A tribute to a South Taranaki legend has debuted on the radio.
Aroha Arawau, a former Hawera resident and three-time Ronald Hugh Morrieson literary award winner, wrote a fictional account of the removal of the well-known writer's home to make way for a fast-food restaurant and was not sure what to do with it.
National Radio felt like the perfect home for the tale.
"Obviously it was a deliberate homage to Hawera, to Ronald Hugh Morrieson," said Mr Awarau, Auckland-based Woman's Day magazine news editor.
"That's where my writing career started.
"I was 14 when I won it and at that young age, winning something, it sort of gives you a purpose."
Writing the story for an anniversary of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson awards several years ago, Mr Awarau said the tale of Burt Bell's battle to save a pivotal scene in his coming-of-age battles was easy to write.
"It just came; the motivation was when I was invited to write something," he said.
"Once I had a reason to write it, it just fell into place. I lived through that period so I knew the factual aspect of it."
The story aired on National Radio on February 6, Waitangi Day and can be heard online using the link radionz.co.nz/national/drama/shortstories/burtbellscrusade
PETRA FINER - SOUTH TARANAKI STAR
Last updated 10:35 23/02/2012
Thursday, February 23
Station toddler returns in uniform
Campbell Coulton has been a police officer for only two months but already he's loving it.
The former soldier left his Hurleyville home age 18 to join the armed forces and travel overseas.
Knowing he wanted to get into the police, Mr Coulton was biding his time waiting for a local position by doing a double major in Political Science and International Relations. He is due to graduate at the end of next year.
"I want to combine that with policing," he says.
The officer's way of life is no stranger to Mr Coulton.
His father Keith Coulton was an officer in Hawera until the mid 1990's and he can remember running around the station as a toddler.
Hawera seemed the best station to get his feet on the ground. "I'm looking forward to developing the broad range of skills [needed here]," he says.
"We don't have the luxury of specialised units in Hawera so we have to learn to do each one."
It's hard to describe what he loves about policing.
"It's the whole range of responsibilities, it's having the responsibilities that we have been entrusted [with] and being able to use these day-to-day and being looked to as a problem solver," he says.
"It's just the type of job where you are always being mentally challenged." PETRA FINER - SOUTH TARANAKI STAR
The former soldier left his Hurleyville home age 18 to join the armed forces and travel overseas.
Knowing he wanted to get into the police, Mr Coulton was biding his time waiting for a local position by doing a double major in Political Science and International Relations. He is due to graduate at the end of next year.
"I want to combine that with policing," he says.
The officer's way of life is no stranger to Mr Coulton.
His father Keith Coulton was an officer in Hawera until the mid 1990's and he can remember running around the station as a toddler.
Hawera seemed the best station to get his feet on the ground. "I'm looking forward to developing the broad range of skills [needed here]," he says.
"We don't have the luxury of specialised units in Hawera so we have to learn to do each one."
It's hard to describe what he loves about policing.
"It's the whole range of responsibilities, it's having the responsibilities that we have been entrusted [with] and being able to use these day-to-day and being looked to as a problem solver," he says.
"It's just the type of job where you are always being mentally challenged." PETRA FINER - SOUTH TARANAKI STAR
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