Pahīatua museum visit a link to family’s past

The family at the grotto outside the Pahīatua Museum (from left): Izabela, Izabela, Halina, Henry and George.

When Izabela Wodzicki dropped into Pahīatua, she made a special trip to see a part of her family’s history.

Izabela is the daughter-in-law of the late Countess Maria Wodzicka, who was instrumental in bringing Polish children to New Zealand in 1944.

She’d heard stories about Pahīatua through her husband, the son of Maria and Kazimierz Wodzicki.

According to the history, Kazimierz served as Consul-General to the Polish government in New Zealand toward the end of World War II.

But it was his wife, Maria, who, with the help of Janet Fraser, the wife of then Prime Minister Peter Fraser, was able to bring 700 children and more than 100 adults to New Zealand.

They were to stay in a camp in Pahīatua, near where a memorial now stands.

The couple stayed in New Zealand while their son moved to New York, where he met Izabela.

Izabela Wodzicki is the daughter-in-law of Countess Maria Wodzicka. Photo / Leanne Warr

Izabela had a tale of her own, recalling becoming a refugee herself as a survivor of Siberia and growing up in West Africa.

She says she loves New Zealand.

“My soul is in New Zealand, but my heart is in New York.”

Her daughter, Halina, spent her childhood in New Zealand and has been back and forth ever since, including studying at Victoria University.

Halina, her mother and Halina’s children were all visiting New Zealand for a short time and along with Ambassador Grzegorz Kowal, visited the now-restored graves of her grandparents where they were buried in Wellington.

Izabela and Halina check out one of the boards on the history of the Polish children. Photo / Leanne Warr

They took the opportunity to visit Pahīatua’s museum, where there is a room dedicated to the history of the Polish children and were able to watch a video about it, as well as look through some of the items of interest.