Sponsors

Ngā Kaitautoko

Main Sponsor - Lysaght-Watt Trust

We thank the Lysaght-Watt Trust for making these Awards possible year after year.

The Lysaght-Watt Trust has been a great supporter of this competition, being the main sponsor for over a decade, as well as many other LibraryPlus activities (such as the Summer Reading Programme, Storyteller tours, Children's Book Awards and teen programmes).

The Charitable Trust was established by the late LH and MM Watt to provide funding assistance for worthwhile Taranaki community causes in various sectors (including arts, culture, heritage) and is administered by Trustees based at Haliwells.

Since its inception in 2008, the Trust has granted over $1 million dollars to worthy local community projects and people.

Daughter of Brian Cuthbert Lysaght and and Emily Muriel (nee Stowe), Mary Watt (Muriel Mary Lysaght 1917-2005) grew up in Mokoia, South Taranaki. Mary came from an artistic family, and was the grand-daughter of the artist Jane Stowe and cousin to artist John Lysaght Moore. Mary studied with the NZ Institute of Horticulture (1946-1949) and the Royal College of Art in the School of Architecture (1950-1951) to then pursue a career in landscape architecture.

Jack Watt (John Harold Watt 1912-2006) was born in Waipukarau, the youngest child of George and Florence Watt. Jack studied Sciences, Agriculture and Commerce. Jack won a Nuffield Scholarship to study in the United States attending Cornell University from 1950-1952.

At some stage in the early 1950s, Jack Watt met Mary Lysaght and were married in 1953. In 1965, Jack was appointed Assistant Director of the Horticulture Division of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, a position he held in Wellington until his retirement. Jack and Mary were well regarded in their local community for their gardening influence and interests.

Jack and Mary Watt (nee Lysaght) left a significant portion of their respective Estates for the creation of the Lysaght Watt Trust. The Trust provides funding within the Taranaki region, and in particular supports Arts, Culture and Heritage.