Articles in ‘Community’

The North Island in the centuries prior to pastoral farming and introduced pests were cloaked in a fringe of red from coast to coast as the New Zealand Pohutukawa tree was in full bloom during the months of November to January, from the latitude of 38º south (New Plymouth/Gisbourne) upwards towards Cape Reinga in the north. The species formal botanical name isMetrosideros excelsa, the Metrosideros is from the ancient Greek word ‘metra’ meaning…

Labour MP Ibrahim Omer received a standing ovation after his maiden speech on Thursday. · The list MP is the second refugee to enter the NZ Parliament, having fled his home country of Eritrea, which has been ruled as a totalitarian, one-party dictatorship since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

You don’t need to know a tea rose from a rhizome, to enjoy the Franklin Hospice Garden Ramble. Created and managed by two local women as a fund raiser for Franklin Hospice (more than $200,000 raised since 2012), people flocked to the picture-perfect gardens on show. Last year, Kaye and Steph decided to take a well-earned break and step back, generously gifting their shared knowledge and resources for the Garden Ramble to Franklin Hospice. ·…

Auckland Zoo is celebrating the birth of its first baby rhino in 20 years – a healthy female delivered by first-time mum Jamila in a speedy one-hour labour 12 days ago. The much-anticipated birth of the southern white rhino calf on 14 August to mum Jamila and 30-year-old dad Zambezi follows a 16-month pregnancy - confirmed last April by faecal hormone testing of Jamila’s progesterone levels that were tracked closely throughout her pregnancy. ·…

On Friday 17 July 2020, Karaka Playcentre were extremely lucky to have Bunnings transform their wilderness area through the Bunnings community support programme. Bunnings is committed to participating in the communities in which they operate by contributing to local, regional and national causes, charities and organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand. · The south facing wilderness area at Karaka Playcentre has required some…

When the doors open on Sunday November 22nd to showcase Pokeno’s formula manufacturing plant you won’t be bombarded with Yashili branded memorabilia. Because despite being partly responsible for the area’s considerable economic growth since it opened in 2015, the company is driven largely by its community involvement. The open day provides not only an opportunity for Yashili to share with the businesses and wider community what happens in the…

The Rotary Club of Pukekohe Inc. was established in August 1945 and marks its 75th birthday on 22 August this year. The club today bears little resemblance to the one chartered the year World War 2 ended. In those days Rotary was a male-only affair with very strict rules which required members to attend pretty much every meeting, or do a “make-up” at another club. Formal dress was required at weekly meetings, and membership was limited to just…

James Sydney Heard was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA) when he first served with 161 Battery in Vietnam. During a second Tour of Duty, he served with the 1st New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam (1-NZATTV). He retired from the NZ Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. · Jim Heard died in December 2019. His surviving family recently discovered the medals to be missing and are desperate to recover them. A Reward…

In winter of 1864 the three masted clipper ship the ‘Ganges’ set sail from Cobh, Ireland for a 12,000 mile journey to Auckland. Amongst almost five hundred passengers and crew onboard the 192 foot (59m) ship were newly married couple, John and Sarah Fausett from Fermanagh County. Over the next three months they would brave the perils of putrid food, overcrowded and poorly ventilated accommodation, sea sickness and in Sarah’s case, morning…

ANZAC day 2020 will be a vastly different day to years previous, but still bears little resemblance to the horrors that young Sergeant James Stanton experienced during the First World War. Thanks to a canny series of events, we know a little about what he endured by the contents of his diary, written in the trenches and in the safekeeping of local man Mr Phil Gibbs for many years. · “My mother was given the diary by a lady next door neighbour …