Tuesday 19 November 2024, 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Taiwhanga Kauhau — Auditorium, (lower ground) National Library Wellington. Entrance on Aitken Street or on Zoom.
Come and hear Jacqueline Leckie share her research about the complex and vibrant history of the Indian community in Te Whanganui-a-Tara at this month’s Friends of the Turnbull event.
A vibrant history of Wellington’s Indian communities
When we think about Wellington’s Indian heritage, what comes to mind? Perhaps fruit shops, dairies, curry, hockey, or Diwali? The story behind these stereotypes is of course more complex — a rich and long history of Indian people that reaches back to the 19th century.
This presentation will outline Jacqueline Leckie’s research documenting aspects of the history of Indian people in the capital, including the economic, cultural, and other connections between Indian people and the wider public. This history is embedded in certain streets and places of the city.
Building a sense of belonging
Equally important is how Indian people also built their community — building their belonging to Wellington, which was much more than physical structures.
Jacqueline will share images she has found in her research that speak to economic, cultural, and other connections between Indian people and the wider public. The visual archives also include glimpses of the little-known connections of Indian-Wellington to India.
About the speaker
Jacqueline Leckie is a researcher and writer based in Ōtepoti Dunedin. She is an adjunct research fellow with the Stout Centre for New Zealand Studies at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka, and conjoint associate professor in the School of Creative Industries and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She is an honorary member of the NZ Indian Central Association. Jacqueline Leckie received the Friends of the Turnbull Library Research Grant in 2024.
More information can be found here.