Nelson Institute Talks
The Nelson Institute hosts an engaging programme of talks on local history, heritage, science, the environment, and community topics. All are welcome — come along, learn something new, and meet others who share your interests.
Upcoming Talks
Cultivating Resilience in a Hungry World
2PM, Sunday, 2nd August at the Elma Turner Library Activities Room. Cost: $3 or direct credit to 03-1354-0183881-00.
Retired rural sociologist Sandy Stephens will present an outline of her work for the rural poor in developing countries, analysing and designing measures to optimise the benefits of technical solutions to household food insecurity. Based on her work with United Nations Food and Agriculture experts in horticulture, irrigation and water management, agriculture, land tenure, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry, soil science, plant genetics, pest control and farm technologies to name a few, Sandy will show how the early identification and analysis of the social consequences of technical and economic interventions can make the difference between overall success and failure.
Sandy Stephens grew up on an apple orchard ‘Woodstock’ in Stoke. After graduating she spent two years’ teaching at Waimea College in Nelson before serving two years as a VSA volunteer at the Fiji School of Medicine and four as a Colombo Plan adviser in Malaysia.
For the next 25 years Sandy worked as an international civil servant with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific as well as at their headquarters in Rome. In her role as a rural sociologist she worked with FAO and Government technical experts to increase food security among some of the world’s poorest rural households.
Returning to New Zealand in 2000, she worked as a consultant rural sociologist for both multilateral and bilateral projects in Africa and Asia, while also serving on the boards of Oxfam Aotearoa NZ and Volunteer Service Abroad. She continues to use her experience to support a number of national and local charities and non-governmental organisations.
For background on the Nelson Institute see their website: Nelson Institute Inc
Previous Talks
Educating for a Brighter Future
2PM, Sunday, 5 July at the Library Activities Room. Cost: $3 or direct credit to 03-1354-0183881-00.
We owe it to young people and future generations to prepare them to live in a rapidly changing world, and to provide them with opportunities for their voices to be heard. Will shares the evolution of the Climate Change Learning Programme, including various experiences around hope, controversy, and bidirectional learning in the Anthropocene. He will share the various experiences Lighthouse Aotearoa has had, and how its members have influenced decision-making as they continue to strive toward equity as young constituents.
In 2024, after completing his PhD at the University of Otago in Dunedin, Will began facilitating a learning programme on climate change in Year 7&8 classrooms across Nelson and Tasman. The programme – which extends beyond the science of climate change to essential considerations such as critical thinking and worldview – began in Christchurch in 2021, and this was the first region to which it expanded. Over the past two years, Will has worked with 34 classes and over one-thousand students.
In addition to his work in schools, Will manages Lighthouse Aotearoa – an extracurricular youth organisation comprised of over thirty active members. Young people in this organisation are united by a strong passion for environmental preservation, and work to peacefully express their ideas and concerns in local government and community spaces.
Ultimately, this work has had an enduring impact on Will’s life, and has restored his excitement for the amazing feats of compassion and innovation of which humans are capable.
Living Well and Dying Well
3pm on Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Jaycee Room, Founders Park. Talk will be after AGM.
This is a discussion on the end of life, with messages about how to avoid family feuds, misunderstandings and general turmoil when the inevitable happens. Some medical, legal, and philosophical comment from someone who has seen sad and avoidable outcomes. It’s going to happen – making the best of it on your own terms – lots of suggestions!
John is an Otago graduate who worked mainly as a GP in Te Anau as its’ first GP for 8 years, and then in Nelson for 20 years. He was a DHB member for twelve years and been involved with governance in many voluntary groups. He likes being very organized!
For further information contact Nelson Institute president Nigel Costley on 03 548 3101 or costleymarr@xtra.co.nz
Tales of Old Cawthron
2-3pm on Sunday, 7 June 2026
Activities Room, Nelson Public Library. Cost: $3, or pay by direct credit: 03-1354-0183881-00
Science can often take a very long time to come up with answers and the process can take unexpected twists and turns.
I present a couple of illustrations. In the first, a microscopic marine invader has BHP NZ Steel worried about bulk iron sand shipments to Japan.
The second describes how Cawthron’s research on these microorganisms, initially viewed as scaremongering, created a competitive advantage for NZ shellfish and eventually generated a massive revenue stream for Cawthron.
Graeme Robertson was brought up in Naenae, Lower Hutt and spent the first half of his career as a chemical engineer in the pulp and paper industry.
In 1988 he put much of his acquired technical knowledge aside, moving to Nelson as CEO of the Cawthron Institute. There he was tasked with rebuilding an organisation that had halved its size in the previous decade, down to 35 staff. 17 years later, with staff numbers exceeding 150, he moved to Lincoln University for a brief period before retiring in 2009.
Now he attempts to interest schoolchildren in STEM subjects, through Engineering NZ’s Wonder Project, ePro8 and the Stoke School Woodwork Club.
For the past six months he has been producing weekly podcasts for FreshFM based on his Cawthron experiences, “Nelson Science Stories”.
Sample some of these stories on: https://freshfm.co.nz/programme/nelson-science-stories/
Rosaline Frank
2-3pm on Sunday, 3 May 2026
Activities Room, Nelson Public Library. Cost: $3, or pay by direct credit: 03-1354-0183881-00
The Nelson Institute presents a talk by Rosalina McCarthy on the life and work of photographer Rosaline Frank (1864-1954).
The talk covers Rosaline’s early family life and standing as a professional photographer. Conflict between the early Nelson Council and the Tyree Studio and its subsiduaries will be discussed, along with the legacy of Rosaline Frank and the Tyree Collection. Also highlighted is the UNESCO Award and the role of early photographers as social historians.
Rosalina-Ludmila McCarthy (formerly Palamountain) became Nelson’s second woman Professional Photographer (after the historical Rosaline Frank) with her own Studio. Her career highlights include taking an official portrait of Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi and photographing a child care centre in Siberia.
A joint career, combining photography and research writing, began with documentaries, radio play written/produced/ broadcast, becoming radio interview host, plus work on scripted audio-visual photography, photo/journalism, studio and social event photography.
Including her photography, later qualifications led to researching/documenting commissioned evidential reports for Organisational & Private Clients on a variety of topics including Historical Land Issues and claims.
Her recently published book, Belated Accolades, describes the establishment of Nelson Province and its photographic social history during 1843-2017 and also covers the UNESCO HERITAGE STATUS of the Tyree Photographic Collection which Nelson’s FIRST woman professional photographer, Rosaline Frank, saved.
Murder, Mayhem, and Megalomania: The Rise of Authoritarianism in Ancient Rome
2pm on Saturday, 11 April 2026
Suter Theatre · Cost: $10 · Tickets
The first century BCE was a time of immense upheaval in Rome. The Roman political system strained under the pressure from both internal and external threats. Civil wars raged. Individual generals seeking more power and political control manipulated existing political systems and traditions to legitimize novel positions within Rome’s government.
This talk examines some of the strategies individuals such as Sulla, Julius Caesar, and Augustus used to consolidate power. It begins by examining how Sulla placated the aristocracy and other high-ranking members of the Roman Senate while penalizing those who opposed him. It explores the rise of populism and how Julius Caesar leveraged his popular support to position himself as the leading politician in Rome; he made sweeping changes to political, religious, and social conventions — even changing the way people viewed time (a calendar that still influences our calendar to this day). Finally, it discusses how the Roman Republic, whose foundation narrative reinforced Rome’s rejection of kings, ultimately accepted Augustus as “first citizen,” leading to centuries of autocratic rule.
As we see the rise of populism and authoritarian rule throughout our 21st-century world, there is much to be learned from how the Romans grappled with these same challenges over 2 millennia ago. As a broadly trained ancient historian, Gwynaeth’s research focuses on the political, social, and religious history of the ancient world and the ways in which mythology and religion define particular communities or groups of communities. She has most recently published a book (2016) and a dedicated journal volume (2019) on the worship of the Roman imperial family, and co-edited a volume on the Roman mythological figure Anna Perenna. Her ongoing research focuses specifically on the ways in which mythology and religion were used by members of the Roman imperial family to justify and legitimize their power.
Sustainability in a Changing World
2-3pm on Sunday, 1 March 2026
Activities Room, Nelson Public Library · Cost: $3
A major consequence of increasing global population and climate change is the requirement to provide food security for the world in a sustainable manner. In this talk I will summarise the results to date from the worlds’ leading scientists covering all aspects of sustainability. We will discuss Air pollution; Climate change; Deforestation & land use; Food – production, nutrition, alternative protein, distribution, & waste; Overfishing; Biodiversity loss; and a conclusion summary — Where to from here? Myths busted and pointers for doable actions.
Bill Brett has a long, wide ranging and distinguished career in agriculture and horticulture. This was recognized in 2021, with the Associate of Honour award of the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture.
Following graduation from Massey, he worked in field research, then moved into technical advisory roles, initially in agrichemicals, then later for Yates. Retail beckoned when he was approached by Mitre 10 NZ to set up the garden division which he managed for 5 years. In 1995 Bill set up his consultancy and training business and soon had many nursery and garden centre clients in NZ, Australia, Ireland, and UK. Simultaneously with the above Bill was also the technical partner in a large kiwifruit orchard. He served on the board of the Nursery & Garden Industry Association for 12 years, 2 as president.
In retirement in Nelson, Bill has authored two books— Garden Pest & Disease Control and The Home Orchard. Bill has maintained a close interest in food production and climate change impact, recently presenting the Joseph Banks Memorial Lecture and was keynote speaker at the Tree Crops Association conference.
Bonfires on the Ice
2-3pm on Sunday, 7 December 2025
Activities Room, Nelson Public Library · Cost: $3.
Based in Wellington, Harry is a poet, biographer, essayist, editor, anthologist, critic and scholar. He has published around 35 books, including The Unforgiving Minute, a biography of Rudyard Kipling and Strange Meetings, a group-biography of a dozen WW1 poets. He is Emeritus Professor in the English Programme at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington where he continues to teach a second-year course in Creative Nonfiction at the International Institute of Modern Letters. First Things, the first volume of his memoirs, appeared last year. Bonfires on the Ice is his thirteenth collection of poems.
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