Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The teaching and learning of te reo and te ao Māori in schools from late 19th century to early 20th century.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. On 16 June 1980, 15 people with signage worded "Remember Soweto" held a silent vigil in Te Marae o Hine/The Square to protest violent events in South Africa. Whilst the anti-apartheid protests of the early 1980s throughout the country were frequently marred with conflict and violence, protests in Palmerston North were often silent and peaceful.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. History of the reserve near Massey University campus entrance, named after Governor General Lord Bledisloe in 1933. With its bush walks and swimming holes, the park has proved to be a popular recreation destination for families.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Rostrata private maternity hospital ushered thousands of Palmerston North babies into the world 1918-1962. Named after a large red gum tree on the site (eucalyptus rostrata), it was situated on a one acre section on the corner of Ruahine and Ferguson Streets. For many years its homely care was a popular maternity option. When Palmerston North Hospital opened its new 40 bed maternity section in March 1962, Rostrata was no longer required. The buildings were sold and converted into flats before being demolished in 1973.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. History of Parahaki Island. Approximately 10 hectares, it is located at the confluence of the Pohangina and Manawatū rivers. It is a significant site for mana whenua. It was historically used as a seasonal kāinga (dwelling), mahinga kai (food-gathering place) and urupā (burial ground/graveyard).

The island remains Māori freehold land and was vested with Te Āpiti Ahu Whenua Trust​ in 2018. The Trust works to manage and protect the island’s wāhi tapu, cultural sites and values.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Fizzy cordial drinks were a popular beverage in the late 19th century. From 1875, several local manufacturers competed for customers. Joseph Bell and Co set up a factory in Rangitikei Street and found their market niche selling mineral water. Intellectual property was jealously guarded. One manufacturer, Edward Shepherd threw suspicion on the town's water supply, insinuating that it was safer to drink his sugary product.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. On 22 May 1934, the unemployed and their supporters gathered in Te Marae o Hine/The Square for what became a significant episode in Palmerston North's working-class history. Large crowds were attracted by the presence of Prime Minister George Forbes. Government policy changes that followed this demonstration was claimed by some sections of the Unemployed Workers' Movement as "a great victory".

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Manufacturing fairs were held in Palmerston North Showgrounds in 1960, 1961 and 1964. The 1960 Palmerston North Industries Fair attracted 93,000 visitors in its 10 days of industrial displays and carnival events. The popularity of the fairs reflected a tremendous optimism regarding Palmerston North's potential as a hub of industry.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Around the beginning of the twentieth century horse drawn transport was common. In Te Marae o Hine/The Square, hitching rails with posts were erected for horses so that their owners could transact business in the central township. The rails were removed in the early 1900s, but a reducing number of hitching posts were used for tethering horses for several more decades. One post now remains (2023), opposite the Fitzherbert corner. It has heritage protection, Category 2 status with Heritage NZ and Category 1 status with Palmerston North City Council.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The history of Drysdale sheep. The breed was developed at Massey Agricultural College from 1931 by Dr Francis Dry. It derives from sheep of the New Zealand Romney breed in which a mutation caused the coat to be particularly hairy, and thus suitable for commercial carpet-making. It became a specialised carpet wool breed. In 1961-62 wool carpet production using Drysdale wool was established under Massey University's control.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The history and significance of the concourse, the central pedestrian thoroughfare at Massey University Palmerston North campus.

This article was inadvertently not published completely in hard copy print. Additional text concluding the article was published online on the Stuff news website and is reprinted here:

(The university community has though) "faced its fair share of challenges, including grappling with the impact of the Voluntary Student membership (VSM) bill passed in 2011.
Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected student life on campus. The concourse, once bustling with activity, experienced periods of emptiness as lockdowns and restrictions disrupted the usual flow of university life.
The post-pandemic slump in student enrolments has led to the concourse and campus appearing much emptier than before.
The university's students and staff have adapted with resilience, finding creative ways to maintain a sense of community and connection despite the challenges.
With hope, as student numbers start to increase, the campus that was initially conceived to cater for around 10,000 students, and its concourse, will start humming with life again.
Louis Changuion is the archivist at Massey University"

Stan Holmes was teaching at Newbury School and living in the school house next door from 1961 until he retired in c.1974. He was a keen photographer and these are his photos taken during those years.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Life story of John Tiffin Stewart (1827-1913) town planner and government surveyor. He was responsible for the planning of Manawatū's towns in the 19th century, including the Palmerston North, Feilding, Rongotea and Halcombe town squares.

Born in Scotland, he moved to Foxton in 1864. He learnt to speak te reo Māori fluently and worked closely and respectfully with local iwi. In later years, he moved to Whanganui, where he was elected to the Borough Council.

Broadcast on Manawatū People's Radio, 3rd September 2019. Derm Buchanan, part 4 of 4. Clinical pastoral education, focus on the “human story” and feelings. Current social issues, family, work, policies affecting families. Declining community activity. Church communities. Churches’ participation in politics. Activity on return from US. Hospital chaplain funding. Need for specialist training.

Broadcast on Manawatū People's Radio, 27th August 2019. Derm Buchanan, part 3 of 4. Moved into the ordained ministry about 1970. Chose to become a hospital chaplain. Clinical pastoral education (CPE) training. Also did supervisory training, so spent 3 years in the US (South Carolina). Interaction with medical profession. Types of cases. Some religions giving feelings of guilt and the health effects. Beneficial effects.

Broadcast on Manawatū People's Radio, 20th August 2019. Derm Buchanan, part 2 of 4. Post-war shortages. Oil exploration near Feilding. After school, working for wool company, wool scouring. Went to Bradford. Airedale Combing Company, 5 canteens by social class. Displaced persons (refugees) arriving in Britain. New job sorting wool. Story of a sorter’s war service, D-Day and liberation of Belsen.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 13th August 2019. Derm Buchanan part 1 of 4. Grew up in Feilding. Impact of WWII. Rode a horse to school. The Boarding at Wellington College, many rules about behaviour. The cane. Big attendance at reunions. Teachers’ nicknames. Swaggers. Rationing, but farmers could grow things. Trips to Feilding. ANZAC Day. Fear of invasion. American servicemen; one with malaria; different approach to discipline. Few trips to Palmerston North. Parents wanted him to get a trade, went into wool at 14 or 15.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 7th April 2020. Part 1 of 6.  Student at Massey Agricultural College in 1949. Milk testing. Student life, hostels, returned servicemen. Female students, C J Monro’s house. Hostel raids. Capping week. About 300 students. Hiwi Tauroa (later Race Relations Conciliator). Few Maori students. Dentist student’s skull. 4 years for a BAgSci. Limited research material in 1930s, but produced quality researchers. Malcolm McGregor Cooper. DSIR. Dairy Research Institute. Research undertaken. 

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 18th February 2020. Part 2 of 2.  Don’s early childhood, lost 2 mothers in childbirth, then father died, raised by step-mother. Siblings, family relationships. Moved from Ashburton to a farm in the far north for a year, then Auckland. Had to leave school, part-time university study for commerce degree. Transferred to Dunedin. 1956 set up own business. Independent loss adjusters. Amalgamations. Work still very similar. Lloyds. Interesting aspects of the work. Work ethics. 

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 11th February 2020.   Part 1 of 2. Insurance loss adjuster, developed own business in the South Island. Handled major insurance events. After retired 10 years, moved to Palmerston North 10-12 years ago. Disagrees with common unduly negative image of Palmerston North. Sight loss. Activities, U3A, etc.. Nature of work, being self-employed. Christchurch earthquake. Living with visual impairment (now late in 80s). Views on use of computers. Adapting to Palmerston North. Comparison to Dunedin town and gown.  

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 9 October 2018.

Owen Dolan. Part 2 of 2. Summary: Missionary in Peru, other posts. Bishop from 1995. Role of bishop. Problems in the church. Catholic Church in NZ. Catholic schools. Debutant balls. Music in childhood. Bishops’ synods. Oscar Romero canonization. Changes in the Church. NZ focus? Priests from overseas. Celibacy.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 2 October 2018.

Owen Dolan, Part 1 of 2. Summary: To Hawera after mother died. Thought grandmother was his mother. Catholic community. School experience, at primary all the teachers were nuns. Protestant-Catholic relationships. Visits to Palmerston North in the war. Step-siblings. Highschool, then trained for priesthood. Got rheumatic fever in wartime epidemic. American troops, smoking. Blackouts. Limited impact of war, deaths of ex-pupils. Boarding school food. Teachers.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 5th March 2019. Roger Berry, Part 3 of 3.  Clydesdale horses, calm and powerful. Thoroughbreds, handling, Sir Tristram. Intelligence of animals, Roger’s heading dog. Working with dogs. Eye/heading dogs, huntaways. Animal welfare. Free-ranging. Move to factory farming, but now concerns. Current farming of chickens. Superannuation Funds as big investors in farming. Retired in 1986, time of diversification of farming, deer, ostriches, goats. Breeding for quality, Romneys. Feed lots. Pollution from dairy farming. A “slush dam”. 

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 26th February 2019. Roger Berry part 2 of 3.  Farm equipment for handling animals. Injuries? Hours worked. Limited free time. Rugby. Small animal vets. Dentists. Working weekends. Callout distances. Phone exchanges helping. Office staff. Vet nurses. Limited social life. Cricket, church. Rural school activities. Squash club. Carnival, 1956. Manfeild. Marriage aged 30. Dance hall in Palmerston North. Other dances. Alcohol, flagons in the car. Smoking. Cinema. Vet Club buying a house for him to rent. Bought land and built a house in 1981 

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 19th February 2019. Roger Berry, Part 1 of 3. Training as a vet at Sydney University. Came to Feilding in 1953. Veterinary Clubs. Training selection process. 5 year bonding and repaying financial assistance. No vet training in New Zealand then. Nature of training. Far more vets now. Increased focus on herd health. Shift from sheep to dairy. 1976 scholarship for overseas study. Improved monitoring now, but farmers then could spot a lot. Robotic milking. Memorable incident. Position of vet in social structure. “Ram alley”. Small animal clinic in Kimbolton Road. Horse work.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 3 July 2018, John Perrin (b.1934)

Part 1 of 2. Family arrived in New Zealand very early and moved to the Palmerston North area at the beginning of settlement. [NB detailed account of family history in Nancy Smith (1971) And So We Began: A History of the Perrin Family in Palmerston North. Copies in PN Library.] Big gale in 1930s. Schooling in war years. Willard Home. Ice cream factory. Gas works. Leisure and entertainment. The Regent Theatre. Tech schooling. Memorial Park.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 30 October 2018. Margaret Beere. Summary: 1951 to State House in Ross Block (now Roslyn), could buy. “Ross Block kids”. Primary schools, zoning. Then Intermediate, long way to go. Get meat from butcher first thing in the morning. Bread delivered (leave basket out). Milk and groceries delivered. Meals. Desserts. Bread going stale. Intermediate School very big. Many green areas, kids playing. Mr Gardner(?)’s pool. Library in old Ross homestead. Radio. Radiogram for music. Had male teachers at intermediate. Behaviour at school. Punishment at Terrace End. Changes in town since 1950s. Regent cinema booked seats. Railway in the Square.

Broadcast on Manawatu people's Radio 14 August 2018, Eric Franklyn

Part 2 of 2. Summary: Made redundant and retired in 1998. Takaro Sports Club. Time in JCs. Changes in courts. Treasurer of Takaro Sports Club for 13 or 14 years until recently. Gaming machines, improvements to club. Skills of public servants. Viability of clubs, falling membership. Climbing Mount Taranaki/Egmont. School days. Discipline. Teachers. NCEA.

Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio 7 August 2018, Eric Franklyn .

Part 1 of 2. Summary: Working in courthouses, managing several courts. Career path – moving if wanted promotion. Learning on the job. Salary levels. Choosing a career. Family Court. Whanganui computer system. Memorable cases. Court security. Court culture. Experience moving around for work. Childhood. Basketball. Courts in smaller centres. Changing attitudes to courts.

Broadcast on Access Radio on 24 April 2018, Part 1 of a 2 part recording with Bruce Withell. The Palmerston North Folk Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. Bruce describes its many venues and three recesses over this time. He also discusses the types of instruments played and the New Zealand folk tradition.