A pair of sunglasses from the 1900s with coil arms and grid mesh side shields which were donated in 1986 by G. Carruth.
A pair of sunglasses from the 1900s with coil arms and grid mesh side shields which were donated in 1986 by G. Carruth.
OPINION
All that glitters may not be gold. Silver, atomic number 47, is the most reflective element, capable of reflecting 95 per cent of the visible light spectrum. This fortnight in the Whangārei district, we reflect on our senior citizens and celebrate them with the annual Silver Festival.
Evidence of mining for the soft, white metal goes back about 5000 years. The element helped early civilisations such as ancient Greece to flourish. However, silver is a limited resource and it is estimated Earth’s silver mines will be almost exhausted by 2240. The price of silver today is $744 a kilogram (November 5) and the key to its sustainability is consistent recycling.
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.
A shiny, military-grade mess tray from the US Navy was donated by Mrs Stanton in 2006.
The World War II-era stainless steel food tray would have been used when 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 Whangārei Rock and Gemstone Club.
The most ornate object in the silver line-up is a christening cup decorated with leaf and fuchsia motifs.
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, November 15, 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.
