2011-08-25 Paul and Joella wahakura 2

Paul & Joella’s Wahakura in Progresses: Wahakura being tamed. [Click image for more…]

[From the comments:]

Colleen: Looking awesome, the colour is incredible

Joy: Colleen – That’s the flax from Aunty Ettie – now if I could just find that email from you with its name.

Joy: I found the email and it set me off on a ‘google hunt’.
The flax plant was given to Aunty Ettie by Rangimahora Reihana-Mete a much revered weaver (1900 – 1994).
Family history has it that the plant was given to her by Mr Sifford who had developed a particular variety called Sifford Special.
My search led me eventually to Alfred Seifert and an entry in the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
This mentions : ‘a disease-resistant variety known as ‘SS’ (Seifert selection)’
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3s10/1 [link updated]

Joy: First I got to read this that I found interesting: http://horowhenua.kete.net.nz/…/2475-miranui-the-story…
Now I had better get on with the cleaning I had started.

[This link is broken, but searching that site for “miranui-the-story-of-new-zealands-largest-flax-mill” finds this booklet by that name. Looking in the Wayback Machine, it confirms that this is the right document (and its version doesn’t have broken images), but I cannot determine where in the book she was looking, but there are several references to “Seifert” in the text.]

Joy: What do you think – Could it be that variety of flax?

Colleen: A distinct possibility, though I’m sure Margaret said Sifford had something to do with the Research Centre at Massey.

(Original post)