50 years ago
The wearing of berets by girls attending the Ha¯ wera intermediate school became a thing of the past when only five of the 50 attending a meeting of the school’s home and school association favoured their retention after the headmaster, Mr Gordon Tunnicliffe, said he had received several deputations from girl pupils seeking abolition of the beret.
A fourth New Zealand political party, which planned to contest seats in the general election in the forthcoming year, the Country Party of New Zealand, was formed in Hamilton with Mr C S Emeny, 48, of Stratford elected leader of the new party.
After three months taking the lead role in a musical comedy in Hawaii, Miss Nepha Taiaka, a singer and actress from Waitara, returned to her work in Hamilton as a telephone operator.
For the fourth consecutive year, the premier award in stock judging in Taranaki, the Arundel Gold Cup, was won by Mr LFT Morgan, a Mangatoki Jersey breeder, at the Egmont Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s summer show.
An exchange of land with an adjoining owner of approximately 12 acres had given the Barrett Domain Committee at New Plymouth virtually full control of the water, shoreline and land at the domain, the chairman, Mr W E Still, reported to the committee’s triennial meeting.
Eradication of the ‘‘stink’’ from the meatworks, the removal of some rusty sheds from West Quay and improvements to the entrances to the town were some of the subjects discussed at a public meeting in the Waitara War Memorial Hall called by the Waitara Promotion Society and with a panel chaired by Mr R Wood.
Movies: Doctor In Clover (Patea Civic), James Robertson Justice and Leslie Phillips; The Quiller
Memorandum (Stratford Plaza), George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max Von Sydow and Senta Berger; Poor
Cow (Mayfair), Terrence Stamp and Carol White; The Way West (Hawera Regent), Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark.
Ararata, South Taranaki, farmer, Mr G Winks, took two first placings ‘‘on the hoof’’ and a first placing ‘‘on the hooks’’ in the export lamb competition held at the Patea Freezing Co Ltd’s works.
Anchored about 300 yards of Kawaroa Park, New Plymouth, after their runabout’s motor failed, Messrs Keith Bland, 21, Brian Jeffery, 29, and Ernest Land, 29, all of New Plymouth, waved and shouted for attention and were finally rescued by an Australian Dredging Co’s launch.
Costing all Stratford Golf Club members an annual levy of $5 for eight years, a new clubhouse was to be built at a cost of $30,000, a meeting decided, the retiring president, Mr A V Young, stating in his annual report that a new clubhouse was needed if the club was not to stagnate.
Festivities to mark the 125th anniversary of St Mary’s Anglican Parish, New Plymouth, began with a special service of Holy Communion followed by a family Communion service and then a large luncheon at which the guest of honour was the Bishop of Waikato, the Rt Rev J T Holland.
35 Years Ago: Mrs Pat De Cesare appointed first full-time supervisor for New Plymouth’s Marfell Community Centre; St Chad’s Anglican Church, New Plymouth, celebrates golden jubilee; largescale mining of Mokau coal economically viable says Government report; South Taranaki’s John Hicks and Eddie Fuglistaller in New Zealand team to compete in Australian shooting championships.
25 Years Ago: Inglewood-owned Ice Emperor wins at New Plymouth races on second start; closure announced of Taranaki’s only school for handicapped children, New Plymouth’s Roselyn Special School; Darleena Api, 17, of Stratford High School wins Stratford A &P Association princess contest.