THE New York Times called her one of Australia’s most revered writers: and today would have been her 106th birthday.
But today, Ruth Park’s name is barely known in her hometown of Te Kūiti.
Growing up on Nettie St and attending St Joseph’s School, she was to later write about her childhood in A Fence Around the Cuckoo, the first volume of her memoirs.
She won a major Australian literary prize in the 1940s with the book The Harp in the South: it was translated into 37 languages and became a TV series.
Ruth’s father was Melville “Mera” Park – who built many of the King Country’s original vehicle routes, such as the road to Kāwhia.
Ruth herself had vivid memories of living through the Great Depression in Te Kūiti – including finding the body of a man at the railway station toilets.
Dozens of books for children and young adults were her legacy, not to mention the radio character The Muddle Headed Wombat. Her second volume of memoirs, Fishing in the Styx was published in 1993.
A King Country News journalist is currently preparing a writing project about Ruth. Could anyone in the community with family stories about the writer please contact the office – especially any members of the Tāwhai family – the whānau of her childhood best friend.
We would love to hear from you – sigridc@kingcountrynews.co.nz
