Handspan soon to celebrate 20 years

AuthorPaul Brooks
Published date10 August 2022
Publication titleWhanganui Midweek
Peace Through Unity, an international NGO based in Whanganui, initiated and raised funds for the project

The sculpture was designed by the late Ross Mitchell-Anyon, but the work of building it was the contribution of many people.

More than 4000 clay casts of hands, mostly of people in the local community, as well as 50 glass hand casts made in glass, adorn the impressive structure. Ross had been creating clay casts of hands long before the Handspan was built.

To commemorate the double decade, Peace Through Unity is planning celebrations in Whanganui.

Peace Through Unity was co-founded in Sweden in 1975 by Anthony and Gita Brooke, who subsequently made their home in Whanganui and based the organisation here.

They have since died, but their former home, an impressive villa on Durie Hill, overlooking the Whanganui River, remains the Peace Through Unity headquarters.

It was left to the community by Anthony and Gita for purposes in keeping with the Peace Through Unity philosophy.

A small group of friends formed a trust to maintain the property and honour the memory of the couple.

“After Gita and Anthony passed away we felt it would be a shame to have their life’s work evaporate,” says Sue O’Leary.

Eric Wong from Auckland is the Trust manager. He was at Collegiate School from 1992 to 1995.

“That’s how I got to know Gita, and from then on I was involved with Peace Through Unity. I got to know about their anti-whaling campaigns, their disarmament campaigns, Antarctica World Peace Park and then I also helped out with the Handspan project.”

Two years before the project, Jamie and Sue...

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