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History of Taruna
Taruna is on the lower slopes of Te Mata Peak with a garden of mature trees and panoramic views, overlooking Havelock North.
The original homestead of Taruna ("gateway or place of higher learning") was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake flattened much of the nearby towns of Napier and Hastings. As the home of Misses Ruth Nelson and Edna Burbury, it became one of the earliest places in New Zealand where Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy was studied. Herr Alfred Meebolt, a well known biologist and pupil of Rudolf Steiner made his home here for the last few years of his life, giving a strong impulse to the study of anthroposophy. He died in 1952. A comprehensive library of Steiner's lectures was built up for borrowing by members and groups of the Anthroposophical Society throughout New Zealand. For many years there were annual gatherings or summer conferences between Christmas and Epiphany. When Ruth Nelson and Edna Burbury died in the late 1970s, the property was bequeathed to the Ruth Nelson Taruna Charitable Trust Board to be used for Anthroposophical Adult Education. The first course, a preparatory course for teachers, was opened in 1982, led by Carl Hoffman, with the help of Edwin Ayre who had been active in teacher training at the Rudolf Steiner School Hastings.
Since then, all courses offered at Taruna College have been based on the work and philosophy of Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925). Born in Austria, Dr. Steiner was an astute thinker, a respected scientist, artist and teacher who developed a science of the spirit and a path of inner or self-development which he called ‘anthroposophy’, a path of knowledge to guide the Spiritual in the human being to the Spiritual in the universe.
He spoke of the human being as a being of spirit, soul and body, and showed how this could influence many aspects of cultural life. The result of Steiner's insights and advice has been a renewal in the areas of education, agriculture, medicine, therapy, religion, and the arts of movement (eurythmy), speech and drama, sculpture, painting and architecture. The centre for the Anthroposophical movement internationally, is the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland.
Taruna aims to provide mature adults seeking to deepen their approach to life through anthroposophy with opportunities for personal development, social awakening and, where appropriate, professional re-orientation. Adult Learning is seen as an ‘awakening of the will’ and is seen as an essentially different process from that of childhood learning.
In developing courses at Taruna, three barriers, thresholds or resistances for learning are recognized, namely those related to thinking, feeling and will.
In meeting these resistances, courses at Taruna are seen as paths of inner development.
Needs of participants are met in a way which calls upon the whole human being, by:
- Extending and deepening knowledge through learning to observe objectively and think clearly, recognizing a need to change oneself so that the reality of the world can reveal itself;
- Deepening the understanding of oneself by addressing the emotional/feeling response to learning situations with perceptive listening and through creative experiences in the arts;
- Developing confidence and courage in overcoming fear when one is about to undertake a personal project or initiative or is called upon to do or achieve something.
Review, evaluation and forward planning is a collaborative effort by participants and course leaders where practicable.
Taruna aims to contribute to participants' capacity to give renewed purpose and direction to their lives, and to respond to world needs in a creative and responsible way.
The Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education takes place in the Hermes Room. It began in 1982 with 11 full-time students and was led by Carl Hoffmann. This followed the pioneering work of Edwin Ayre in teacher training in the late ’70s in the Rudolf Steiner School Hastings. Dr. Robin Bacchus was appointed Programme Director in 1993.
The Diploma in Biodynamic and Organic Agriculture was established in 1990 by Hans van Florenstein Mulder as a one-year course. It takes place in the Demeter Room and is now a 29-week course starting in April and finishing with a 7-week practical placements on Biodynamic farms, gardens or orchards. Successful completion leads to the Diploma in Biodynamic Agriculture. In 2005 Taruna started a new part-time agricultural programme, the Certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics.
In 2000 the Anthroposophical Nurses Association of NZ approached Taruna College and a three year part-time programme, Graduate Diploma course in Anthroposophical Nursing was developed. The first group graduated in 2004 and the next group started in 2006.
In 2004 the Certificate in Art of Health began.
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The view of the homestead as you make your way up the path
A re-enactment ot the life Ruth Nelson and Edna Burbury may have had in the beautiful library.
Rudolf Steiner |
