Collaboration of Probus, Heritage NZ and local community to rebuild history

07 Feb 2023

October 2022 was a month for Celebrating Probus, so Dunedin North Mens Probus invited interested members of the community to their November meeting for a morning of Collaboration on the History of their local area, North-East Valley Dunedin. 

Representatives from Heritage New Zealand attended to both talk on North East Valley, and show - on screen - early photographs and documents of how the area grew as Dunedin City developed. From around the 1860’s the extensive growth of Dunedin city changed the valley from farms, first to market gardens then light manufacturing, and to a built-up area densely populated, with electric trams, shopping areas, and many thriving manufacturing businesses.

This collaboration was promoted through our own members reaching out to the community, and on Facebook as an ‘event’ through the ‘Valley Project’ who also printed information in the 'North East Valley and Surrounds' monthly news magazine.

Around 50 extra people, interested in this local history, attended. They were invited to bring any historical photos, documents etc. to share with our presenter, Sarah Gallagher - who was keen to gather information about North East Valley Dunedin, as many decades of historical information have gone missing from city records. Many interesting pieces of information regarding activities early last century were offered by those visiting, many of whom have a long family association with North East Valley.

It is a privilege for our club to be the organisational hinge in linking the community with personnel from Heritage New Zealand and this has been so successful that further sessions will happen through 2023.

The benefit of such a community relationship is priceless, in that it is a win particularly for our club by way of future community profiling, a win for Heritage NZ through gathering information, and a win for those in the community who want to share their historical association in the area.

- Peter Begg, Dunedin north Mens Probus Club

Top Image: A Muir & Moodie postcard of Gardens Corner, 1905. The entry point into North East Valley area.

Bottom Image: Members of Dunedin North Probus gather with visitors in discussion around historical photos and maps. Taken during the meeting by P. Begg. 14 Nov. 2022