This 1912 Tyree Studio image shows Trafalgar Park with established trees, surrounded by sea on two sides, and houses to the east. The park had been used as a sports venue for twenty four years by the time this photograph was taken. Hopefully the conditions of the field in this image were an improvement to those that confronted rugby players on the park's opening day.

On Saturday 21 April 1888 the Mayor, Mr John Sharp, with about 250 citizens in attendance, declared the park open and amid cheers from the spectators, kicked off the first rugby game to be played on the new grounds. The match was between the Representative Fifteen and eighteen players selected from various town clubs. The Colonist of 23 April 1888 reported,

'For the first ten minutes it was a game of kick who kick can and as hard as you can - a scramble that must have shocked the fair spectators. Happily at this stage the ball burst, and before a new one was brought, the Captains had instilled into their teams wiser counsel, which manifested itself in a growing improvement during the rest of the spell.'

The same article also comments that,

'there is an inconvenient number of stones lying on the surface, and that it would be wise for footballers themselves to clear them away before playing another match'.

The idea of reclaiming a portion of the mudflats for use as a sports ground was first suggested in 1884. The Nelson Athletic Ground Company was formed, and in 1885 shares were sold in the new company at one pound each. It was reported in The Nelson Evening Mail, 30 April 1888, that in December 1885 Mayor C Y Fell

'…in the presence of a large crowd of people he wheeled the first barrow load of stuff on to the ground.'

The Company later ran into financial difficulties and in 1891 the park was bought by the Nelson City Council initially using money from the Taranaki Refugee Fund.

More information about the history of Trafalgar Park can be found at www.theprow.org.nz/trafalgar-park/.

References:
Football. The Colonist, Volume XXX1, Issue 5194, 23 April 1888, Page 3
Trafalgar Park. The Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 99, 30 April 1888, Page 3
Nelson Athletic Ground Company. The Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 201, 26 August 1890, Page 2
The Prow. Trafalgar Park. Online. Accessed: 1.9.2011. http://www.theprow.org.nz/trafalgar-park/.

The Glass Plate Negative Project

Project Update

To date the project team have made significant progress with over 28,000 images digitised and relocated into metal cabinets. Processing raw data and digital images into our collection management system is a more involved and time consuming process. However we are making great progress with over 5000 images now online through our Collections Online website

How Can You Help?

The Nelson Provincial Museum has signed up with Fundraise Online, an exciting new website that allows people to raise funds for their favourite cause. Donations can be made from around New Zealand and overseas. The site is totally secure and accepts most credit cards. The Glass Plate Negative Project fundraising page has images from the project and includes a link to the Museum's Collections Online site, where almost 5000 of the almost 28,000 plates processed so far are available for viewing and research. While you are on Fundraise Online you can email it to friends and family who you think might be able to offer support for the project. Donations by New Zealand citizens are tax deductible, and a letter of thanks and a receipt is issued for every donation.

Donate online here:

Download a Donation Form

You can also download a donation form here or collect one from the Museum in Nelson or the Research Facility in Isel Park, Stoke. All donations of $5 or more are tax deductable.

RUGBY - celebrating grassroots and All Blacks

As part of our contribution to the Game On Festival we have been very fortunate to secure the use of the Peter Bush images associated with his Hard on the Heels exhibition through to the end of October this year. The DVD interview done by Peter and Keith Quinn describes more than 60 of over 100 images that truly 'capture the All Blacks'.

Nelson College have provided a huge 3m version of the 'Birthplace of Rugby' panel that is sited at the College and at the Botanics which is the site of the first game of 'big side' rugby in New Zealand. That game played on 14 May 1870 will be re-enacted on 20 September this year featuring teams from Nelson College and New Zealand's oldest club, the Nelson Rugby Football Club. There are no photos of that game. We have a very large print of a painting by Paul Wilding which shows his impression of that historic contest. It is on display in the front window of the Museum.

Nelson Provincial Museum's nationally important Photographic Collection has some wonderful images that span more than a hundred years of the game and a number of those feature in the slide show that can be viewed in the Trafalgar Street window or in the upper foyer.

Many local rugby clubs have produced photos of their teams in action; from the youngsters in Rippa Rugby right through to senior grades. Some of these players have made it through to the Tasman Makos.

The Nelson Tasman region has a proud and ongoing record of producing fine players at all levels right through to national selection.

Special Rugby Memorabilia

Photographs by Peter Bush, Left: Belfast 1972/3, Right: NZ vs Scotland, Murrayfield, Edinburgh.

As part of the Hard on the Heels exhibition we have a selection of 16 postcards available at $2.00 each, or you can purchase the whole set for $20. The stories behind some of these images are really wonderful. We have an interview with Peter Bush on DVD in which he tells many of those stories. The DVD is $30; plus $5 if you need postage and packing.

Paul Wilding's impression of New Zealand's first rugby game played in Nelson in 1870

We have prints of Paul Wilding's impression of New Zealand's first rugby game available for sale. Nelson claims to be the birthplace of New Zealand Rugby in a game played between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Club. A re-enactment of that game will be played on the same site at 1pm on 20 September. The art quality print is priced at $10 and includes a mailing tube.

Limited Edition Replica Rugby Ball

The Museum is extremely fortunate to be a likely stockist of a limited number of genuine leather rugby balls. These will be very highly sought after and will retail at approximately $100 each. If you would like to reserve one we are prepared to take a fully refundable deposit of $50 per ball.

If the balls are sold out in New Zealand before we receive our allocation the money will be refunded in full.

Coming up later in 2011

Extraordinary Frontiers: Science, Innovation, and Mysteries from our environment

When Thomas Cawthron arrived in Nelson in 1849 at the age of 15, it was almost a 'frontier town'.

Ninety years after endowing the facility that bears his name, the Cawthron Institute is still at the frontier - the frontier of leading scientific research in fields as broad as food quality, aquaculture, water quality and bio-security. To celebrate its 90th anniversary the Cawthron Institute Trust Board have funded the Nelson Provincial Museum to help create an exhibition that will bring some of this science and technology to public attention in a way that will be both enjoyable and educational. Regional schools are already showing a keen interest by booking school visits. Without giving away too much consider the possibility of CSI Takapuna and a 3D exploration of an under-water farm. The exhibition is being designed by Sally Papps who created Port Nelson Haven Ahoy! and it will open to the public on 12 November with a season that will run through the holidays and all of Term 1 2012. With the support of Cawthron scientists, and their community educator Jo Thompson, there promises to be some really spectacular material on display with opportunities for interaction and exploration.

Anne Frank

November 3 - December 6

The Anne Frank travelling exhibition tells the story of Anne Frank and the Holocaust to people who are not able to visit the Anne Frank Museum in the Netherlands. The exhibition is touring for three years. The exhibition opens to the public in Nelson on 3 November for a period of 6 weeks. It will be displayed in the Education space with supporting audiovisual material in the Boardroom nearby.

For younger children it may make it a lot easier for them to understand if they have read the diary of this remarkable girl. The version by Josephine Poole is considered to be specially suitable for younger readers and might be a good in-class source of the story. Copies of both books are available for purchase or order through Page & Blackmore here in Nelson but do not leave it too late. They both retail at just over $20. A number of school classes have been booked into the exhibition already. There is a downloadable education kit for use with classes who do need to be prepared prior to their visit.

Download the teaching resource here

School programme for 2011

Hats

Our classroom has an exhibition featuring Hats and the programme is for younger students. The classroom is decorated with hats from many cultures and occupations. Hats for identity, safety, fashion and hats for fun and frivolity. There are children's books, poems and songs with hat themes for your students to enjoy. We will provide you with ideas to help you follow up this theme in your classroom. This programme has also been designed with a technology focus for older students.

This programme will finish at the end of term three.

Hard on the Heels.

Maori programmes

These can be booked on Fridays.

Coming Up

The most recent newsletter to schools has some details about two exhibitions that open in November. Anne Frank is with us for just six weeks 3 November to 6 December. The Cawthron Institute science based exhibition Extraordinary Frontiers will start on 12 November 2011 and end on 22 April 2012.

Teachers with an interest in any of the above programmes are invited to contact education@museumnp.org.nz

Education Resources Online

The Nelson Provincial Museum's Education Services team have a number of online resources available to the region's schools and educators. more

Tasman Invitational 7's

Tasman Invitational 7's are being held on Sunday 25 September at Jubilee Park, Gladstone Road, Richmond – 8am to 10pm Please bring this corrected date to the attention of your friends.

Strange Resting Places

Real New zealand Festival

Set against the backdrop of war, Strange Resting Places traces the stories and personal experiences of the Māori Battalion in Italy, as celebrated NZ actors Paolo Rotondo (Italian) and Rob Mokaraka (Māori) take audiences on a touching and often humorous tale of comradeship and survival.

Five years after its launch at The Auckland International Arts Festival in 2007, Taki Rua Productions is proud to announce that Strange Resting Places will tour nationally as part of the REAL NEW ZEALAND FESTIVAL. The original cast, Paolo Rotondo, Rob Mokaraka and Maaka Pohatu return to the stage for what is likely to be the final tour of this award winning production.

Strange Resting Places will be performed at marae in Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin. Tour dates in Nelson and Dunedin are set to coincide with Team Italy's matches in the two cities. Taki Rua Production's Marketing Manager Keryn Bristow says "Manaakitanga is at the core of everything we do and these Marae performances are an opportunity for us to celebrate our shared history with Team Italy and their supporters in a memorable cultural exchange."

A theatre production for the whole family, Strange Resting Places shines a light on the three universals Māori shared with the Italians: family, food and song – not to mention wily cunning, a love of vino and a passion for the ladies!

26th September 2011
5:15pm Monday
Whakatu Marae
Nelson

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