50 years ago
❚ New Zealand could earn up to $20 million annually from ironsand deposits along the Taranaki coastline from the Whangaehu River in the south to the Tongaporutu River in the north, the managing- director of Adaras Developments Ltd, Mr M G
Hewitt, said in announcing the commencement of exploration in the area.
❚ Racing in the Rotorua Speedboat Club’s annual regatta on the Blue Lake, J Smith (Taranaki) in Mustang won the North Is 72-cubic-inch side valve championship.
❚ After operating for nine months, the Disabled Citizens’ Society’s telephone answering service had handled more than 2000 calls, the secretary, Mr J Nicholls, said, with doctors, veterinarians, the New Zealand Broadcasting Service and the National Airways Corporation among those using the service.
❚ Playing in the Taranaki Bowling Centre’s New Year fours tournament on the Vogeltown, New Plymouth, greens, a team skipped by R Eves (West End, New Plymouth) and
including A Duckworth,M Griffin and H Bocock, won the final 20-16 from a Paritutu team skipped by D Sutherland.
❚ Construction began on a 1300-foot long sea wall behind Port Taranaki on the site of the Government’s 600 megawatt coal-fired power station, stretching between Mikotahi and Fishermen’s Rock and described by the Taranaki Harbour Board’s chief engineer, Mr P D L Holmes, as similar to the lee breakwater but without the cap.
❚ Competing in the national catamaran championships held at Lake Brunner on the West Coast, Bruce Young and Lance Slight of New Plymouth won the Shearwater Trophy as overall winners of the Shearwater class.
❚ Replacing the old council chambers
built in 1934, the Waitara Borough Council’s new chambers, built at a cost of $45,000, were opened by the Minister of Defence, Mr D S Thomson, the mayor, Mr A D Wilson, commenting that in 1934 Waitara’s population was 1600 and it was now
5000.
❚ After five years at Stratford, Senior Sergeant L M Stevens was transferred to Wellington.
❚ Movies: The Long Duel (Hawera Regent), Yul Brynner and Trevor Howard; Chuka (Opunake Everybody’s), Rod Taylor, Ernest Borgnine and John Mills; Blue (Mayfair), Terrence Stamp, Joanna Pettet, Karl Malden and Ricardo Montalban; Return Of The Seven (Inglewood Civic), Yul Brynner.
❚ New Zealand’s first offshore well, Moa 1B, 52 miles northwest of New Plymouth, was declared ‘‘completely
devoid of hydrocarbons’’ and preparations were being made to abandon the site.
❚ After 11 years with the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board, Mr M H Burke took up his appointment as deputy chief fire office at New Plymouth, filling the position left by the promotion of Mr R H Smith to chief fire officer for New Plymouth.
❚ New Plymouth’s first mardi gras in Devon St on a Saturday night drew a crowd of 6000, far beyond the expectations of the organisers, the Jaycees, the co-convenor, Mr J Brockett, said.
❚ Reporting that the New Plymouth Aero Club’s five aircraft had clocked up a record 315 flying hours in December, the club’s instructor, Mr Peter Shaw, added that a member, Mr Larry Hoyle, had flown solo for the
first time.
35 Years Ago: Kathryn Gadd (Hawera) wins five titles at Manawatu open swimming championships; local driver Blondie Chamberlain claims New Zealand saloon car title for third time at Stratford speedway; Craig Butler, 21, of New Plymouth wins New Zealand Archery Association’s men’s clout championship on his birthday; Stratford-trained Gunn Scott makes it three in a row with win at Wellington trots.
25 Years Ago: Brian Baldwin skips Paritutu team to win Taranaki New Year fours bowls championship; 50 astronomers attend Stardate 1994 at Rahotu; New Plymouth skaters collect eight gold medals at New Zealand championships in Napier; Department of Conservation warns of high- level erosion on Mt Egmont.