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‘Faith and Fraternalism - A History of the Hibernian Society in New Zealand 1869-2000’ ‘Faith and Fraternalism’ is a history of over 130 years of achievement by several generations of Hibernians in New Zealand. The Society was established in this country as an offshoot of an organisation formed in Australia. Such friendly societies were of vital importance to immigrants and their descendants in the decades prior to the creation of the welfare state. The Hibernians played an important role in the lives of many Catholic families, helping to cushion them from the effects of economic downturns and to provide social support and fraternalism. Author Dr Rory Sweetman, a professional historian, was commissioned by the Society, but left free to tell its story from the existing sources. What emerged is a tale of dedication by the Society's pioneers, and of fortitude in the face of regular reverses, culminating in the 1930s with the arrival of state social security at a time of internal division. The first five chapters examine the various strands that made up the Society and gave it a remarkable strength and longevity: its roots in Ireland, its regional and religious loyalties, its vital economic and social dimension. The final chapter tells how the Society coped with the challenge of the last 30 years, and how it looks forward with confidence to the new millennium. That the Hibernian Society survived, where so many Catholic lay organisations and other friendly societies did not, speaks of its sense of purpose and strength of belief. While the Society's history will be of interest principally to its members, as there has not been a detailed history written on the friendly society movement in New Zealand it is considered the book will also be of interest to the wider community. Comprising approximately 90,000 words and including 59 photographs, this soft cover book can be purchased from the Society's office in Wellington at $39-95 per copy.
The
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