Interview with Walter Hirsh

New Zealand Race Relations Conciliator from 1986 to 1989. Born in Munchen-Gladbach, Germany, in 1936. Mentions family's arrival in New Zealand and their settlement in Milton - discusses family members left behind in Germany. Mentions fathers involvment in Dunedin's Jewish community - describes the barriers his family experienced in practicing their religion - compares Jewish experience of assimilation in New Zealand and Australia.

Recalls attending Macandrew Intermediate and Otago Boys School in Dunedin, before travelling overseas in 1955 - gives reasons for visiting Israel. Discusses attending Wellington Teachers' College and graduating in 1959 before teaching in Wellington - mentions marriage to wife Adele in 1959. Talks about receiving the 1975 Fulbright Fellowship - describes the areas of research undertaken and visiting various bilingual programmes with the Navaho and Mohawk Indians in the United States and Canada. Discusses how he put the ideas developed through the Fellowship into practice during time as principal of Karori West Normal School and Mount Cook School.

Describes how he was appointed Race Relations Conciliator in 1985 - mentions Geoffrey Palmer, Hiwi Tauroa and Hone Turei. Discusses the Race Relations Act 1972. Mentions the need for sensitivity in the Conciliator's role, previous Conciliators and the public expectations regarding the ethnicity of the Conciliator. Defines the role of the Conciliator - describes the climate of Maori-Pakeha relations in New Zealand in the mid 1980s. Discusses various Waitangi Tribunal claims. Talks about the different groups of staff who worked in the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator - mentions the establishment of the Christchurch and Wellington offices. Describes the implementation of the Secondary School Students Cultural Exchange programme, youth forums, Marae Experience programmes and the inclusion of taha Maori into the New Zealand school curriculum. Talks about the establishment of the Educator of Racism at Auckland Hospital, a high-profile case at the Auckland University Marae, and the role the Office played in these cases. Recalls the Office's involvement in the planning of the 1990 Sesquicentennial - discusses his feelings about the commemorations.

Access Contact - See Oral History Librarian

Interviewer(s) - Megan Hutching

Accompanying material - Copies of published articles from books, magazines, and newspapers

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-012708, OHC-012709, OHC-012710

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 2.22 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-5442

Abstract Available - transcript(s) available.

Photocopied articles include copies of photographs of Walter Hirsh

Search dates: 1936 - 1999

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.