Sister Martha Szymanski with Lyn Potroz holding a photo of Adam Burkett. Photo/ Supplied
A white terracotta statue depicting an infant Jesus held in the arms of St Joseph now serves as a permanent reminder of Polish settlers who arrived in Taranaki 150 years ago.
The statue, which is on display inside St Joseph's Catholic Church, New Plymouth, is dedicated to the settlers who made their home in Taranaki, specifically the Burkett family who made their home in Ngaere in 1872.
Adam and Anna Burkett had sailed from Europe to New Zealand aboard the ship Friedeburg. They were accompanied by their children, Johann, Julia, Theophilus and Thomas.
The statue was originally gifted to the church in the 1950s by Adam and Anna's grandchildren, who gifted it to serve as a memorial to their parents - Johann (known as John) and Barbara. Barbara died in 1949, 16 years after John died.
The statue, which had spent many years standing on a walkway in the grounds of the church, was vandalised in 2013, and after it was subsequently repaired it sat in storage until 2019, when it was placed in the church's entrance.
At Sunday's service, the statue was given a new dedication; a reminder of all the Polish settlers who came to Taranaki over a century and a half ago.
Descendants of the Burkett family shared their knowledge of the family history, gathering together to remember the lives of their forebears.
Sister Martha Szymanski organised the service with the help of others and says she was happy with the turnout.
"There was a large gathering of Burkett descendants which was lovely to see. I and a few others wanted to organise something for the weekend as it was the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, and to also commemorate Constitution Day in Poland."
She says she researched the Burkitt family history.
"They really have an interesting history."
Sister Martha says John, his parents Adam (age 43) and Anna and younger siblings Julia, Theophilus and Thomas arrived in Lyttelton in August 1872.
"The Poles were looking for jobs that paid enough so they could purchase some land.
"There wasn't much land in Christchurch at that time and when Adam heard of land in Taranaki, he and his son John travelled to the region. Adam took a job building roads and made enough to buy a piece of land in Ngaere and built a modest home. Eighteen months later the rest of the family moved up to join them."
She says the family was generous to St Joseph's Catholic Church in New Plymouth, and Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Stratford.
"I believe John and Barbara lived in one of the houses opposite the railway station. They have a big link to Stratford."
She says the Burkett family will always have a close link to the region.
"They're the only family who arrived on the Friedeburg who stayed in Taranaki."
Lyn Potroz, whose late husband Ben is a descendant of the Burkett family, says she has researched the family thoroughly.
"They really have an interesting history. A book has been written about them. A few years ago at the Burkett reunion, we travelled to where Adam and Anna's home was in Ngaere. While it isn't there any more, we could still visualise where it was and what it would have looked like."
Adam passed away in 1897, 10 years after his wife Anna. Their graves can be found in Taranaki, with Anna's headstone in Stratford's Pioneer Village.
"Her headstone was moved to Pioneer Village where it still is currently. It makes sense because they were so close to Stratford and had a lot of ties there. Adam's headstone can be found in New Plymouth's Te Henui cemetery."