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Food and history: a great combination!

By Roger Childs

Dave Gallaher is a legendary figure in New Zealand sporting history. His famous 1905 All Blacks completed a long tour through the British Isles, France and California, and set new standards for the game of rugby.

Gallaher was born in Ramelton in the north of Ireland and came to Kati Kati with his family in the late 19^th century.

This Irish-New Zealand link is why Waddell Media is involved.

For five series now, chefs Paul Rankin and Nick Nairn have travelled the world in the footsteps of the Ulster-Scots, unearthing some interesting history, and creating some bespoke meals for distinguished descendants. ibid.

Coming to the Kapiti Coast

Following up the Gallaher story, they will be

~ heading for Eden Park where there is a statue of the great man

~ catching up with current All Black captain Kieran Read

~ visiting the Rugby Museum in Palmerston North.

Then they will meet up with the great grand-daughter of Dave Gallaher’s brother, Kay Carter, and her husband Bill in Paraparaumu.

Kay has written a fascinating book on the Gallaher heritage called Maria Gallaher: Her Short Life, and Her Children’s Stories.

In keeping with the pattern of other food trips, Paul and Nick will be cooking up a feast in Paraparaumu from locally sourced food.

Ulster-Scots descendants in New Zealand

These Ulster-Scots (who migrated) went on to become politicians, educationalists, business people, soldiers, doctors, religious and civic leaders and sports stars – helping to shape the politics, culture, economy and society of NZ. ibid

The Waddell team is also on the trail of other descendants of these pioneers. Among others, the following will feature:

• 

  In Kati Kati they will meet up with later generations of the family of George Vesey Stewart: the man who set up a “plantation” in the area for Protestant Irish. The Gallahers emigrated as part of that scheme.

• In Auckland they will be contacting descendants of Marianne Smith who, with her brother Andrew Caughey, set up Auckland’s oldest department store.
• In the capital they will track down various latter day generations, notably those of two early prime minister from different sides of the political fence: Liberal John Balance and Reform Party leader “Farmer Bill” Massey.
• In Christchurch they will talk to descendants of Jack McCullough who was an early trade union leader.
• Two prominent turn of the century Ulster-Scots in Dunedin also played a key role in improving the lot of the lower

  

  classes. Their latter day families will be part of the deal. Presbyterian Minister Rutherford Waddell created headlines in 1888 when he spoke out from the pulpit about the exploitation of women who worked for a pittance as sweated labour in the textile industries.

• Harriet Morison was of the same vintage, and through the Tailoresses’ Union was a key figure in exposing the appalling conditions of workers in factories and worked hard to improve the treatment of employees.
• In Central Otago Sam Neill will feature as his great great grandfather, Percy Neill established a wine and spirits business in the late 19^{th century.}
  

All this and more!

The outcome: eight fascinating programmes

The theme of each of the eight programmes will be determined by the individuals featured, the areas they settled, the subjects they specialised in and the impact they had on the country.  These … include politics, sport, religion, arts, commerce, agriculture and civil rights. ibid.

The overriding lasting impression will be: here is a successful country that has been profoundly influenced over the last 150 years by a tiny group of people punching well above their weight – the Ulster-Scots. ibid.

(My thanks to Nikki Waddell for providing most of the material for this article.)