Beca Heritage Week Launch

Wednesday 30 May 2007

Reverend Samoa Mavaega, founding member of the old Trinity Pacific congregational Church, Bob Blyth

Good Evening and welcome to the launch of Beca Heritage Week. Many thanks to the Pacific Performers for the flowers.

I am delighted to be here in this wonderful venue, Our City, Christchurch’s only purpose built civic chambers, to officially launch Beca Heritage Week.

There is an exciting list of events this year which I believe will help to broaden its appeal across all age groups and cultures. I am going to take part in the Dazzling Heritage Dash, and I am looking forward to the Opening at the Harbour Light in Lyttelton, the Victoria Square Market Day and many other events.

Heritage Week is a time to unlock the city’s treasurers and bring them out for the public to learn from.

The theme “Pacific Pathways” gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase our unique place in the Pacific. Heritage is not just about buildings it’s also about landscape. For example, Banks Peninsula is one of New Zealand's outstanding areas landscapes in terms of both its natural and cultural heritage.

This year the City is honoured by being invited to host the 31st meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the occasion will give us the chance to show off the city and our landscapes to the hundreds of delegates that will be attending the meeting.

My own Pacific Pathway to Christchurch started in Ireland. My Grandfather and Grandmother actually met on the boat coming out from Ireland. Both my parents were born in New Zealand but came from Irish families. My childhood was spent in Palmerston North and on hearing about the wonderful veteran car club in the City I travelled across Cook Strait to settle here.

It now gives me great pleasure to introduce Bob Blyth who will talk about Beca’s involvement and his Pacific Pathway.

ENDS