Parents From Wanganui River Visit Wellington

Following the successful visits by Taranaki and Wanganui parents to Wellington in 1965 and by Northland parents to Auckland, another group, this time from the Wanganui River area, visited Wellington last October.

They were accommodated at the Arohanuiki-te-Tangata meeting house, Waiwhetu, and after their arrival on Sunday, 9 October were entertained by the Mawai-Hakona Club at Silverstream.

Monday was a busy day with visits to the Trade Training Centre at Gracefield, to the trainees on the job at Wainuiomata, Phillips Electronic Centre, lunch at the Trentham Hostel, a quick look at the new General Motors factory in Upper Hutt, a visit to the Woburn Workshops and after dinner, a session on Vocational Guidance.

The group was welcomed to Victoria University on Tuesday by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr J. Williams, and Mr K. Dewes and Dr J. Metge of the Anthropology Department. Visits were made to several places at the University, the big library with its excellent study facilities being of particular interest to the parents.

Following morning tea the parents went on to Wellington Teachers' Training College, where a full welcome from the Polynesian

Studies group had been arranged. During the speeches and singing a delicious smell became noticeable, and the parents were delighted to find that a hangi had been prepared for them. First to be served with food were many children from nearby Kelburn School, who were excited to be experiencing for themselves one of the things they had been learning about.

Pendennis and Pikimai, two hostels for Maori girls, were visited in the afternoon, and after a call at the General Post Office, where various types of employment were seen, the group went back to Waiwhetu for dinner and talks on the work of the Maori Education Foundation and the Department of Maori Affairs.

An interesting visit on Wednesday, their last day in Wellington, was to Parliament Buildings. On their arrival, the parents were met by the Member for Western Maori, Mrs Iriaka Ratana. She escorted the group to the ‘Maori Room’ welcomed them graciously and introduced to them Mr Hanan, Minister of Maori Affairs, and Mr Spooner, M.P. for Wanganui. Mr Hanan said he was delighted to welcome the parents to Parliament and particularly to the Maori Room which he described as ‘our show place’. He asked each parent to go back home, tell what he or she had seen, and encourage their children and others to strive for more education. Mr Spooner also spoke briefly.

After morning tea, Mrs Ratana took the

group to the floor of the Legislative Chamber, and all were pleased to see the place from where the country was governed. For most in the party it was their first view of the House.

An hour or so was left for shopping, and at 3 p.m. the party left for home in their bus, tired but exhilarated with their experiences of the past three days.