Mauricevilles pioneering history to be introduced to the world

The little township of Mauriceville looks set to step up to its rightful place in New Zealand's pioneering history due largely to a group of people determined to bring its colourful story to the world.
Friends of Mauriceville has just succeeded in becoming a fully registered charity with the Charities Commission and has mapped out a two-year programme aimed at re-kindling interest in the unique settlement and the surrounding rural area.
Among the most ambitious projects would be the development of an international, multi-site arts, culture and heritage trail between Wellington and Napier to be known as Footsteps through the Seventy Mile Bush.
This is aimed at telling the story of Scandinavian migration to New Zealand in the 1870s with self-guiding brochures allowing tourists to take up any of four trails from either Napier or Wellington, being the Scandinavian Trail, Railways Trail, Forests into Buildings Trail or the Dairy Industry Trail.
It would work in conjunction with Whispering Roads, a public art and history project using storyboard markers, sculptures and audio recordings for the journey between Napier and Wellington with a special emphasis on Mauriceville and its sister Scandinavian settlement of Norsewood.
Whispering Roads would be set up as a five-year collaborative project between arts councils and private sponsors in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand.
Sites in the former settlements of Mauriceville West (Danish) and Mauriceville North (Norwegian) would be looped into a combined arts, cultural heritage and natural history trail between Aratoi and Pukaha Mt Bruce.
Whispering Roads would be launched at the Scandinavian Festival in Norsewood in February 2011.
Both proposals are included in correspondence sent to district councils, tourism bodies and arts and heritage organizations throughout Wairarapa, Wellington and Hawke's Bay.
Friends of Mauriceville co-secretary Dr Kay Flavell said a membership drive had started late last year at the Swenson Family Reunion in Masterton and has been on-going through letters posted to Mauriceville people and contact with the Scandinavian Club of Manawatu and through Scandinavian festivals and gatherings.
"Our membership now includes more than 40 families scattered throughout New Zealand.
"They share a deep love of Mauriceville and wish to help preserve its buildings and monuments, as well as to help the area play an important role as part of our national heritage and cultural tourism landscape."
Also on the Friends timeline is a proposal to have the old Mauriceville West School re-opened between January and March next year as a bi-cultural centre, with Rangitane o Wairarapa, for summer workshops, woodworking, weaving and storytelling.
Dr Flavell's business, New Pacific Studio, also plans to offer artist residencies to Danish, Norwegian and Swedish artists and writers.