Robin White Screen Prints
Two Great Dames Come to Town
Read about a wonderful Paekākāriki event involving two great Dames!
•Robina Smythe
•June 5, 2026
Here comes the train from Wellington, 11.40 am. Gerda and I strain our eyes and see two figures moving slowly towards us.
Welcome Dames, to Paekākāriki. How wonderful that you have come here by train on this stunningly pretty, autumn day.
Artist, Dame Robin White, and filmmaker, Dame Gaylene Preston, were special guests in the village on Wednesday 20 May as we celebrated the installation of two screen prints of Robin’s wonderful paintings, from the 1970s, of the old Paekākāriki Hotel.
A small ceremony was held outside the hotel and in front of the two prints. Dave Johnson, Chair of the Paekākāriki Museum, Mark Amery, Api Taylor, and Liz Koh (KCDC) led a spirited welcome, despite the noise of trains passing, bells ringing, and horns tooting. Dame Robin gave a heartfelt response, sharing some of her personal history, connection to this place and her delight at being in the village once again. She also expressed her delight at the noise of the village.
Of particular interest was the fact that Dame Robin spent many years living on the atoll of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, now known as The Republic of Kiribati. This was the place where many American Marines were killed in November 1943, after they had been stationed in Paekākāriki. A Paekākāriki street is named after this event in Tarawa.
A huge shout out to Dave Johnson, Jude Galtry, Jude Walcott and the Railway Museum volunteer group for organising this event and Finns Hotel for feeding all who came to join in the celebration.
A second treat was the screening of “Grace: A Prayer for Peace” directed by Dame Gaylene Preston. Her film explores the life and artistic evolution of artist, Robin White. A great crowd turned up for this and gave it a fantastic reception. Both Robin and Gaylene shared answers to audience questions and thoughts about the film which resonates strongly in this world of ours. A call to a prayer for peace was deeply felt.
A beautiful film about a beautiful woman on a beautiful day in a beautiful village called Paekākāriki.
Ps
– a nudge from Gaylene to remember that Aotearoa is still a nuclear-free zone, This status may be under threat.
– also a nudge to see her daughter Chelsie Preston Crayford’s directorial debut: Caterpillar (on at Shoreline, Waikanae).
For further information: https://paekakariki.nz/robin-white-te-papa-exhibition-and-paekakariki-connection/
Robin & Gaylene visited the Paekakariki Station Museum before catching their return unit to Wellington.
