History and heritage make us who we are

Looks. Personality. Talents. Where do these come from? The answer is: our heritage.

Everybody has a story behind his or her life.

Every person is a unique individual with their own interesting background and their own personal history that determines who they are.

So who am I? And who are we, as New Zealanders?

I come from a long line of people from all over the world. My ancestors come from places such as England, France, America, Scotland and Ireland.

I am the second generation of my family to live in New Zealand and so most of my family live overseas.

For the first 11 years of my life my Grandma was the only family I knew.

So Mum and Dad decided to take our family on a history trip to England to gain knowledge about our heritage.

We visited many relatives and I was able to meet many of the aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents that I would have otherwise not been able to meet.

Apart from meeting family, there was one person in my background that I came to learn about at Oxford University. That was a Noel Chavasse, one of my ancestors.

Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse was born on November 9, 1884, 20 minutes after his twin.

He grew up in Oxford, England. His life started off in hardship, as he and his twin developed typhoid fever in their first year.

They both pulled through and went on to gain an education.

Noel Chavasse attended medical school, and coped very well, easily passing his exams. But then World War I came along.

He was assigned to be medical officer in the 10th Battalion, the Kings Regiment. Through the first three years of the war, he worked tirelessly, selflessly and courageously.

He treated anyone that needed help, even if they were not British.

He was an amazing war hero and helped everyone except himself. He was the only person in World War I to receive not one, but two, Victoria Crosses, the highest award anyone can gain for military service.

He is remembered with a building in his name at Oxford University, which I visited while in England.

This is one of the most important parts of my family history, and we all have stories that shape our backgrounds.

Events that have shaped New Zealand include the discovery and settlement of the country by Maori, who became the native people of Aotearoa.

Other notable events include: when Captain Cook found New Zealand in 1769, and the British signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840; when the first rugby match was played in New Zealand in 1870; and when women were given the right to vote in 1893, becoming the first country in the world to do this.

Also: when New Zealand participated in the two world wars; when Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest in 1953; and the Christchurch and Napier earthquakes. These are just some of the events that have shaped New Zealand into the nation it is.

Our history, ancestors and heritage all affect our lifestyle, our personality, our features, our talents and, most importantly, our family and relatives.

My family is certainly unique and I have learnt all about them. New Zealand is a special country and we should treasure the interesting history that makes us stand out.

History and heritage are who we are, and it is our background and life lived that shape our future.

Hannah Mollison, Year 10, Bethlehem College