Newspaper Article 2013 – James Morgan

JAMES MORGAN
Arts and Culture

Mr Morgan was a retired newspaper editor, farmer, forester and administrator, and spends much of his spare time helping a number of community organisations.

He  served  44  years  in  the  newspaper  industry mostly in Hawke’s Bay, some overseas, a career that culminated in editorship of the Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune.

His work fired a passion to preserve the history of the region. He was instrumental in securing Stoneycroft Homestead as the new home for the Hawke’s Bay Digital Archives Trust. The journey to establish the archives, (or the Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank as it was called), started in 2005 when the Hastings District Council purchased Stoneycroft. The real work for the Trust began in 2008 and culminated with the official opening of the centre in December 2012.

Mr Morgan was a strong advocate of the Sister City relationship between Hastings and Guilin in China and most recently took part in transforming the Sister City Board into the International Advisory Group.

His commitment to Hastings Group Theatre and Napier Operatic Society has seen him become a life member of both organisations.

He was the founder/chairman of the Flaxmere Licensing Trust, a foundation director of Trust House Ltd, a participant in the Headstart Programme at Hawke’s Bay Hospital and an instigator of the Joan Velvin garden at the hospital.

Mr Morgan had been a colourful personality in the Hastings community for many years.