Alyce Charlesworth, Curator
All that glitters may not be gold- silver, the element Ag with the atomic number 47 is the most reflective element capable of reflecting 95% of the visible light spectrum. This fortnight in the Whangārei District, we reflect on the seniors citizens in our community and celebrate them with the annual Silver Festival.
Evidence of mining for the soft, white metal goes back about 5000 years and helped early civilisations like Ancient Greece to flourish. However silver is a limited resource and it is estimated that the Earth’s silver mines will be nearly empty and exhausted by 2240. The price of silver today is $744 per kilogram (as of 5 November 2023) and the key to its sustainability is consistent recycling.
As part of Kiwi North’s Silver Festival event offering on Wednesday 15th of November we will be showcasing a range of silver themed artefacts from the collection. One of the more delicate objects is a pair of sunglasses from the 1900s with coil arms and grid mesh side shields which were donated in 1986 by G. Carruth. The most ornate object in the silver line-up is a christening cup decorated with leaf and fuchsia motifs. The silver is beginning to tarnish as this piece is dated to c1839 but it’s message isn’t lost- jamais arriere meaning “never behind”. If the next object could talk we might hear of ice cream. A shiny, military-grade mess tray from the US Navy was donated by Mrs Stanton in 2006. The WW2 era, stainless steel food tray would have been used during a time where Americans were under mandatory rationing to free up food for the military. Malnutrition at home was prevalent however not for the men and women serving abroad and naval ships in particular were infamous for carrying ice cream.
Whangārei Museum will also host a special guest speaker who is very familiar with Heritage Park- Shirley Gates, the secretary of the Whangarei Rock and Gemstone Club. Growing up on a farm in Waimamaku and living in Northland all her life, Shirley is quite a gem herself- her passion is infectious and she shares her knowledge freely. At 76 years old she completed her thesis towards her MSc in Geography. While her topic will be scientific the talk will have listeners considering three well-known phrases- “I am too old to learn’, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, and “Use it or lose it”. Her enthusiasm will likely take us to a microscope where a sample or two will be carefully displayed and explained. The Rock and Gemstone Club club room down on Heritage Park is the perfect environment for the combined passion of Whangārei’s rock hounds to come together- visitors can tour this gem on the 3rd Sundays of the month.
Wednesday 15 November will be half price entry for seniors with the Whangārei Museum events kicking off at 10am. Following this, the Conservation and Native Species Team will do a keeper talk and kiwi feed at 11am. Public transport is available- the Maunu Citylink bus service, on route 6 travels hourly between Rose Street and Kiwi North and there is also plenty of free parking.
