Polish Heritage of Otago and Southland Charitable Trust (POHOS)
Welcome!
Witamy!
The XXVI World Kaszubian Convention held
in Szemud, Pomerania Region in Poland
held on Saturday 5 July 2025
Cecylia Klobukowska and Joanna Bramley represented POHOS during the XXVI World Kaszubian Convention held in Szemud in Northern Poland. The atmosphere and hospitality was wonderful and they enjoyed every moment of this memorable and colourful event. It was an occasion not only to celebrate Pomerania’s heritage and culture but also to promote the book written by Paul Klemick “Poles Down South. A story of the Early Polish Settlers in Otago & Southland, Aotearoa New Zealand” in Poland. 
Joanna and Cecylia together with a very hard working committee consisting of Katarzyna Lange, Agnieszka Wukoder-Szymanik, Ewa Trzeciak and Katarzyna Machulska had a chance to meet the Marshal of the Pomerania Region, Mieczysław Struk, the Mayor of Szemud, Ryszard Kalkowski and the Deputy Mayor, Michalina Kamińska.
Book Launched – Poles Down South
Many Years of Dedicated Research came to fruition on Saturday, 18th November 2023, with the launch of Paul Klemick’s book
“Poles Down South”.
A Story of Early Polish Settlers In Otago & Southland.
The following launches were held
2 March 2024 at the residence of Jim Binnie of 24 Caernarvon Street, Allanton (old Switalla cottage) at 1pm (Przynieś talerz)
12 March 2024 at the Oamaru Public Library at 6pm
5 August 2024 at the Invercargill Public Library at 2pm
More launches to follow and will let you know soon
This limited edition is now available on-line purchase
and at Papers Plus in the Dunedin Meridian
For a reprint edition, please leave your contact details below
click for more info and contact for future reprint online purchase
Polish Heritage of Otago and Southland Charitable Trust (POHOS)
Who We Are
Joining the Polish Heritage of Otago and Southland Charitable Trust (POHOS) means that you become part of a community of early Polish settlers, more recent Polish immigrants, and a network of citizens primarily in Otago and Southland – brought together through a shared curiosity and passion for Polish language, culture, ethnicity and family heritage.
The Polish Trust offers enjoyable opportunities to discover, learn about and, support the Trust’s events and undertakings.
Our events provide welcoming places – locally and occasionally nationally – to hear excellent lectures, participate in events including special church services and Christmas celebrations, assist in the fostering and encouragement of Polish customs, revisit your Polish heritage and share with like minds, while exchanging your ideas and knowledge about local and national kinships alongside the efforts and goals of the Polish Heritage Trust.
Our Trust was formed in 1998 at the time when Otago was celebrating 150 years of existence and when little was known, in New Zealand, of the early Polish pioneers. It was with the coming together, at that time, of recent immigrants and the descendants of those early settlers of 1872 that brought about the beginnings of the Polish Heritage of Otago and Southland Charitable Trust. Our aims then, as they are today, were to bring to the people of Dunedin and New Zealand awareness of our heritage and in the longer term to extend that awareness to the peoples of Poland.
Spoken Polish
If you would like to hear the Polish names and text spoken in Polish then we can help.
Firstly click on this link "Text to Polish" and then copy the text you wish to hear, and paste it into the translation box. You can either listen to it or have it download onto your machine.
Enjoy !!
Paul Klemick, QSM
This website is due almost entirely to years of dedication by Paul Klemick in researching and documenting the story of Polish settlement in New Zealand, and particularly in the Otago Southland area.
Chairperson ..... Ewa Rożecka Pollard
Phone ......+64 3 477 5552
Secretary ..... Anna McCreath Munro
Phone ..... 021 127 4974
Facebook ..... Poles Down South
Contact Poles Down South
Poles in New Zealand We would like to hear from Poles or people with any Polish connection, who visited New Zealand and particularly those of you who paid a visit or lived anywhere in Otago or Southland.
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Polski “Poles Down South” jest stroną internetową organizacji polonijnej w Nowej Zelandii działającej w rejonie Otago i Southland na Wyspie Południowej. Siedzibą organizacji jest Dunedin.