Post #582844 by Club Nouméa on Fri, Apr 1, 2011 6:37 AM

Part 9: The Wanganui Savage Club - More Photos

There was another musical event on at the Savage Club on Friday night (1st of April), so I took the opportunity to snap some more photos.

The high point of the evening's entertainment was Tama K, an outstanding guitarist with a rock solid rhythm section:

The first thing I noticed, going around the walls looking at the pictures, was that there was very little that predated 1928. This was the oldest photo I spotted, from 1926:

Unfortunately, it's of the Christchurch Savage Club Council - not a tiki or Maori cloak in sight!

The walls with the paintings and photos of the Wanganui Savage Club presidents started only with the 1929 Rangatira (top left), who also happened to be a Man of the Cloth:

So where did the club's older memorabilia go? Another mystery that needs to be cleared up...

Note too that all these Wanganui presidents (from 1929-1962) are wearing a hei-tiki, except for the second to last guy, who is wearing a war medal instead.

Here are the club presidents through to the present day, the latest of whom is a woman:

On the back wall, to the left of the foyer, there are various of these framed medals, commemorating honoured Rangatiras:

A couple of the alcoves on the left-hand side of the hall (when facing towards the stage) are lined with photos of the Savage Club's High Councils:

Here is a close-up of one of the more interesting ones, showing what the stage of the Savage Club Hall looked like in 1953:

A Savage Club membership certificate:

The text reads:

"To all Savages and Kindred Spirits:
Greetings!

"Be it known by these Presents that David Strachan has been for 7 years a member of this the Hawera Savage Club. [note: Hawera is in South Taranaki, north of Wanganui]

"Know that he has merited the name of a truly savage Savage, a warrior well blooded and qualified to hold his own in the social life of his Hapu [clan] as well as in warlike raids on other tribes.

"We commend him to the good fellowship of whatever Hapu or Club may be within his reach, on behalf of the Hawera Hapu we wish him Kia Ora and good hunting in his new sphere."

"Ake! Ake! Ake! Kia Kaha! [Forever and ever and ever be strong!]"

Wanganui Savage Club Protocols, pinned to the back wall of the hall, near the foyer:

And a tantalising glimpse of the Savage Club farewell song board, hanging from ropes above the stage:

One of the various emblems of other Savage Clubs hanging along the side walls:

The following are photos of various "cultural" groups, in increasing order of un-PCness:

Note the use of advertising placards above as substitutes for sporrans - an offence to any Scotsman...

The above photo is interesting because it gives a glimpse of what the Savage Club Hall looked like in 1953.

Judging from appearances and the surname (Karaitiana), there were at least two Maoris in this 1936 haka group. The fact that the various Pakehas (Europeans) have full-face moko painted on is vaguely disturbing, but nowhere near as disturbing as the following photo...

... the faint-hearted may prefer to close their eyes and just scroll down a few inches...

... no seriously...

... really, I'm not joking on this one...

OK, you have been duly warned. From here on in I decline all responsibility:

The Wanganui Savage Club Minstrel Troupe, 1933.

This was of course back in the days when people like Al Jolson used to wear blackface as part of their stage act.

Moving right along, on a less controversial note, the Wanganui Savage Club also has a great collection of velvet paintings on its walls:

And a fairly large collection of its own humorous artworks:

My next step is to hit the libraries and find out about the Wanganui Savage Club's history prior to 1928.

CN

Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2011-04-01 14:39 ]

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2011-04-01 14:47 ]