Events Calendar

Many people in Central Otago and Victoria have never heard of Vincent Pyke but he enabled the democratic process to start in Victoria and in Central Otago he negotiated with the men who found the gold which sparked the great Dunstan gold rush. He wrote the legislation which governed New Zealand’s goldfields and without his vision and persistence the Otago Central railway would never have been built. He explored Haast Pass to survey a road and rail route to the West Coast and built the dam which formed Lake Onslow. He was a politician of rare ability in both Victoria and New Zealand and a prolific and talented writer. All the while, he oozed humanity and good humour. His story is of a man who made things happen.

Russell Garbutt was born and raised in Dunedin, attending Maori Hill School and King Edward Technical College. He joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in 1963 as a technician at DNTV-2. After working with ATV Network Ltd in Birmingham in the early 1970s and a short stint milking goats in northern Norway, he returned to TVNZ in Christchurch in time for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Shifting back to Dunedin in 1987, he had several administrative roles at TVNZ ending up as the last TVNZ manager in Dunedin. He was External Business Manager for Natural History New Zealand until becoming Media Production Manager for the University of Otago until retirement in 2014 when he shifted to Clyde. He has published one book, a history of the first 25 years of television broadcasting at DNTV-2, called It’s OK Leaving Here, and has written several pieces for the Central Otago Heritage Trust, as well as an unpublished children’s book based on the goldfields. He served on the Vincent Community Board and continues his community interests by various museum and heritage governance roles, as well as fundraising for hospice services in Central Otago. He describes himself as a “tragically bad” social golfer.

Light refreshments provided. Please RSVP to [email protected] by December 12th.

Location

Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery

21 Centennial Ave, Alexandra