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ADVOCATE / news
Northern Advocate
Monday, November 8, 2010
The heart of the North
First settler's Bible returned to Whangarei
Mayor plans for taonga to go on public display
by Mike Barrington
A Bible believed to have once been
owned by the first European to
settle in Whangarei has returned
to the city after many years in
Wellington.
Wellington couple Nelson and
Dot Procter have given the
leather-bound 1836 Bible to
Whangarei
Mayor
Morris
Cutforth, who accepted it on
behalf of the community.
Mr Procter told the Northern
Advocate his mother’s aunt had
been married to former Whangarei High School board of governors
chairman
William
Andrew
Carruth (1860-1931). Mr Procter
inherited the Bible along with
some other Carruth family memorabilia.
Mr Procter said family members had always referred to the
Bible as having been owned by
Whangarei’s first settler, William
Carruth, who left Scotland in 1835
and lived in Australia until moving to Whangarei in 1839 and
arranging with Maori to buy about
400ha, which included the site of
the city.
William was joined by his
brothers John and Robert soon
after his arrival in New Zealand
and Mr Procter thinks that
William — who was a bachelor —
may have given the Bible to his
brother John, who married in 1841.
A family register in the book
records the birth of John’s four
children,
including
William
Andrew in 1860.
An Advocate obituary published in 1892 records the death of
the first William Carruth and
describes how he, Robert and
John left Whangarei when Hone
Heke’s war started in 1845, with
Robert going to California and
William and John to Auckland,
where they remained until 1852.
The 1892 Advocate report says:
‘‘William Carruth then went to the
Australian diggings for two years
and then returned to New Zealand
and bought a farm at Papatoitoi
[Papatoetoe], which he sold in 1857
to his brother, John Carruth, and
went to Pukekohe to live, but as
there was some difficulty about
the owner giving a title to that
land the Government elected to
give him compensation for his
improvements and a grant of land
at which is now Kamo in lieu of
that at Pukekohe.
‘‘On a portion of this estate the
deceased resided till his death.’’
The report says William
Carruth had been a Presbyterian
church elder since 1862.
His nephew, William Andrew
Carruth, was on the Whangarei
High School board of governors
from 1909-31 and chairman from
1917-28. The school’s boarding hostel was called Carruth House in
his honour.
William Andrew’s son, Hugh
Graeme Carruth 1895-1961, was
appointed to the board two
months after his father’s death in
1931 and served until 1960, with a
break for military service overseas in 1939-43.
Nelson Proctor was a Whangarei Boys’ High School student from
1951-57. He later attended university, became a telecommunications
engineer and is now retired.
He said he had wanted to
‘‘return the Whangarei taonga to
its roots’’.
As he wanted it to be put in a
place where it could be seen he
was pleased to hear that Mayor
Cutforth intended talking to
Whangarei Boys’ High to see if
there were suitable display facilities at Carruth House.
Failing that, the Bible could go
to the Whangarei Museum at
Maunu or the Northland Room at
the Whangarei Public Library.
HISTORIC: The
manager of the
Carruth House
boarding hostel
at Whangarei
Boys’ High
School, Trish
Holloway, and
15-year-old
student boarder
Trevor Attwood,
of Russell,
examine the
1836 Bible.
PICTURE / JOHN
STONE
Minister and mayor discuss the issues
by Mike Dinsdale
Whangarei’s two most powerful
politicians officially met for the
first time on Friday for a coffee
and chat over issues important to
the district and Northland as a
whole.
Whangarei MP and Cabinet
minister Phil Heatley had his first
official monthly meeting with new
Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth
at a Town Basin cafe on Friday
afternoon.
Mr Heatley, Minister of
Housing and Fisheries, has been
meeting Whangarei’s mayor since
he was first elected and has held
the discussions with previous
district leaders Craig Brown,
Pamela Peters, Stan Semenoff and
now Mr Cutforth.
He said the meeting was to
discuss issues of relevance and to
catch up with what was happening
in Whangarei from the mayor’s
point of view.
‘‘It’s to let each other know
CHINWAG: Whangarei MP and Cabinet minister Phil Heatley and new
Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth caught up for their first official monthly
meeting on Friday.
PICTURE / /MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM
what the other is doing and to
discuss important issues affecting
Whangarei and Northland. It
doesn’t mean we always agree, but
it’s important we know what we
are both doing,’’ Mr Heatley said.
‘‘I’ve always respected the
office of mayor and the Northland
Regional Council chairman and it’s
so important for me to stay in
touch with both of them.’’
Mr Cutforth said as a Cabinet
minister Mr Heatley held sway
and, as Minister of Fisheries, he
was discussing issues on marine
reserves. There is a proposal to
set up a marine park along a
stretch of Whangarei’s coastline.
‘‘We can’t be having the second
best coastline in the world at
Tutukaka and do nothing about
it,’’ Mr Cutforth said.
He said he was filling Mr
Heatley in on what his council’s
direction for the district was, ‘‘but
also the hopes and aspirations of
Northland. We have some real
issues up here.
‘‘And as Minister of Fisheries I
hope he can tell me where the best
fishing spots are,’’ Mr Cutforth
said.
Dream realised at boatbuilding class
The call of the sea is in the genes
for Whangarei trainee boatbuilder
Jeffrey Johnson. His greatgrandfather was a seaman and
coastal shipping agent in New
Zealand. Jeffrey’s father had a
yacht when Jeffrey was boy and
since then he has always had a
dream of building his own boat.
‘‘We just love the water.’’
Jeffrey is a qualified mechanic
but decided to switch from a
career in the automotive industry
and signed up for NorthTec’s
national certificate in boatbuilding
(marine cabinetmaking) at the
start of the year.
He bought the plans for a Pelin
design 6.4m Tango plywood construction vessel. He’s now got the
hull to a primed stage and turned
the boat over. Next month he’ll be
transporting the hull to his home
to work on the floor and cabin top
and to install the motor and complete the plumbing and electrical
work.
Jeffrey’s been able to do all of
the work while gaining his
BUILDING A NEW CAREER: Trainee
boatbuilder Jeffrey Johnson.
PICTURE / SUPPLIED
NorthTec qualification. Fellow
student Murray Reid has also been
a big help in terms of Jeffrey’s
boatbuilding project. ‘‘He’s been
fantastic. He has a wide knowledge of the boatbuilding industry.’’
Jeffrey and his classmates have
been able to get some insight into
the industry they hope to enter
through visiting local businesses
Friendship Yachts and Northland
Contract Boatbuilders and as a
result of a trip to YDL in Auckland.
With his new training and practical skills under his belt, Jeffrey’s
got his sights firmly set on a
career in boatbuilding. ‘‘I knew I
had to make a change and this is
something I enjoy and that I want
to do. I’m fortunate that I have a
very supportive partner, who has
allowed me to do the programme.’’
He’s also now a lot closer to
realising his dream of owning a
boat that’s big enough to take his
little girl out fishing.
■ NorthTec will be holding an
information session for prospective students at its Future Trades
campus in Dyer St, Whangarei on
November
16
(4-6pm).
Boatbuilding students will have
their year’s work (including a
dinghy, wooden long boat, and
waka ama hoe) on display in the
boatbuilding workshop.
To see time-lapse photography
of the building of Jeffrey’s boat go
to: http://www.northland.ac.nz/
Programmes/Pages/Boatbuilding.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Show tunes – with 'fun bits'
R
EHEARSALS ARE going
well and seats are filling
fast for the Octagon
Theatre’s upcoming
production Showtime directed by
Bill Finn.
The show is filled with muchloved show tunes, plus ‘‘fun bits’’.
Showgoers can also enjoy a bite
to eat as well with dinner and the
show for $36 and matinee lunch
and the show for $26. Going to the
show only will cost $20.
Evening performances are on
November 12, 13, 18, 20, 25, 26 and
27. Matinees are on November 14
and 21. Book at Whangarei Suit
Hire in Rust Ave. Contact (09)
438-8135.
For more information, check
the website:
www.octagontheatre.co.nz
Disco Inferno
Rehearsals are also going well
for Whangarei Theatre Company’s
Christmas spectacular Disco
Inferno. The glitzy show directed
by Gayle Dowsett brings the story
of Faust to life in an explosion of
hit songs, high-energy dance
routines and glitter-ball spinning
action.
The 30+ cast has been hard at
work at the Riverbank Centre for
two months, learning (or, for the
older ones, revising) the words
and music to some of the great
disco songs of the 1970s.
Dowsett is delighted with the
energy and enthusiasm of her cast
who are enjoying Grant Smith’s
vivacious
choreography
and
expert musical direction from Ray
Palmer.
The show takes the story of
Faust (in which a priest sells his
UPDATE
■ Full Family Notices are
on Page 14.
with
Wendy Arman
[email protected]
soul to the Devil in exchange for
the good life on earth) and takes it
to a London nightclub in the 1970s.
Replace
the
priest
with
wannabe rock star, Jack, and
away we go.
Tickets are on sale from today
(November 8) at the Whangarei
Suit Hire in Rust Ave. Dinner and
show $45, show $25 with a reduced
price of $20 on Wednesdays.
For more information check the
website:
www.
whangareitheatrecompany.
org.nz
Correction
Movies with a Bite is on tonight
at The Old Library starting from
6pm.
Apologies
to
anyone
inconvenienced by the publication
of the incorrect date in last week’s
Community Spirit column.
Office space available
If you are an individual or group
looking for office space to lease
(even perhaps rent) and feel you
would be compatible with exiting
tenants English Language Partners then manager, Jenny
Huddleston, would like to hear
CANS FOOD
FESTIVAL
1 Can of Food = 1 Ticket
Tickets available Now
(selected movies only)
CLEAVE, Betty
JOYCE, Harold Leslie
THORNE, Sydney Stephen
(Syd)
WHANGAREI
18 James St, Whangarei
Ph: 09 470 1948
To book tickets visit
www.eventcinemas.co.nz
Wed 10th Nov
DEATH NOTICES
INDEX
FAUST TWIST:
Aimee Cross (Jane)
and Joel Stanners
(Jack) at rehearsals
for Disco Inferno.
Other leading roles
are played by
Whangarei Theatre
Company stalwarts
Daniel Pearson,
Catherine Hodder,
Cara Forbes and
Chris Parry — with
welcome returns by
Pru Martin, Ratu
Hika and Tane
Davis.
Do you know someone whose
life should be remembered in a
Northern Advocate obituary?
You can write it yourself or
have our reporters help. Please
phone reporters on (09)
470-2875.
ON SHOW: The cast rehearsing Fiddler Wedding — part of Showtime opening
on Friday night.
from you.
The upstairs office at 19
Rathbone St, is bright, faces the
street and will be available from
December 1.
In addition other potential common areas might be shared on a
negotiated basis.
Within that area is another
small office, a large meeting area,
storage space, kitchens and toilets.
The basic lease/rent is $100 per
week, however, if the prospective
tenant wishes to use the common
space for significant periods of
time that may rise slightly.
For more information or to
view, contact Jenny on (09)
438-2512
or
email:
[email protected]
How babies’ brains
develop
What and how we learn during
our formative early years determines who we will become.
You are invited to Te
Whanaketanga o te Hinengaro —
Brainy Tamariki Workshop presented by Debbie Rewiri (Ngati
Manu).
To be held in Kaikohe on
November 24 from 10am to 2.30pm
at the Mid North Motor Inn. Cost:
$50 (includes morning and afternoon tea).
The workshop emphasises the
importance of early experiences
on babies’ brain development and
the implications of that knowledge
for children’s well-being as well as
that of their families and communities.
For more information contact
(09) 437-0167
Have
you got
news
for us?
Then contact
our chief
reporter
Dylan Thorne
on 09 470 2875
or email:
[email protected]
BRIDGE RESULTS
Results until November 2, 2010
Wednesday October 27 Calendula Pairs Round Four North/
South Mr J. Akhtar and Mrs M. Jonas 1. Mr P. Dallas and Mr L.
Robinson 2, Mrs J. Grant and Mr B. Killian 3. East/West Mr B. and
Mrs J. Johnson 1, Mr D. Grant and Mrs P. Potts 2, Mrs M. Armstrong and Mrs M. Davies 3.Final: Mr B. and Mrs J. Johnson 1, Mr J.
Akhtar and Mrs M. Jonas 2, Mr D.Grant and Mrs P. Potts 3.
Thursday October 28 Manaia Cup Round Four Howell
Movement Mrs P. Backhurst and Mrs M. Hooson 1, Mrs G. Barrow
and Mrs J. Mehrtens 2, Mr L. and Mrs O. Dent 3.
Friday October 29 Bliss Cup Round Five North/South Mrs J.
Aston and Mrs C. Slako 1, Mrs M. Davies and Mrs K. Marsland 2,
Mrs D. Orr and Mr L. Robinson 3. East/West Mrs G. Bilton and Mrs
M. Jonas 1,, Mrs G. Barrow and Mrs B. Callan 2, Mrs S. Edge and
Mrs V. McGunnigle 3. Final: Mrs J. Aston and Mrs C. Slako 1, Mrs
M. Davies and Mrs K. Marsland 2, Mrs F. Fleming and Mrs J. Parker
3.
Monday November 1 Day Time Singles Round One Mrs L.
Maton and Mrs J. Dyer 1=, Mrs E. Ruddell and Mrs M. Armstrong 3
=, Mrs M.Hooson and Mrs G. Barrow 5=.
Monday Evening November 1, Whau Valley Pairs Round 1,
Howell Movement, Handicap Results, Mrs D. Pennington and Mrs M.
Stanaway 1, Mr P. Dallas and Mrs L. Oakley 2, Mrs A. Romanowska
and Mrs T. Stiffe 3.
Tuesday November 2 Acol Bowls Pairs Round One Howell
Movement Mr N. Ruddell and Mrs P. Walters 1, Mrs G. Barrow and
Mrs B. Callan 2, Mr B. Johnson and Mr L. Lowe 3.