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The legend of Pania of the Reef, and the story behind the statue; broadcast from 2YZ Napier in 1954.
An unidentified speaker introduces the programme.
The programme begins with a brief retelling of the Māori legend of Pania of the Reef, and the genesis of the idea by the 30,000 Club to put a statue of Pania on the Napier foreshore. It has recently been unveiled by the Prime Minister.
The bronze statue was made in Italy, at the same studio that several other local statues had been made.
Miss Hunter, principal of the Hukaere Girls School, provided a "Māori maiden" from her school to be a model for the statue. Out of four girls selected, Mei Irihapiti Robin was chosen.
She gives a short interview about being chosen as the model to represent Pania. She was nicknamed Hine Kohupatiki because she did not want her real name used.
She had photographs taken from different angles, which were sent to Italy along with a tiki, a piu piu and a huia feather belonging to her family. The tiki was a copy as her grandmother was not happy for it to leave the country, but the piu piu and huia feather were original. The items have been safely returned.
The process of making the sculpture is described.
Eventually the statue was shipped back and erected on a rock the foreshore.
The programme cuts off and the unidentified speaker completes the story of bringing the rock to the foreshore.