The theme of this conference was very timely, given the level of unrest in the world at the moment.
The conference kicked off on the Friday evening with registration and an excellent welcome speech from Mayor Nick Smith, followed by drinks and nibbles
On Saturday morning we all got on mini buses and went off to the Nelson Market, which is always a popular spot for anyone going to Nelson. I managed to leave a few dollars behind…. From there we went on to the Huangshi Chinese garden, which the Nelson committee is justly proud of; very impressive.
Back on the mini buses and then it was on to what for me was a highlight of the morning, an excellent and animated talk on the fascinating story of Appo Hocton, the first Chinese to gain citizenship of this country. This was given by Diana Clark, his great granddaughter.
What a life this man had! He left China in 1842 at 9 (!!) years of age to work on British vessels as a ship’s boy, and jumped ship in Nelson, where he settled. He raised a large family and became quite a successful businessman. His story is certainly fascinating; first Chinese immigrant in New Zealand and the first naturalised Chinese New Zealander.
He died in 1920, aged somewhere between 98 and 103, depending on which family story or document is quoted. By the turn of the new millennium, he had 1600 living descendants throughout the country. It was then on to the Nelson Provincial Museum to view a display of items of historic interest about this intriguing man.
We had a bit of quick lunch then back to the conference for the mihi whakatau and speeches by dignitaries, including a very good one from our National President Chris Lipscombe. After afternoon tea there was a Zoom link with Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Dr Peggy Burrows, Manukura/Principal at Haeata Community Campus in Christchurch addressed a pressing issue facing us today: how to connect the young people of New Zealand and China. Her involvement in the Education delegation to Gansu in September 2023, commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand and honouring Rewi Alley’s legacy, marked a significant step in fostering sister school relations and cultural exchange.
She is now focused on facilitating meaningful engagements between Haeata Community Campus students and their counterparts in China. The recent hosting of the Gansu delegation in New Zealand signifies the beginning of an exciting exchange, with plans underway for a reciprocal trip to China in 2025.
Nelson Branch Executive member Jane Lister and others shared insights into the efforts made by the Nelson branch to extend friendship to Mandarin Language Assistants, visiting Chinese academics, students, and other Chinese visitors.
Laurie Lu, an English language teacher at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and chair of the Nelson Chinese Association (NCA), gave a very interesting talk on the growing relationship between the Nelson branch and the local Chinese Association. He spoke on the value of shared meals, festivals, and other collaborative endeavours in fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie which the NCA and the Nelson branch have developed in the Nelson community.
At the end of the afternoon’s presentations, it was back to our motels etc to powder our noses and put on our best finery and then on to the restaurant for the evening banquet. This was preceded by a wine tasting session, with comments by Nelson wine writer and critic Neil Hodgson; some very pleasant wines were sampled. After a few words of welcome from branch President Barbara Markland and MC Craig Holmes it was down to the most important part of the evening – dining and talking! It was a great evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all those present.
Next morning was the Annual General Meeting of the society, which was pleasingly attended by quite a few conference attendees.
So ended what really was an excellent and very interesting conference, full marks to Barbara and her team! The only downside was the speeding ticket I got within five minutes of leaving the Nelson city limits…
Just for the record, the 2025 conference will be held in Christchurch. Dates are not set yet, but it’s assumed it will be sometime in May; dates and theme of the conference will be advised as soon as they are confirmed.
