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SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL 2013
22, 23 & 24th February
DANNEVIRKE
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SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL
2011
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The Scandinavian Festival is over and has been a huge success.
Feedback from attendees has been nothing but positive.
We are very grateful to all those people and organizations that helped to
make the event what it was, fabulous. In particular, Norsewood Promotions,
the Tararua District Council and the Scandinavian Club of Manawatu.
Photos of the event are available from Peter McDermott (see website)
while other pictures will be added to this website as we receive them.
The
Norsewood Newsletter
has more information and pictures.
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Norsewood is located in the heart of what was once the dense and
towering forest known as the 70 Mile Bush. The town was established
in 1872, with the arrival of 372 Norweigan and 11 Swedes aboard the
Norweigan Ship Hovding, which arrived at Port of Napier on the 15th
September 1872. On the same day the English Ship Ballarat arrived at
the Port of Napier, it's passengers including 70 Danes. Most of these
people became Norsewood's Pioneer Settlers, the remainder fulfilled
the same role at the bush settlement of Dannevirke, 22 kilometres away.
Over the next several years, hundreds of other settlers found
themselves working hard to establish a new life on the bush clad
40 acre farms in the vicinity of Norsewood, which became the district's
main town. These people included many more Norwegians, Swedes, Danes,
Germans, and Britons. Life for these people was very hard as promises
made by the NZ Government, the Hawkes Bay Provincial Government, and
their agents were not always kept.
Currently in the Norsewood area, the Scandinavian culture is celebrated
in a variety of ways. Norsewood School continues to teach Scandinavian
dances. The community ceiebrates Norwegian constitution day annually and
Scandinavian relics are displayed in the local museum. Various local
attractions such as Johanas World, The Troll Stroll, Troll Gold event
and Scandinavian architecture often visited.
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