Buried in doubt.

Buried in doubt is a tale of poison and how it was allegedly used in two deaths by a married New Zealand woman, Jane Hampton/Smith/Baikie. In the early 1900’s Jane was charged with the murders of two male ‘friends’. Both men’s bodies required exhumation after they were initially believed to be both natural deaths, and after testing were found to contain either arsenic or strychnine. The book describes Jane’s four trials and their outcomes in Sydney, Australia. It also examines the use of poison and the long-standing belief that it was a women’s weapon of choice for murder. It evaluates the findings of expert witnesses on poison, examines other New Zealand and Australian cases, and questions the level of awareness held by male juries about developments in medical jurisprudence, forensic science and toxicology.

Has anyone seen Benson. A true lockdown tale

By Jo Kingston and Glenda Northey Illustrated by Lyn Kriegler. Published in March 2021 by the Piha Press, Piha Auckland. Picturebook 

This is a story about a sheep on the run. He was brave , adventurous and so much fun. He was a Westie through and through. He liked exploring and hstory too. This is the story about this brave sheep. Who never, ever got any sleep. As he went on his final journey during lockdown. Going here and there from town to town. This is a story about Benson, it's true. And in it you'll find his lesson for you.

Has anyone seen Benson. A true lockdown tale

Has anyone seen Benson? A true lockdown tale. Published March 2021 by The Piha Press.

During 2020 three west coast women created a book about a ram called Benson. Benson had escaped from Karekare in March, just before lockdown and he managed to roam around our west coast communities for weeks. As the road emptied he explored further afield towards Piha and Anawhata.

 His whereabouts were recorded on local social media as he passed by. No-one could capture this rambunctious, well-loved rescued ram. Many tried and failed, including the police. He was on his own El Camino and no one could stop him. In the face of the pandemic Benson’s adventures drew the community closer, keeping us smiling, and somewhat incredulous, as we tracked his adventures around the Waitakeres.

His adventures and tenacity inspired our picture book. Just as the quiet of lockdown allowed the ghosts of the past and their stories to be heard, they were recorded in our book.

Glenda Northey created a story that included locals, new and past; local history, both Maori and the pakeha settlers; and many of our beautiful natural landmarks. The mixture of new and old introduces the reader to the local west coast history in a light and entertaining way that satisfies readers from 0 -100 years.

The book was illustrated by well-known local Lyn Kriegler. Primary teacher Jo Kingston wrote the verses and author and historian Glenda Northey researched and wrote the story line, edited and self-published the book.

Contact: Glenda Northey. Ph: 0274408027.   glenda.northey@gmail.com.  

Facebook page @

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=Has%20anyone%20seen%20Benson%3F

Surviving Gabrielle, A tale of community strength and resilience.

Fighting climate change

Let's explore how climate change is shaking up our world! Imagine rivers and coasts overflowing, landslides causing slips and erosion changing our landscapes. We'll see storm surges, crazy temperatures, bush fires, droughts drying up the land and new pandemics and creepy-crawlies invading our spaces. And hold onto your hats for wild storms that keep getting stronger! All of this means trouble for our homes and neighbourhoods. So, let's team up to tackle the effects of climate change together!

We all need to adapt and make changes to how we live to stop the causes of climate change. But, in the meantime, we need to be prepared for the hazards which may affect our west coast community now. These include flooding, fires, landslides, severe winds, power outages, volcanic eruptions, tsunami as well as epidemics and pandemics.

This is a story about our three communities in West Auckland and how we were tested during Cyclone Gabrielle. It lets you see what happened at Piha, Karekare and Anawhata and how the people here showed great strength, compassion and community. It is the story of the many volunteers who got stuck in and helped. And later how local families grew resilient together.

We hope our story will encourage others to make changes to their lifestyles to slow climate change.  We also include some strategies to help you prepare for any future events.