Weekender, December 12, 2020

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 Of the canvas FULL CIRCLE: Lydia Monin, author of From In a corner of a Gisborne primary school playing ield is a tree planted early Poverty Bay to Broadway: The Story of Tom Heeney, and Tairawhiti Museum have last century in honour of former student, local hero and champion boxer, Tom combined their collections of memorabilia and material associated with early 20th Heeney. Lydia Monin, author of From Poverty Bay to Broadway: he Story century Gisborne boxer and local hero, Tom Heeney. of Tom Heeney, talks to Mark Peters about the signiicance of the Tairawhiti Picture by Paul Rickard Museum exhibition, Of the Canvas, a celebration of Tom Heeney. n aicionado of death in the Given Hemingway’s self-aggrandisement, made up of memorabilia, photographs, in the ring was his world heavyweight bullring, of shooting wild animals, the writer’s disclaimer is a surprise, says radio interview recordings and documentary championship ight with Gene Tunney in and of boxing, Ernest Hemingway Lydia Monin, author of From Poverty Bay to footage of the early 20th century local hero. 1928 in New York. Aonce wrote an angry letter of Broadway: he Story of Tom Heeney. hat Hemingway enclosed a copy of the letter Heeney and Hemingway became friends denial to the journalist who claimed the letter, tapped out on a typewriter, features in with a letter he wrote to his friend Tom after the Gisborne boxer retired from boxing famous author had knocked out Gisborne the exhibition Of the Canvas at Tairawhiti Heeney, which is also in the exhibition. and bought a bar in Miami. boxer Tom Heeney. Museum. he multimedia exhibition is he crowning moment in Heeney’s career Continued on page 2 You have probably heard it before – “It’s my life, my funeral.” So shouldn’t you have some say in it? A “goodbye” doesn’t have to be a fuss, doesn’t have to be big, it just needs to be meaningful. Covid-19 has highlighted the importance and value of a meaningful goodbye. Give us a call to discuss livestreaming and virtual funerals where your loved ones can participate in your farewell from abroad. Start the conversation — talk about your ideas and wishes with family and give yourselves the gift of peace of mind. Goodbye is as important as hello. A meaningful Evans Funeral Services Ltd Ph 06 867 9150 Fax 06 868 5312 funeral supports healthy grieving. 171 Ormond Road, Gisborne Email o [email protected] 33889-01 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD THE BOXER: Despite an American reporter’s description of Tom Heeney as bearing a “chin like the corner stone of a State prison” the early 20th century LETTERS FROM AMERICA: Two typewritten letters from author Ernest Hemingway Gisborne boxer assumes a sculptural feature in the exhibition Of the Canvas. One is to Gisborne boxer Tom Heeney. The other, pose in this picture. sent with the letter to Heeney, is a copy of letter to Bob Consadine in which Hemingway Photo by AP/Shutterstock (6657632b) denies the columnist’s report he was more than 40 year old, or was involved in a brawl, and that “never did I ever have Tom Heeney on the loor”. Picture supplied Golden age of boxing in US From page 1 talks about meeting Tunney during the 1924. In the US in 1926 he was coined the Photo News story. Hemingway said he admired people who war”) and the korowai given to him by Heni Hard Rock from Down Under and came to Heeney remained, of course, Gisborne’s, had guts, says Lydia. Materoa, the widow of Sir James Carroll. rank among the world’s heavyweight boxers. if not the country’s, local hero. Hundreds “Visually, the letter is diferent from Heeney wore the cloak into the boxing ring Heeney was not a scientiic pugilist but of the town’s citizens had crowded outside reading a transcript of a conversation. You before ighting Gene Tunney for the world he did have a fantastic capacity to take the town’s radio station to listen to a relayed can see where he’s made some typos with heavyweight championship title — all are blows and fought his way to the world broadcast of the ight that signiied the end the typewriter and writing angrily.” part of Of the Canvas. heavyweight championships during the jazz of prizeighting’s golden age. Combined collections of Heeney Lydia irst heard of the Gisborne boxer age in New York. Clive Drummond, a skilled telegraphist, memorabilia contribute to Of the Canvas. while she was in New York researching “his was the golden age of boxing in had to transcribe the commentary from Lydia, author, documentary-maker and Irish boxers. During her search through the US, when ighters earned hundreds of Morse code. former TVNZ reporter and producer, had a microilm the name Tom Heeney kept thousands of dollars and the ight business “he people in New Zealand were very collection of some of Heeney’s possessions popping up. was controlled by gunmen, gangsters and interested as Heeney was a New Zealander that the boxer’s good friend in Miami, “He was everywhere. I thought I had racketeers,” says Lydia in the blurb to From and they made special arrangements to have Mario Castricone, had sent her. better ind out more about him.” Poverty Bay to Broadway. the 2YA broadcast reproduced in the various “After Tom died Mario wanted to Born in Gisborne and of Irish stock, Heeney, though, was “dogged, lucky and, theatres so people could follow the course repatriate some of those things. He sent Heeney became a professional boxer unusually for the time, incorruptible”, of the ight,” says Drummond in a recording me quite a bit, so I had my own collection when he fought Bill Bartlett in Gisborne Although unsuccessful in his New York played on Radio New Zealand. and the museum had their own collection. in 1920. hat same year Heeney became match with Gene Tunney for the world “It’s hard to imagine now,” says Lydia. Bringing it all together as an exhibition is New Zealand heavyweight champion. championship title, the public warmed to “Tom returned to New Zealand shortly like closing the circle. It’s nice to think it’s Two years later he won the Australian the man one American reporter described as after the ight. back in Tom’s home-town.” heavyweight champion title then fought for “hooked to a deep earnestness . and iron- “When he came to Gisborne everyone Included are previously unseen archival “bread and butter stakes” against mediocre shod durability”. came out to see him. We think of boxing as content from both Lydia’s own research heavyweights in England “and not too “[He] stood up to the champion for eleven niche these days but in those days it was the iles and from Heeney’s personal collection, brilliantly either”, said Tom Kieran in the rounds and won universal admiration for sport. a “listening post” where visitors can listen New York Times. his courage and tenacity as a real ighter,” “his was in the jazz age, the golden age of to radio interviews with the boxer (“He Heeney went on to ight in South Africa in enthused a reporter in a 1957 Gisborne boxing, the golden age of writing.” SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 3 PROFILE WHANAU TAUTOKO: At Thursday’s powhiri to welcome Isaac to Gisborne District Council, his grandfather Hughie Hughes YOUNGEST: Isaac Hughes, 27, is the youngest and (left), father Bill Hughes and his mother Jan Hughes walked with him to the council chambers. Picture by Paul Rickard newest councillor at Gisborne District Council. Picture by Liam Clayton FUTURE-FOCUSED At 27, Isaac Hughes is the youngest councillor in Gisborne District Council’s history. He’s a busy guy who tries his best in every role. Herald reporter Matai O’Connor sat down with Isaac to learn more about him and his life It’s kind of weird and hasn’t sunk in Te Puia Springs and lived in Ruatorea before Being a councillor and an accountant are Isaac is also a musician — he had piano yet,” Isaac Hughes says about being his family moved around the Coast. He not the only things Isaac gets up to. lessons from Margaret Dunsmore every the youngest councillor in Gisborne’s lived in Makarika, Waipiro Bay and ﬁ nally He has interests in football, cricket and fortnight. “history. Tokomaru Bay until he was 18 years old. He playing the piano. “It was my life for many years.” “You notice when people give you a second has been living in Gisborne since. Earlier this year he created a charity He doesn’t play the piano as much as he look because they recognise you, it’s quite He is the eldest of six siblings — Josh, football tournament after seeing a hole in used to, but enjoys sitting down after a busy odd. I haven’t got used to it yet.” Didi, Israel, Grace and Beulah. All of his the market for sports where you can just day and playing for about 20 minutes to Isaac won the by-election in November siblings including himself were home show up, play for an hour and a half and clear his head. and has been in the role for three weeks. On schooled. then leave. Isaac is also the chairperson of Swim For ursday he was oﬃ cially welcomed to the “My parents home-schooled us for All of the money from teams signing up is Life Tairawhiti which is a major passion of Gisborne District Council with a powhiri.

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