50 years ago
❚ The amount of scientific research which had been carried out on Mt Egmont was ‘‘staggeringly small’’, Mr C Allen, planning officer, told a
meeting of the Egmont National Park Board, adding that the use of Government grants for university study was one way the secrets of the mountain could be probed.
❚ All fully staffed with trained teachers, the 10 kindergartens in North Taranaki opened for the year with a total roll of about 700 children, the secretary of the New Plymouth Free Kindergarten Association, Mr N Wray, reported.
❚ New Plymouth sculptor Don Driver announced that he was to have an exhibition of 25 of his works on display for three weeks at Sydney’s largest private art gallery, the Donython Gallery.
❚ Former speedcar champion Don Rutherford, president of the New Plymouth Speedway Club, made a successful debut in stock car racing, winning both events he competed in
at New Plymouth’s Waiwakaiho speedway.
❚ Extensive investigations by the Mt Egmont Survey Co had shown that a proposal to install a cableway to the summit of Mt Egmont was ‘‘definitely feasible’’, the chairman of the company, Mr L Harrison of Stratford, told members of the New Plymouth Rotary Club.
❚ After 71-year-old Ted Martin was part of the Paritutu team of Ray Stockman (skip), Graeme Little and Laurie Ray which won the Taranaki Bowling Centre’s open fours tournament, he changed his mind about retiring from the sport he had participated in for 24 years.
❚ Movies: The Happiest Millionaire (Patea Civic), Tommy Steele and Fred McMurray; A Man And A Woman (Stratford Plaza), Anouk Aimee, JeanLouis
Trintignant and Pierre Barouh; Buchanan Rides Alone (Mayfair), Randolph Scott; A Man For All Seasons (Opunake Everybody’s), Lorne Green and Dan Blocker.
❚ To create a trust to benefit eight local charities, a Mangorei, New Plymouth, businessman, Mr A H Vile, set aside 40,000 $1 shares in his firm Conroc Ltd, formerly Fitzroy Quarries Ltd.
❚ Two new classrooms were opened at the Kapuni school, established in
1888, by the member of Parliament for Egmont, Mr V S Young, the headmaster being Mr A Kettles.
❚ A New Plymouth boy, Richard Webber, 17, won the Ngarimu VC scholarship, awarded to assist boys of Ma¯ori descent in university study and named in honour of Second Lieutenant Ngarimu who received the
Victoria Cross posthumously for service in World War II.
❚ Before a crowd of 4000 at the Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth, Miss Caryll Symons, 18, a New Plymouth bank worker and sponsored by The Bank of New South Wales, was crowned Miss Brooklands 1969 with her two maids being Misses Wendy Sykes and Dale Novak.
❚ Competing in a tractor-driving competition at the Central Taranaki Pukengahu country fair, organised by the Young Farmers’ Club, a local, Mr D L Boyde, gained the most points to win a tractor safety frame valued at $160.
❚ To be used as a training and holiday centre, the New Plymouth Girl Guides’ new Ivy Cottage on Alfred Rd, Egmont Village, was opened by Mrs R M Barclay, wife of New Plymouth’s
member of Parliament.
35 Years Ago: Owner-trainer Jim Crawford, Bell Block, wins with Vera’s Pal at Wanganui races; Sonia Barry, 16, of New Plymouth wins junior 1500m event in record time at Taranaki track and field championships; Minister of Defence and Taranaki member of Parliament, Mr D S Thomson, announces retirement from politics; Taranaki County and New Plymouth City boundary adjustments increase city population by 6000.
25 Years Ago: Plan for uniform trading hours in central New Plymouth fails; New Plymouth surfer Jason Matthews wins men’s open title at national surf championships; New Plymouth-trained Kairau Queen wins at Hawera races; Liana Poutu, 17, New Plymouth Girls’ High School’s first Ma¯ori head girl.