Ian Matheson was the City Archivist for Palmerston North. This interview, with Murray Hulls of Newstalk ZB focuses on an upcoming tour to Foxton, including places of interest, and a short history of local radio stations.

Interview of John Bevan Ford about the logo and artwork encorporated into the new Palmerston North City Library. Interviewer: Jacqueline Aust, community Relations Officer, Palmerston North City Council

Length: 1 hr 3 minutes

John Bevan Ford (c. 1930 - 2005) was one of New Zealand's best known Māori artists. He was acknowledged as an outstanding traditional carver as well as a leading figure in contemporary Māori art, and was internationally recognised. Ford was born in Christchurch. After time at Hamilton Teacher Training College as an art lecturer in the early 1970s, he moved to Palmerston North in the mid-1970s to the Māori studies department at Massey University, where he introduced a programme in Māori visual arts. In 1987, he took early retirement to work full-time as an artist from his home in Manawatū. Ford undertook a series of major public sculpture commissions for Palmerston North City Council and Massey University, and much of his work remains an integral part of the Palmerton North Central Library building in The Square, Palmerston North.

This interview with Ian Athfield and Anthony Lewis relates to architectural features of the new Palmerston North City Library in the early 1990s.

Athfield was the architect of the library, a converted department store, which opened in 1996. Anthony Lewis was the then City Librarian.

Sir Ian Charles Athfield (15 July 1940 – 16 January 2015) was a New Zealand architect. He was born in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Auckland in 1963 with a Diploma of Architecture. That same year he joined Structon Group Architects, and he became a partner in 1965. In 1968 he was a principal partner in setting up Athfield Architects with Ian Dickson and Graeme John Boucher (Manson).

Interviewer: Jacqueline Aust, PNCC community Relations Officer

Length: 57 minutes

An interview with Jo Ihimaera, a Palmerston North City Council employee at the time, who has been involved in a number of Māori programmes, roles and organisations.

Interviewer is Ian Matheson, recorded on 29 December 1994.

Ritihia Josephine Ihimaera was a Principal Planner for Maori Resource Management and Community Advisor for the Palmerston North City Council.

The interview includes: - Growing up in Gisborne and attending Auckland Teachers’ College - Working with Whetu Tirikātene - Working at Manawatū Polytechnic - First Māori Representative elected at Manawatū Polytechnic Council - Initiating and Creating Community Development in Arts - Working in Community Development at PNCC - Highbury Whānau Resource Centre - Working with Pasifika and migrant communities - The Urban Marae Project - Working as the Principal Planner for Māori Resource Management - Impressions of the structure of Palmerston North City Council especially in light of restructuring in 1989 and 1993 - Te Waka Āwhina - Māori Local Government Association - Maatatua Declaration 1993, accepted by Geneva into the 1994 Bill of Rights for Indigenous People