#4 Timaru Sundials Trail

The Timaru Sundial Trail was written by Rosaleen Robertson and Reid Cowan in 2007.  

Timaru is on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand; it is ideal as a stopping point for travellers on State Highway 1, being roughly half way between the main centers of Christchurch and Dunedin on the scenic coastal route; it could be a timely refreshment stop and is definitely a worthwhile sundial trail stop.

There's 6 sundials.

The first five sundials can be enjoyed in less than one hour if travelling by car, the distance one way is 5 kilometres (alternatively this would be a lovely urban walk).

The sixth sundial is in the countryside, through the beautiful rural rolling landscape. The distance from sundial 5 to 6 one way is another 6.5 kms, so this adds another half to three quarters of an hour to get there and back to the city.
All up, the entire trail is approximately 90 minutes to two hours, but do allow much longer as you will find Timaru attractive and the local people friendly. 

This is a significant monument, a fine construction and work of craft and art. It is classical, elegant, poignant, artisan and "probably Timaru's most prominent sundial."

The sundial is located at about the center point along the Memorial Wall.

The purpose of the sundial "was to bear the roll of honour listing the 11 Victoria Crosses won by New Zealand servicemen during the war".

The sundial maker was Mr James Stewart of Invercargill New Zealand, a well-known sundial maker of the times being credited with approximately 200 dials.

On this dial the detail includes signs of the zodiac and Roman numerals, and the mottos are: I count not the hours unless they be bright HORAS NON MUMERO NISI SERENAS. Care needs to be taken when reading this dial as here is no mention of the necessary 35 minute longitude correction.

Click here for the details of Timaru Sundials Trail  http://www.sundials.co.uk/~timaru.htm

 

New Zealand contact 

#3 Tauranga Sundial, New Zealand

In my first two posts I wrote about the first sundial that I had anything to do with and the first sundial to spark my active interest. In the next two posts I will write about the first sundial I owned and being 'first' in a competition.

My first sundial was purchased 'at auction' from Dalton's Antiques Tauranga whose rooms were over the road from home in the Avenues. Acquiring this sundial seemed as 'meant to be' as it was it's disappearance off the back of a truck leaving it's third locaton on Moffat Road Bethlehem Tauranga.

My Father agreed to the project and between us a suitably aesthetic base design was identified from a loan out of the Alexandre Trunbal Library archive. Concrete was second nature as a construction material to my Dad, as some would say being a typical Kiwi-bloke, and he made a perfect replicata in three parts including leaving his sheep branding mark as the 'maker's mark' and date on the top.

There was no 'marker's mark' on the sundial, just the motto I count the sunny hours only We had no knoweldge of the history gnomon angle

In addtion to taking into account the sundial must be north facing and id is essential for it to be perfectly horisontal.

[pic]

the alexander Turnball libraary, in those day had a colection and provide a photocpy as at my request of sundial bases. We chose thisone, it was perfect in all respects to my eye. and my father Frank, a retired southland farmer, appied his skills to amking a mould, pouring concrete in there sections, aplying his branding mark to creat a replica.

[pic]

gnomin and angle and latitude reakoning confimred belonged in Tauranga .

include her some of hte science of

[pic] the sndial was relocated to The Plot at Te Puna

[pic] and finally to Moffat Road. I say finally as it disappeared by casting itself off eh back of a removal trailor when I was leaving the Bay of Plenty as if it had to say there. a look arond the side of Moffat Road the next was fruitless. i do hope some found it and has re-instated it. I this case it is definately 'findes keepers' and if any kows of it being fund love to learn of its new home.

Wellington Sundial Trail 2010

New Zealand^{1 & 2} according to CNN³ is now the second best tourist destination in the world, with Wellington (New Zealand's capital city), a 'great kind of springboard' to the rest of the country. Wellington is also (according to Lonely Planet⁴) one of the coolest little capitals in the world.

So, armed with that background, and a chance to participate in Sundials on the Internet⁵ and the British Sundial Society⁶ Sundial Trail competition, my friend Robyn Pearce, and I, Rosaleen Robertson, created The Wellington Sundials Trail.

A word for those who have never given sundials a second thought before now, whatever your interests: scientific, aesthetic, historical, keeping fit or discovery, our promise is that you will not be disappointed. You just need to give it a go.

A note of caution however, the pursuit of sundials has been known to be quite infectious and you too could find yourself a committed sundialophile⁷ like me. And with this in mind I've provided some tips (Appendix A, B and C are in a separate pdf file here), Appendix B provides details of the numbered references shown in superscript.

Click here to access the Wellington Sundail Trail http://www.sundials.co.uk/~wellington.htm

#2 Herb Garden Sundial, Wellington Botanic Garden, New Zealand

In our capital city during the 1970s extremely popular evening classes on Herbs and the Use Of were conducted by Lorna Rowland. My friend Pauline and I attended these.

Being highly motivated to learn more about growing and cooking with herbs, we did not take any persuading to join the Wellington Herb Society. At this time the Herb Society was active in establishing an herb garden and gifting a sundial.

This was the first sundial I had anything to do with.

SOL EST LUXET GLORIA MUNDI

The sprig of rosemary adds a special touch. Rosemary, in the language of plants, is for rememberance hence the symbolism of its use on ANZAC Day, in rememberance of 'those fallen in battle'. There are a number of sundials throughout New Zealand that have been commissioned to commemorate bravery and the sacrifice of life at war.

Now to explain something about the structure and function of the sundial. The vertical part that stands up (perpendicular) from the sundial face is called the gnomon (pronounced noh-mon).

The gnomon casts the shadow that falls onto an hour mark from which the time is calculated. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning: indicator, one that knows or discerns, that which reveals or shows.

The direction and angle of the gnomon are two of the essentials for 'time-telling accuracy'. The direction is marked by the symbol N as all sundials must be north facing for the shadow to fall accurately. Sundials are designed for either southern or northern hemisphere positions.

Sometimes the gnomon is referred to as the style, correctly speaking the style is the outer edge of the gnomon which casts the shadow. The shadow changes as the sun moves and the time may be read a follows: the west edge shadow in the morning and the east edge shadow in the afternoon.

If you look above you'll see from the shadow falling off the west side of the style, that I made an early morning visit to the Herb Garden in the Wellington Botanic Garden.

Sadly gnomon vandalism can be an issue.
Evidence of this may be seen in the photo above where the gnomon does not appear perfectly straight and in the photo below (taken 15 years ago) the gnomon is completely gone.

In a future postings I plan to:

• share details of two genuine Kiwi do-it-yourself vandal deterrent strategies, one which is mechanical and the other spiritual
• provide more information about the art and science of sundialling, or gnomonics, and
• explain some traditions and practices

I hope you'll find this interesting.

So, back now to the Wellington Herb Garden sundial, does anyone have information about it? Who made it, details of the stone base and who installed it?

If you are interested in discovering more about Lorna Rowland and the Wellington Botanic Garden Herb Garden go to the Friends Newsletters: February 2002 and May 2002 by clicking: http://friendswbg.org.nz/newslettersabout.htm

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#1 Cheviot School, Canterbury, New Zealand

Thirty years ago following the discovery of the Cheviot School

sundial a passion (or maybe an obsession!) was sparked.

Since then I have been enthusiastic about finding and recording sundials and meeting sundialophiles.

The motto on the beautifully engraved dial face is

LUX TUA VITA MEA.

A plaque on this elegant base showed it was presented by M.J. Read.

2010 all that remained was the concrete slab and four rocks.

I wondered what happened to this sundial and learned

      

 "The School Sundial has been re-located 

in front of the Cheviot Museum." 

 

LUX TUA VITA MEA: Thy light is my life.

 

https://www.sundials.co.nz/