History of the River Network

Voluntary organisations often lose their early history, and the genesis by which they came about, to the vagaries of time and the continual movement of people through the organisation.  The norm is that the early history is recorded only orally, passed on and mutating like Chinese whispers, rarely supported and verified by more than a modicum of written material.

The early rustlings in the undergrowth that led to the eventual formal creation of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network were in 2013.  That an account of the formation process from that time until its formal foundation in 2017 has been written by one closely involved in it, and with access to most of the papers that were created at the time, means that we are in that small proportion of organisations whose roots are well-recorded.

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Hmautner
Dr Helene Mautner

Helene Mautner was an elected member of the Spreydon / Heathcote Community Board at the time when OHRN was about to be imagined. As a foundation member and its first Chair, she is uniquely positioned to provide an insightful perspective on the maneuverings that lead to OHRN’s creation.

We thank Helene for permission to publish this historical narrative on the OHRN website.

History of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network

A narrative of its foundation by Helene Mautner
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2017: Helene Mautner signs the OHRN incorporation document.

2013 – 2014

2015

2016

2017