Plans to honour Nelson’s most famous son are well underway and organiser Tony Flewellen says the inaugural Rutherford Day will definitely be held this year. Tony wants Brightwater born physicist Ernest Rutherford – who is best known as the man who split the atom – to be celebrated with a recognised day of remembrance.
Plans are going full steam ahead to make August 30 of this year the very first and Rutherford Day is already taking shape, with a week’s worth of events planned for the leadup.
“We’ll be involving kids in schools, I’d like to see some recognition of the sciences in our region, science awards or grants given on the day for the official side of things and the rest of it will be about having a bit of fun, demystifying science. We’re still in the planning stages, gathering ideas and wanting input. But it’s definitely going ahead.”
Support for the event is building, both locally and internationally, with several scholars including Professor Andy Parker, head of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge writing in support of Rutherford Day. “Everybody’s been one hundred percent supportive.”
Mayor Rachel Reese has also lent her support to Rutherford Day. “This is an opportunity to acknowledge our heritage and also to engage in our future. I hope our schools, NMIT, the Cawthron Institute and businesses will also get behind the idea. Who knows – Nelson might inspire another Nobel prize winner.”
