Kia Ora,

We recently hosted Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, alongside Polish Ambassador Patryk Błaszczak and their delegation in our district which was a significant moment and an occasion that carried real meaning.

For a senior foreign politician to visit and spend an entire day in our district speaks volumes. It showed clearly that the relationship between Poland and the Tararua District is not simply a historic story that we hold dear locally, it is one that continues to matter deeply to Poland at the highest levels of their government.

That relationship began in 1944, when Pahiatua welcomed 733 Polish refugee children and their 105 caregivers who had survived immense hardship during the Second World War. Invited by New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser, they arrived seeking safety and the chance to rebuild their lives.

What they found here was compassion and community. They were embraced, supported, and given stability in a time of uncertainty. Many would go on to build lives across New Zealand, yet the bonds formed in Pahiatua never faded. Those connections have continued through generations and remain an important part of our district’s identity.

The recent visit brought that shared history into the present in a powerful way. At Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, the delegation was formally welcomed and experienced one of our most special places, including meeting a young kiwi and hearing the story of Pōrana, another kiwi whose Te Reo name translates to Poland, as a symbolic reminder of the friendship between our nations. They also visited and were entertained by children at the Pahiatua Museum, which continues to be a guardian of the Polish children story and were welcomed onto Pahiatua Marae, where their wharekai once served as part of the original refugee camp.

These moments reinforced that this relationship is living and growing. They strengthened ties between our communities, reaffirmed our shared history, and created opportunities for future cultural and educational connections, including through our sister town relationship with Kazimierz Dolny in Poland.

For our district, it was a proud day. More importantly, it was a clear sign that a story that began with compassion more than eighty years ago continues to build friendship, respect, and connection between our people and Poland today.