Books

Butterflies of the South Pacific

Brian Patrick and Hamish Patrick, October 2012.

It is easy to misjudge butterflies as fragile flying insects. However, their distribution across a wild and expansive Pacific Ocean proves otherwise. Butterflies can fly thousands of kilometres.

The South Pacific is a vast expanse of ocean with tiny island groups and scattered islands. From Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji in the west, to French Polynesia and Hawai'i in the east, this book surveys (and discovers) the butterfly inhabitants of these tropical islands. The butterflies of temperate New Zealand to the south are also included.With a foreword by John Tennent, of The Natural History Museum, London, this useful book describes and illustrates almost 100 butterfly species and includes about 300 photographs of butterflies and their habitats.

Far from 'Home'

The English in New Zealand

Edited by Lyndon Fraser and Angela McCarthy, September 2012.

The English have been on the move globally since around 1600. For almost 200 years, they have been migrating to New Zealand, yet relatively little has been written about their experiences.

Covering a wide range of topics – from drinking and literature to mental health and Maori understandings of Englishness – this book brings together leading international scholars and prominent local researchers to explore issues at the very heart of research into human mobility. Why did the English-born people decide to emigrate? What factors shaped their migration and adaptation? How might we best describe and explain their experiences?

Contributors: Stephen Constantine, Lyndon Fraser, Marjory Harper, Angela McCarthy, Lachlan Paterson, David Pearson, Greg Ryan, Janet Wilson.

Democratic Governance and Health

Hospitals, Politics and Health Policy in New Zealand

Miriam J Laugesen and Robin Gauld, October 2012.

New Zealand is the only country in the world where elected health boards have long been a core feature of the health-care system.

The influence of the district health boards is vast. In 2011, they were responsible for much of the $12 billion in public expenditure directly funded by taxpayers via the Ministry of Health. They also made all major decisions as to how health services were configured in the areas they serve, including which services were to be funded and for whom, and where they should be located.

The boards are conceptually important and aspirational for policy-makers and communities across the world grappling with issues of how to increase public participation in health care. This book traces their development, analysing the history of democratic governance of health care, how boards have functioned, the politics surrounding their reform and the idea of local democracy in health-care decision-making. It contains valuable lessons for policy-makers in New Zealand and other countries interested in public participation in health care.

Harbour

Photographs by Alastair Grant, October 2012.

An alumnus of the University of Otago, orthopaedic surgeon Alastair Grant was given a Kodak camera by his father at the age of 12 and has enjoyed photography ever since. He has exhibited at galleries in Auckland, New Plymouth and Wellington.

After working in Taranaki for many years, Grant travelled the great inland harbours of the west coast of the North Island, creating a photographic record of these under-appreciated regions.

The harbours are drowned river valleys. They differ greatly in size, but share a similar climate, with prevailing westerly winds. Settled by Māori in the 13th and 14th centuries, they have played significant roles in our history. Today the Manukau and Porirua harbours support large urban populations and commercial activities, while the others are less populated and more remote. To this day, marae dot their shores.

Alastair Grant's evocative photographs have captured the unique atmosphere of these great waterways and their people.

For further information and more books:
Otago University Press
Email university.press@otago.ac.nz