Southern View: August 13, 2019

8 Tuesday August 13 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
News
Libraries
celebrate
160 years
WHEN Christchurch residents
borrowed their first books from
a library, it was from a single
room on High St in 1859.
Now, the 160th birthday of
Christchurch City Libraries
is being celebrated with
the exhibition Illuminate:
Unearthing Treasures from
our Collection, which opened
on Saturday in the Southbase
Gallery at Tūranga. It will run
until October 27.
The exhibition features rare
books, including An Account
of a Voyage Around the World,
by James Cook, published in
1773; original New Zealand
artworks, historic maps, vintage
posters from the 1970s and
1980s, including some printed
by record label Flying Nun and
a typescript of catalogue of the
Universe by Margaret Mahy.
Library branches around
the city will also mark the
anniversary with displays
of historic photographs and
memorabilia.
City council head of libraries
Carolyn Robertson said the
importance of libraries has
grown hugely over the past 160
years.
“It’s amazing to think that
libraries have been serving local
people for so long. In those early
days books were all people could
borrow, but today’s libraries are
a source of so much information
across many different platforms,
as well as being home to a huge
range of programmes and
events.”
“Regardless of changes in
technology, libraries have
always been a place to inspire
knowledge, foster creativity,
challenge our curiosity and meet
other people,” she said.
“This anniversary is a great
opportunity to celebrate that
role. Illuminate is all about
showing how libraries can
open our eyes, and bring new
information to light.”
McCahon painting reunites old girls
• By Sophie Cornish and Claire
Booker
IT WAS 1969 and six young
women who had just finished at
Christchurch Girls’ High wanted
to have a good time at a ball.
They founded the Young Old
Girls’ Association and hosted
their own debutante ball. But
they didn’t expect to make a
profit, let alone enough to buy a
Colin McCahon painting, which
has now become a valuable
collector’s item.
The painting was presented to
the school in 1970 by association
member Jan Hardie at an
assembly.
“When they went along to
the assembly the girls actually
laughed, because they probably
didn’t regard it as a proper
painting in those days . . . we
wanted to present something
that was a bit of a challenge,” said
Annette Hamblett, who was also
a member of the association.
Throughout the 1950s and
early 60s, many school-leavers
went to their formal old girls’
association debutante ball, but
the Young Old Girls’ Association
had no interest in making a
‘debut’.
And they didn’t want to go to a
ball with no alcohol, and ‘stuffy’
old girls, so they took matters
into their own hands.
With their own title, the group
organised a venue, popular
dance band The Chapta, food,
drink and then advertised the
vent everywhere.
“When I think about it now,
we were quite bold, we booked
one of the biggest venues, the
horticultural hall, which used to
be on the corner of Oxford Tce
and Gloucester St,” Ms Hamblett
said.
Against all odds, they made a
profit and one of the association
members, Susan Battye,
suggested they hold another
event and use the other half of
the profits to gift a painting to
the school.
Ms Battye wrote to one of
New Zealand’s most well-known
painters, Colin McCahon.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
ART: CGHS principal Christine O’Neill and deputy head girl Helen O’Connor with the Colin
McCahon painting. (Below) – Young Old Girls’ Association members Susan Battye, Robyn Scott,
Jan Hardie, Annette Hamblett, Judi McCallum and Cheryl Roblilliard with the McCahon painting
they donated to CGHS 50 years ago.
To their surprise, they received
a very encouraging reply, saying
McCahon would tell his dealer to
give them a good deal.
“And he did. By October 1970,
we had acquired our McCahon:
North Otago landscape, number
19, painted with synthetic
polymer on hardboard,” Ms
Hamblett said.
The group met at their old
school recently to celebrate their
success, and reminisce about
their younger days.
The group members said they
were pleased to see each other
again after 50 years, and enjoyed
seeing the painting in all its
glory.
“It will always be a point of
SOUTHERN VIEW
discussion. It’s not just a placid
thing on the wall. It’s going
to provoke discussion about
what is art, and how can it
represent the environment that
we live in in New Zealand,” Ms
Battye said.
The CGHS art department
now teaches students about
McCahon and his paintings.
COPPER RIDGE
OffERs COmmunIty anD lIfEstylE In HalsWEll
staGEs 1 anD 2 aRE
nEaRly sOlD Out, staGE
3 just RElEasED.
tItlEs HavE bEEn IssuED,
anD COnstRuCtIOn Has
staRtED.
family friendly community right
across the brand new Knights stream
school (years 1-8), bike track, skate
park, green fields.
www.generation.co.nz/christchurch
maKInG buIlDInG easy
Like us on Facebook: Generation Homes Christchurch