Convener Diane Edwards and treasurer Chris McDonald at Genealogy Wairarapa’s new Church St space. PHOTO/GEORGE SHIERS

Better days are ahead for geneology centre

Wairarapa’s family history research centre has a new home and a renewed lease on life, thanks to the support and generosity of the Masterton community.

The Wairarapa Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists has moved into a new space on Church St, having vacated its former premises in the old WBS building on Queen St at the beginning of September.

Earlier this year, the almost 40-year-old centre was staring down the barrel of closure: With the WBS building declared earthquake-prone, and memberships [and, likewise, finances] in decline thanks to covid, its committee was left struggling to find an affordable space to rent.

Certain it would be unable to afford storage fees to safeguard its vast collection of resources, convener Diane Edwards estimated the branch would “not survive into the next financial year”.

In July, branch members made an appeal to the community for help via an article in the Midweek, which Edwards said was met with an outpouring of supportive and kind responses.

After a suggestion from a Midweek reader, and with support from long-time estate agent David McHattie, the branch approached Masterton Trust Lands Trust.

Inspired by newspaper coverage, the trust “came to the rescue”, offering the branch a concessional lease for an upstairs space at Radio House.

Having settled…