Waikato Deaf Society Inc History

Sometimes I reflect on how much progress I have made and how I decided to move forward on my own, rather than wait for the former members of the Past Waikato Deaf Society. That was when I started working on a short history book.

I have collected materials and notes at home, even during difficult times such as the world fuel crisis and the wars in the Middle East.

Rather than following the approach of the newly re-established Waikato Deaf Society in 2025, I decided to share most of the records, stories, and photos on this website and include fewer in the book. I have asked the new Waikato Deaf Society to respond to my request, and while I support them, waiting has been tiring. They have my permission to use some of my photos, but I have not received any support or more photos for my project in return.

Today, only a few Deaf seniors from the Waikato Deaf Society (1956-2004) are still with us, as many have passed away or their health has declined. John Gimour is still here, along with Clive and Diane Lasenby, who were long-time members until the club closed. Clive and Diane moved from Hamilton to Auckland to be closer to their daughter after Clive retired. John still lives in Hamilton and has joined the Auckland Deaf Society and Sports, where he enjoys Ten Pin Bowling. There are also two wives, Alison Appleby and Kathryn Wood, who were married to former Deaf Waikato members. I also reached out to the daughter of Ivan and Coira Churchill after Gordon Wood’s death. For now, I will contact the daughter’s husband to confirm her father’s occupation and the reason for establishing the past Waikato Deaf Society through the Hughes family in Te Awamutu. Ivan and Coira had three daughters, and now only one is still living.

It is important to gather as many resources, photos, materials, original sign language, videos, and stories as possible before the history of the past Waikato Deaf Society Inc 1956-2004 is lost.

For example, I visited one of Kathryn’s former deaf students at Kelston, the same school they attended, in Cambridge, which is about 28 minutes from my home. Kathryn’s deaf friend does not use sign language, but speaks like others in the community. I will call her Grace (not her real name). She lives in a housing estate I have known for many years. In this estate, there is a set of units, and one of the late Deaf members was Flossie Mumford. Flossie lived in the same estate where Grace lives today. Grace and Flossie never met, even after more than twenty-five years. There was another person named Flossie, the second deaf member, Flossie Lewis (Yates), who was related to my late grandmother’s mother’s side of the family.

What kinds of resources did I collect for the memorial service of the late Deaf members I knew from my youth as a deaf delegate for the Waikato Deaf Society 1956-2004 through Deaf Aotearoa, under the Wood Brothers and Nowicki? The only late members were Allan Dance, whom I met briefly through Deaf Fellowship, and Robert Weston, who has a Deaf and neurodiverse son living in a rest home in Hamilton. I was able to visit Robert’s son and one of our local Dance family members, who is related to the Wood family of Waikato. To explain how Allan Dance is related to the Wood family: Gordon, Leslie (Les), and Eric were great nephews and great uncles through the Wood’s mother’s side of the family.

I do not have many photos of former Deaf members or their families. The photos I have are from between 1956 and the 1970s. There is no collection of photos, except for the Deaf magazine through Sign DNA, from the 1970s to 2000.