title: Edward Kersey Cooper: mine manager and mine owner in Hauraki

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: After having a variety of occupations in several countries, Edward Kersey Cooper arrived in New Zealand in 1880 to manage a manganese mine. From 1881 onwards, he was involved in Hauraki mining, commencing with the Waiorongomai field, where he invested in several claims, mostly unproductive ones, and was a mine manager and company director. Here, as elsewhere, he was not reluctant to criticize others, notably those operating the tramway and county councillors (for their perceived lack of support for the mining industry). He remained an outspoken critic of others during all his years trying to make a success of mining, clearly annoying some of his fellow miners with his outspokenness.
In 1886 he moved to Waihi, typically exaggerating his role in finding high-grade ore and also typically clashing with other leading miners. From 1887 onwards he was involved with some important mines at Waitekauri, Thames, and, most disastrously of all, Wharekiraupunga. As all these ventures required more capital than local investors could provide, he spent many years travelling to and from England seeking financial support, which was never sufficient; but the fundamental handicap was not having mines with long term and payable prospects. Like so many mine owners, he was over-sanguine, and his finances were shaky, being forced into bankruptcy in 1892. One solution was, as normal, to seek subsidies from local and national governments, with some success. He was a strong and opinionated critic of some government policies, notably the gold duty, which he sought to have abolished. With reason, he was critical of English companies even though he required English capital. Regarded as a friend to his workers, nonetheless he opposed paying them higher wages.
Cooper was also involved in local government, briefly at Te Aroha and for longer at Thames, and when not on the councils was a belligerent critic of many of their policies. A difficult man to deal with, he valiantly struggled for many years to make a success of mining before retiring to England in the early twentieth century.

text: Edward Kersey Cooper: mine manager and mine owner in Hauraki After having a variety of occupations in several countries, Edward Kersey Cooper arrived in New Zealand in 1880 to manage a manganese mine. From 1881 onwards, he was involved in Hauraki mining, commencing with the Waiorongomai field, where he invested in several claims, mostly unproductive ones, and was a mine manager and company director. Here, as elsewhere, he was not reluctant to criticize others, notably those operating the tramway and county councillors (for their perceived lack of support for the mining industry). He remained an outspoken critic of others during all his years trying to make a success of mining, clearly annoying some of his fellow miners with his outspokenness.
In 1886 he moved to Waihi, typically exaggerating his role in finding high-grade ore and also typically clashing with other leading miners. From 1887 onwards he was involved with some important mines at Waitekauri, Thames, and, most disastrously of all, Wharekiraupunga. As all these ventures required more capital than local investors could provide, he spent many years travelling to and from England seeking financial support, which was never sufficient; but the fundamental handicap was not having mines with long term and payable prospects. Like so many mine owners, he was over-sanguine, and his finances were shaky, being forced into bankruptcy in 1892. One solution was, as normal, to seek subsidies from local and national governments, with some success. He was a strong and opinionated critic of some government policies, notably the gold duty, which he sought to have abolished. With reason, he was critical of English companies even though he required English capital. Regarded as a friend to his workers, nonetheless he opposed paying them higher wages.
Cooper was also involved in local government, briefly at Te Aroha and for longer at Thames, and when not on the councils was a belligerent critic of many of their policies. A difficult man to deal with, he valiantly struggled for many years to make a success of mining before retiring to England in the early twentieth century.

year: 2016

title: Cautionary note on multi-component flood distributions for annual maxima

authors: Bardsley, W. Earl

subjects: flood maxima

abstract: Multi-component probability distributions such as the two-component Gumbel distribution are sometimes applied to annual flood maxima when individual floods are seen as belonging to different classes, depending on physical processes or time of year. However, hydrological inconsistencies may arise if only non-classified annual maxima are available to estimate the component distribution parameters. In particular, an unconstrained best fit to annual flood maxima may yield some component distributions with a high probability of simulating floods with negative discharge. In such situations multi-component distributions cannot be justified as an improved approximation to a local physical reality of mixed flood types, even though a good data fit is achieved. This effect usefully illustrates that a good match to data is no guarantee against degeneracy of hydrological models.

text: Cautionary note on multi-component flood distributions for annual maxima Multi-component probability distributions such as the two-component Gumbel distribution are sometimes applied to annual flood maxima when individual floods are seen as belonging to different classes, depending on physical processes or time of year. However, hydrological inconsistencies may arise if only non-classified annual maxima are available to estimate the component distribution parameters. In particular, an unconstrained best fit to annual flood maxima may yield some component distributions with a high probability of simulating floods with negative discharge. In such situations multi-component distributions cannot be justified as an improved approximation to a local physical reality of mixed flood types, even though a good data fit is achieved. This effect usefully illustrates that a good match to data is no guarantee against degeneracy of hydrological models.

year: 2016

title: Kōauau auē, e auau tō au e! The Kōauau in Te Ao Māori.

authors: Komene, Jo'el

subjects: Kōauau

abstract: In recent years there has been a revival of interest in traditional Māori musical instruments, including the kōauau. This thesis studies kōauau informed by a Māori framework, giving weight to traditional Māori knowledge and practices, emphasizing the spiritual dimensions of the instrument in its origins and its functions. The thesis defines the kōauau and how it is distinct from other taonga pūoro in its physical characteristics. It then presents the traditions associated with the kōauau which link its origins to the atua and their natural world, especially Raukatauri, together with other traditions from many rohe throughout Aotearoa.  The thesis describes the traditional tools and methods of construction, the role of atua in the construction process, materials used for kōauau, how they were embellished, and their use as adornments. The techniques for playing kōauau are analyzed, and there is a discussion of the occasions on which kōauau were played, and the purposes of performing on kōauau. The thesis also presents the texts of several traditional waiata kōauau. A number of traditional kōauau in storage at the Auckland Museum were able to be examined to confirm and extend documentary evidence about materials, construction methods, and embellishment. The discussion also comments on the quot;voicesquot; for those kōauau in the museum collection that could be sounded. The decline in kōauau performance during the twentieth century is outlined, and there is a summary of successful efforts in the later twentieth century to revive taonga pūoro, including kōauau. The thesis brings together in concise form much scattered information so that current and future performers with kōauau are able to give full consideration to its place in te ao Māori.

text: Kōauau auē, e auau tō au e! The Kōauau in Te Ao Māori. In recent years there has been a revival of interest in traditional Māori musical instruments, including the kōauau. This thesis studies kōauau informed by a Māori framework, giving weight to traditional Māori knowledge and practices, emphasizing the spiritual dimensions of the instrument in its origins and its functions. The thesis defines the kōauau and how it is distinct from other taonga pūoro in its physical characteristics. It then presents the traditions associated with the kōauau which link its origins to the atua and their natural world, especially Raukatauri, together with other traditions from many rohe throughout Aotearoa.  The thesis describes the traditional tools and methods of construction, the role of atua in the construction process, materials used for kōauau, how they were embellished, and their use as adornments. The techniques for playing kōauau are analyzed, and there is a discussion of the occasions on which kōauau were played, and the purposes of performing on kōauau. The thesis also presents the texts of several traditional waiata kōauau. A number of traditional kōauau in storage at the Auckland Museum were able to be examined to confirm and extend documentary evidence about materials, construction methods, and embellishment. The discussion also comments on the quot;voicesquot; for those kōauau in the museum collection that could be sounded. The decline in kōauau performance during the twentieth century is outlined, and there is a summary of successful efforts in the later twentieth century to revive taonga pūoro, including kōauau. The thesis brings together in concise form much scattered information so that current and future performers with kōauau are able to give full consideration to its place in te ao Māori.

year: 2009