Halina Kania (L), with Henry Matyszczuk, Barbara Matyszczuk and Dr John Kania at the Kania's Masterton home. Photo: SUPPLIED
A Canadian woman has described how her family has kept in touch with relatives who came to New Zealand as young war refugees.
It's been eight decades since hundreds of children found a new home in Pahīatua during WWII.
Barbara Matyszczuk, based in Ontario, has visited New Zealand 12 times over the past 25 years to spend time with their Wairarapa relations.
Last month, Tararua district mayor Scott Gilmore attended the 81st reunion of the Pahīatua Polish children and welcomed the new Polish Ambassador, Patryk Błaszczak, on his first visit to Pahīatua.
"The story of the Pahīatua children remains close to our hearts thanks to those who continue to share it," Gilmore said.
"Eighty-one years ago, 733 Polish children and 105 caregivers, displaced by the devastation of war, found refuge in Pahīatua.
"Those children, some of whom were present at the reunion, found safety, hope, and community here. They brought with them their culture, language, and determination, enriching New Zealand in countless ways. Many remained here, and their legacy continues to shape our communities for the better."
Matyszczuk said she has been coming to New Zealand every two or three years.
Barbara Matyszczuk with Dr John Kania Photo: SUPPLIED
"My mother and Uncle John were first cousins," she said of the 94-year-old Masterton doctor, John Kania, who arrived in New Zealand as a Polish refugee at the age of 13.
Kania, who Matyszczuk calls "Uncle John", was one of 733 children who were resettled in and around Pahīatua after WW2.
Matyszczuk said her uncle was living with her mother's family in Poland when the then-Soviet Union invaded and he was deported.
"My Uncle John was very special to my late mother, and he has often referred to her as his "kindred spirit", she said.
"My Mother and Uncle John were the same age."
After the war, the displaced family struggled, but eventually managed to reconnect.
"The Red Cross did an amazing job of connecting people after the war," she said.
"At that time my grandmother and mother were living in the UK after spending time in camps in Africa.
"My mother was an incredible correspondent and she kept in touch with Uncle John over the years.
"I remember her writing letters on her typewriter on Sunday afternoons. Then in 1979 Uncle John and my Aunt Halina came for a reunion in Canada. It was the first time my mother and her cousin had seen each other since the war."
Two years after that visit Matyszczuk's mother passed away, but Matyszczuk kept in contact.
"In 1986 I got married and invited them - and they came," she said.
Matyszczuk and her husband visited New Zealand for the first time in 1988, travelling the country in a campervan.
"This is our 12th visit.
"My husband and I have made it a priority to visit the Kanias every few years over the past decades.
"I am so grateful we have had the means and the opportunity to come here so often.
"I consider it a blessing."
Matyszczuk described the Wairarapa as "magical".
"Masterton to me is the right size of town.
"Nobody's getting any younger and if you can do it, you do it.
"All you can do is be present and do the best you can."
Matyszczuk said because they had relatives in Masterton, they feel at home.
"Wairarapa is also special for many reasons," she said, listing the region's food and wine, scenery, Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park, the Tararua Forest Park, Castlepoint, and the Masterton Menz Shed among her favourites.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.