Poland in New Zealand

Krystyna Tomaszyk’s contribution to New Zealand has impacted on local  communities in Waikato, Rotorua and Wellington, on New Zealand as a whole, and internationally.

Through her life, she successfully contributed to building a strong bond between Poland and New Zealand, representing both, Polish culture and heritage and the best values of the New Zealand society.

After leaving Pahiatua, Krystyna was educated at Sacred Heart College, Wanganui, St Mary’s College, Wellington and at Victoria University, Wellington where she graduated with a BA. From young age, herself and her family have been greatly involved in promotion of Polish language, education and culture in New Zealand.

She is described as the one who has embraced New Zealand’s Māori and Pākehā communities and continued to be a Polish person in New Zealand. This includes her achievements in professional life working as the first Polish person as a Māori Welfare Officer and her other community roles. Krystyna’s professional life also included Child Welfare, Social Work, Marriage Guidance, Post Primary Teaching, Community Advice, a ministerial appointment as the first lay representative on the Waikato Medical Disciplinary Committee. She was presented with ‘Waikato Woman of the Year’ award by the Waikato Plunket Society, and award of a Meritorious Service Certificate by the Fairfield Rotary in Hamilton.

While working with families on the margins of society, in environments where poverty, violence and crime flourished, she proved to be a significant pioneer in integrated service delivery at grass roots/community level.

Krystyna has also been involved in a number of charitable projects, such as organising in her holiday home in Turangi a free–to–parents two week school holiday programme for children attending Polish Saturday School in Wellington, a voluntary work in a children’s home in Tamil Nadu, India, and in Kalighat, Kolkata, India, at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying as well as working as a volunteer at Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington. She has been a member of numerous organisations, such as New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, New Zealand Book Council, New Zealand Graduates Women’s Association, National Press Club. Krystyna has also been a very active member of the Polish Association of New Zealand and Polish Women’s League.

Krystyna Tomaszyk has made contributions to a number of published books. She is also the author of ‘But a fleeting moment, meditations on the reality and the mystery of being’, published in 1997 and very personal and emotional memoirs Essence, published in English in 2004 and in Polish (translated by the author) in 2009. The latter describes not only the autobiographical story of the Polish Children who made a harrowing journey through Siberia and Persia to finally reach New Zealand, but also paints a picture of an important part of New Zealand history as the invitation of the Polish children was the first time ever that New Zealand accepted so many refugees all at the same time in 1944.

In 2013 Krystyna Tomaszyk received the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community. In 2018, the Polish President Andrzej Duda awarded Krystyna with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

During the farewell mass, the Polish Ambassador Zbigniew Gniatkowski said in the eulogy:

You may know as a 9-year-old child Krystyna, along with her family, was forcibly taken from her home in Poland to a labour camp in Russia. This tragic war experience cast a shadow on her whole life, and in particular in the last years she made many efforts to preserve these memories, history of the Polish nation persecuted by Soviets, but even more the strength and greatness of Polish people in hard times. Very recently, before lockdown, we discussed her new ideas and projects.

I spent long hours listening to Krystyna’s stories, her recollections of suffering, life in Iran and her mindful, constructive way of life in a new home country. Krystyna was especially proud of Polish Children’s contribution to the NZ society. As a proud Polish New Zealander she also paid a special attention to the invitation of Polish war orphans as a milestone event in our friendly bilateral relations.