Conchology Section
Auckland Museum Institute

Happy New Year! We hope members had excellent shelling over the holiday period.

Congratulations to our new life members: Mrs. Nancy Smith, Doug and Judith Snook and Mrs. Fiona Thompson, for their long service to the Conchology Section and Auckland Museum Marine Department.

President's Report
Attached is the President's Report for 2004.
Last words from Doug Snook: I am now officially your Immediate Past President. I give a big thank you to all members for your friendship and co-operation over my three year term as President of the Conchology Section. I especially thank Judith for her encouragement and support, and thank all committee members for their help in guiding the Section through three years of constant change as the Auckland Museum embarked on it's ambitious re-building programme. I hand on the leadership of the Section to Mrs. Heather Smith, confident that our membership is buoyant and growing, our finances are in excellent order and the Section is domiciled in a comfortable meeting place in Epsom, with the firm prospect of returning to our original home at the Auckland Museum in the foreseeable future.
Judith and I thank you for the Christmas gift Collectors Edition of Arnott's Biscuits and for the Thank You card, signed by those present at the AGM on behalf of all members.
The AGM Christmas party was a very successful evening. Thanks to Gladys for providing a delicious Christmas cake and to Rosa for her shell-crafted Christmas tree on a framed panel, complete with coloured lights, which set the scene for an enjoyable evening. Thanks also to Nick for his wonderful photographs of Paraphanta, taken on a recent visit to the Heaphy Track - and to Heather for her trays of beautiful shells. (PS. Doug is being modest here - his own display trays of shells were greatly admired too.)

From the AGM held in December 2004:

Appointments: no change this year.
  Patron: Professor J.E. Morton
  Vice Patrons: Mr. W. O. Cernohorsky, Mr. N. Gardner
  Editors: Mr. T. Enderby, Mrs. J. Enderby
  Auditor: Mr. M. Stace

Officers Elected
  Immediate Past President: Mr. Doug Snook
  President 2005: Mrs. Heather Smith
  Vice Presidents: Mrs. Patricia Langford and Mrs. Fiona Thompson
  Secretary and Newsletter: Mrs. Rosa Tyson
  Treasurer and membership: Dr. Neville Hudson
  Website officer: Mr. Peter Poortman
  Librarian: Mrs. Gladys Goulstone
  Committee: Mrs. Betty Headford, Ms. Jan Munroe, Mrs. Glenys Stace, Mr. Michael Bressolles, Mr. Bruce Hazelwood, Mr. Chris Horn, Mr. Luen Jones.

Items of interest at the AGM
A special 75th Anniversary Committee was appointed: Mrs. Margaret Morley, Mrs. Nancy Smith and Mrs. Glenys Stace. They would appreciate the loan of any memorabilia, especially photographs, for this event.(The Auckland Museum celebrated the 75th year of the first stage of its magnificent Neo-classical Beaux-Arts style building in 2004).
In keeping with these celebrations the meeting passed a motion to support the AMI's project to provide sets of chairs for the Museum's new Lecture Hall. The chair sets are a fixed trio, with state of the art electronic fittings, at $1500 a set. The Section has 3 years in which to pay for a set of chairs and members put forward some very inventive ideas for fund raising. These trio of chairs will be engraved with the donor's name. Any member wishing to personally contribute to the Section's donation can do so by sending your contribution to our Treasurer, Dr. Neville Hudson at 4/20 Hayden St. Freemans Bay Auckland.

Next Meeting
Tuesday February 8th, 7:30pm in the Ranfurly Room at the Epsom Community Centre, 202 Gillies Ave. (corner of Kimberley Rd.) Park at the rear.
The Shell Families in focus this evening will be the 3 T's: TURRITELLIDAE - TURRIDAE - TEREBRIDAE
Please also bring along and display any holiday finds or recent additions to your collection.
Lets start the chair fund rolling with a trading table. Mr. Reg Durran has kindly offered a box of shells and a few books to sell, as a donation towards the Section's funds - so bring along your spare cash and make an offer for these little beauties - also for sale on the night will be a selection of common shells from the donated collection of the late Miss Joan Coles, which are surplus to the Museum's requirements. If you have any shells you would like to donate to the Chair Fund please bring them along on the night. (It's said that the Devil lurks in the details - but I'm confident we can get something organised....)
There will also be two lucky door prizes!!

Committee Members Please Note
The first committee meeting for 2005 is scheduled for April 12th 6pm - it's also a BYO dinner, prior to our monthly meeting at the Epsom Community Centre.

Field Trips in 2005
Saturday Feb 19th. Glass Bottom Boat - Goat Is. Marine Reserve Leigh. Meet at the Reserve HQ at 11:30am for 12 noon departure. Low tide on the Sat 19th. is at 09:39. The boat trips leave on the hour, all day, and the noon sailing will afford members ample time to go shelling at near by beaches. For details ph. Rosa 09-6204523. View the website: www.glassbottomboat.co.nz for types of fares etc.

The beaches in the Whakatane region have recovered from the floods of 2004 - our never-never trip to the area and White Island is once more a possibility. Bruce Hazelwood is interested in a land snail survey on Whale Island near the entrance to the Whakatane Harbour.

Bruce has also proposed that we hold an excursion out to the sand banks in the Manukau Harbour. I have approached the Manukau Yacht Club for the hire of their fast patrol boat as a means of getting us out on the Harbour - the fee will possibly be $20 pp - this will be a fundraising event for the Yacht Club and subject to approval from their committee.

From The Beaches
Bruce Hazelwood reports a recent find of an unusually tall form of Struthiolaria papulosa on the beach at Cornwallis, Manukau Harbour, Auckland.
The surf was high on Auckland and Coromandel East Coast beaches at the end of January.

As seen in the Nov 2004 Cookia
An excellent list of shells sighted on Whangamata and other Coromandel beaches on 1st weekend in June, compiled by J. Harding.

From The Clubs
Whangarei Shell Club is meeting 3rd Feb contact Secretary Prue Cozens on 09-4377760 if you are up that way.
The Wellington Shell Club held a P.R. afternoon, Sun. 30th Jan. at Petone Museum to identify shells for the public - and sold surplus shells on trading tables. (Now here's food for thought!) Wn. contact is Deidre Standish 04-384-7418.
Sarasota Shell Club Florida, reports that there's nothing like a good hurricane to stir things up in the Gulf of Mexico! When hurricane Ivan hit the SW. members had the best shelling for 25 years. One rare find was a deep water Junonia - the `Holy Grail' for local shell collectors.

Shell Dealers
Huaya Nature Book Trade Co. Ltd. is offering an English version of Seashells of China US $199+p.p. order online: hceis@263.net.cn
Philippine specimen and WW. seashells for sale. Eddie Pagobo: eddie_shells@yahoo.com
The local Internet auction site, Trademe.co.nz often features shell books and WW. shells.

The Library
Is on the move again due to the re-building programme at the Auckland Museum. Please check details with Gladys ph. 09-624-2823 until further notice.

Editorial
Tony and Jenny Enderby are calling for general articles and also articles for a feature section about the late Miss Joan Coles in the next edition of our POIRIERIA Journal. All queries: ph 09-422-6127 or email: enderby@enderby.co.nz

Website Officer
Peter poortman - NB. correct email is: peter.poortman@xtra.co.nz

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