Islands in time. A photographer records Palmerston Atoll in 1960
In 1992 the Turnbull Library acquired 700 colour transparencies recording John Colles Burland’s four-month stay on Palmerston Atoll in the Cook Islands in 1960, together with his unpublished manuscript describing this time.
A ‘close-knit community of sturdy character’
The ‘close-knit community of sturdy character’ that Burland found on Palmerston, descended from Englishman William Marsters who, in the mid-19th century, with a number of Cook Islands wives, created the three families of the atoll.
See Palmerston Atoll at a time of transition
The exhibition captures Palmerston at a particular moment: a time of transition between a largely independent existence and one that tied the atoll more closely to the Cook Islands administration, while exposing the population of the atoll to the opportunities of a wider world.
Image: ‘Shore parties in convoy, going ashore at Aitutaki.’ Ref: PA12-0505-14
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
💨 Wellington: Is the real summer finally here?
It’s the talk of the town (and every coffee queue): the Wellington "summer" has felt more like a very long, very damp spring! 🌧️ We’ve definitely had our fair share of grey skies and raincoats lately.
In fact, The Post reports that our "pretty average" summer has been tough on the local venues and events that usually thrive under the sun. But don't pack away the sunscreen just yet!
The good news? The next couple of weeks are looking a bit more "settled" (the Wellington word for "not a gale-force downpour"). With autumn officially here, now is the time to squeeze every last drop out of the season! ☀️
Any local hidden spots or activities you’d recommend for a calm Wellington day? Drop them in the comments! 👇
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