present management and some
aspects of Auckland Island biology, presented by Andy Roberts, Murray
Williams, Prof. Bob Elliott, Geoff Walls and David Galloway, and the
afternoon was completed with earth science papers by Chris Adams, Ian
Turnbull and Bruce McFadgen. Because some of the papers were to be
published elsewhere, no formal proceedings are to be published but
Powerpoint presentations and other material well be compiled on a CD.
The NZ Antarctic Society hosted an early evening function in Science
House with speakers Richard Reaney on the historical connection of the
Auckland Islands with Antarctic exploration, and Brett Fotheringham, on
Captain Abraham Bristow himself. A Writers’ Forum at the Stout Research
Institute, Victoria University of Wellington on Saturday morning
included papers by Elliott Dawson, Christianne Mortelier, Joan Druett,
Ken Scadden, Mary McEwen, Rowley Taylor, Brett Fotheringham and Alan
Knowles. Historic films about the Auckland Islands were shown at the
New Zealand Film Archive in the afternoon and celebrations ended with a
bicentenary dinner served in Science House that evening.
The bicentenary continues to be remembered in the exhibition ‘50o
South
– The Auckland Islands 1806-2006’ running in conjunction with
‘Butterflies, Boffins and Black Smokers – Two Centuries of Science in
New Zealand’ at the National Library Gallery from 5 September until 26
November. We look forward to the bicentenary of European discovery of
Campbell Island in 2010.
Mary McEwen
September 2006.
Ian Turnbull (
I.Turnbull@gns.cri.nz)
organised papers on
the geology of the Auckland Islands and papers were contributed in
the fields of archaeology, more recent human history, biology, and
present day management.
The Antarctic Society hosted an early evening reception after the
symposium and on Saturday a Writer's Forum and film showings at
the New Zealand Film Archive took place - all focusing on the Auckland
Islands. Drinks and a final dinner were held at Science House on
Saturday evening.
Symposium papers covered the European discovery itself (by Rowley
Taylor), the first Polynesian inhabitants (by Atholl Anderson), and
other events in the human history of the islands such as the
unsuccessful colonisation attempt, farming, etc. There were also papers
about the geology and lichens of the islands and the uniquely
useful biology of Auckland Island pigs to medical science.
The organisers are grateful to
Dr
Paul Tan and Professor Bob Elliott of Living Cell Technologies Group
for their generous donation towards the celebrations.
Links to more information about the Auckland Islands:
