Bay Harbour: December 02, 2020

Wednesday December 2 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 9
Time to change
our culture
Dave Bryce of
the Redcliffs/
Te Rae Kura
Eco Village
group says it
is focusing on
culture and recreation
CULTURE IS the way we live,
the combination of our beliefs,
what we do and how and why we
do it.
Locally and throughout New
Zealand there are many different
cultures. The original Maaori
culture, is strongly based on the
interdependence between people
(taangata) and the environment
(whenua) with the belief that the
health of the people comes from
the health of the environment.
Western culture is dominant
across NZ, and while there
was strong connection to the
environment centuries ago, it has
gradually changed to one which
believes people are independent
of nature, can take whatever
resources they want, and have
limitless growth. These beliefs are
leading to massive degradation
of much of our biosphere, and
ironically, risk irreversibly changing
our earth to be uninhabitable
for humans.
Locally and throughout NZ/
Aotearoa we could change this
culture, by listening to, learning
from and working with Maori,
and incorporating more of their
culture and knowledge into our
daily lives.
We could all make a start by
saying “hi” or “kia ora” to a
neighbour, instead of keeping to
ourselves and rushing here and
there, and working long hours
for some things we later find we
didn’t really need.
Chat to neighbours, and spend
a little more time being active in
our community, doing recreation
or helping others or enjoying and
caring for the environment.
We may then see our community
as part of an environment,
where people recognise, connect
to, and care for each other, their
locality and wildlife, as guardians
(kaitiaki), because the key to
healthy and prosperous people
is a healthy and productive environment.
Our pledge on culture and
recreation for 2020 is support
a (low carbon emissions) local
cultural or sporting activity every
month.
ESTUARY MATTERS
Sea captain one of
Woolston’s biggest fans
The Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust is a non-profit
organisation formed to protect one of New Zealand’s most
important coastal wetlands. Each week, board members will
discuss matters regarding the estuary, its rich history and what
makes it unique. This week Bill Simpson writes about the man
behind Charlesworth Wetland Reserve
CHARLESWORTH Wetland
Reserve on the edge of the
estuary is a living memorial to
one of Woolston’s biggest fans.
Captain William
Charlesworth was a sea captain
trading between Australia,
India and England but on his
first voyage to Christchurch in
the mid-1850s he instantly fell in
love with the new town.
Within days, he had purchased
land on Ferry Rd near
the steam wharf on the Heathcote
River.
He acquired other properties
including three hotels in Lyttelton,
pastoral land along the
estuary edge and urban properties
on the corner of Kilmore
and Madras Sts.
He named his Ferry Rd property
Saxon Farm (his trading
ship was the Royal Saxon) and
built himself a grand house
which he called Saxon Villa.
Newspapers referred to him
as a gentleman and he had local
status as a sea captain but he
kept a low profile in local affairs.
His only recorded public
position was as a member of the
Woolston School Committee.
Across the Tasman, Charlesworth
is known as the man who
first bought elephants, tigers
and bears to Australia.
He collected the
animals in India and
then sold them to
colonists in Hobart, Melbourne
and Sydney. One of his
elephants, Tommy, toured
widely within Australia and
become quite famous.
After buying land here,
Charlesworth persuaded siblings
to come to New Zealand
with their families, but his only
child, Frederick Towns Charlesworth,
died at the age of 23 from
diphtheria.
Charlesworth died in 1875
aged 60 of blood poisoning from
an accident while chopping a
tree down near his house.
Volunteers are welcome to
assist in maintaining Charlesworth
Reserve, the team meets
every Sunday at 3pm.
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YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN
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6 WEEK PROGRAMME 21 JANUARY – 25 FEBRUARY 2021
• Check-in from 5.00pm, starts 6.00pm, BBQ
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Redcliffs Mount Pleasant
Bowling Club
Try something different...
play bowls
9 James Street, Redcliffs
Ph 384-3733
redcliffsbowls@xtra.co.nz
www.redcliffsbowls.co.nz
Great friendship and fun for all... RSVP by 16 January 2021: davidsingleton.nz@gmail.com