The year 2014 is a special one in the relationship between New Zealand and Poland. It marks the 70th anniversary of the arrival of 734 Polish refugee children in Pahiatua. Having been displaced from their homes, many losing their parents, these children suffered extreme hardship in Siberia before ending up in Iran. From there they came to Pahiatua in 1944 at the invitation of New Zealand’s war-time Prime Minister, Peter Fraser.
Four former Pahiatua children, Zosia and Richard Bialostoccy and Hania and Edward Dabrowscy, now live in Tauranga. Three of them and 12 other guests celebrated the anniversary with a commemorative luncheon already a week earlier than the official event; Hania Dabrowska did not attend. The group included second-generation refugee Poles and their families who had come to New Zealand from Canada and Great Britain.
Celebrating small in Tauranga before the big event in Wellington
Palmers Garden Centre’s Café Botannix had been beautifully decorated with red and white flowers, custom made placemats as gifts to take home as a souvenir, and a home-made Polish cheesecake. Sharing memories, telling stories of complicated international lives, and discovering new links were obvious themes of the event, which ended with the recital of a touching poem in the garden area.
The anniversary is honoured in Wellington with an exhibition and a festival under the motto Celebrating Everything Polish from 25 October to 2 November including a grand gala dinner and dance reunion organised by the Polish Embassy. The celebration will be led by the new Polish ambassador, Zbigniew Gniatkowski. Flying in from Poland for this special occasion is Vice-Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Maria Panczyk-Pozdziej.
An 18:30 minute video by the Polish Embassy in Wellington can be viewed on Youtube by clicking this link.
Four former Pahiatua children, Zosia and Richard Bialostoccy and Hania and Edward Dabrowscy, now live in Tauranga. Three of them and 12 other guests celebrated the anniversary with a commemorative luncheon already a week earlier than the official event; Hania Dabrowska did not attend. The group included second-generation refugee Poles and their families who had come to New Zealand from Canada and Great Britain.
Celebrating small in Tauranga before the big event in Wellington
Palmers Garden Centre’s Café Botannix had been beautifully decorated with red and white flowers, custom made placemats as gifts to take home as a souvenir, and a home-made Polish cheesecake. Sharing memories, telling stories of complicated international lives, and discovering new links were obvious themes of the event, which ended with the recital of a touching poem in the garden area.
The anniversary is honoured in Wellington with an exhibition and a festival under the motto Celebrating Everything Polish from 25 October to 2 November including a grand gala dinner and dance reunion organised by the Polish Embassy. The celebration will be led by the new Polish ambassador, Zbigniew Gniatkowski. Flying in from Poland for this special occasion is Vice-Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Maria Panczyk-Pozdziej.
An 18:30 minute video by the Polish Embassy in Wellington can be viewed on Youtube by clicking this link.
