TEN YEARS AFTER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 269, 10 February 1941, Page 5

TEN YEARS AFTER

WHAKATANE IN 1951

OLD SCENES REVISITED

PROGRESS SINGE WAR YEARS

(By O. Hope)

Can you recall what Whakatane looked like in 1931? or 1921? or even 1911? Well then what will town and district look like in 1951?

A contributor who imagines himself capable of "looking backward" from the year 1951 puts forth some ideas of how Whakatane may or may not develop in the next 10 years. In the new and imposing office of the "Bay of Plenty Beacon" I met the editor —the same editor whom I had met on my previous visit in 1941. Round the New Town. "Yes the town and district have altered a lot in the last 10 years," he said. "Would you like to come for a run round with mc and I will point out some of thechang.es?

Off we glided in his electric car. I could not help remarking on the transition from the benzine age of 1941 to the all-electric methods of transport in this year of grace 1951. The red, yellow and blue bowsers which disfigured service stations have vanished along with buggies and penny-farthing bicycles. The air is all the purer for the absence of exhaust fumes. But more important is the good effect on the finances of the country through not having to import shiploads of benzine. True we do import a little for drycleaning work. "This new main street is called Pcace Avenue, " explained the editor. "It runs from the Rock to the Paper Mills in a straight line and is two chains wide. It is of course part of the main highway to Tauranga.. Cost a pretty penny too, and so did the big bridge over the river which covers both road and railway, OH yes the railway comes right into the town now. The Government took over the Paper Wills branch line so as to be able to continue the railway along the coast." Great Industrial Centre. I remarked that the Paper Mlills business had shown remarkable expansion. "Yes." said my guide, "it now manufactures a great variety of products and is the main outlet for the huge softwoods plantations in the centre of the Island. You may remember that when the mills began operations in 193,9 many people shook their heads and doubted H the venture would be a success. But now there are 2000 people on the payroll, and the new garden suburb of Pupuaruhe adjacent to. the mills is one of our show places."

We noticed several aircraft coming to earth in the distance beyond

Pupuaruhe

"Yes, that is where the New all Airport is situated," explained my guide. It was just in the rough ten years ago, but now we have an airport equal to any in the chain round the New Zealand coast."

New Port of Whakatane

As we drove back to the old part of the town my friend pointed out how the former main street, the< Strand, had now become ' a quiet backwater as far as traffic was concerned, although still popular retail centre. We followed the Peace Avenue along the river foreshore down towards the Heads, and then drove through the traffic tunnel brilliantly lit by electricity, and came out on the new deep-watei port of Otirawaircre Bay. Here were several ocean-going cargo ships loading and unloading goods connected with the Paper Mills business.

*This used to be a secluded bay when you were; here last," said my guide/ "But, of course, Whakatane had to have a port where its exports could be despatched in something larger than sc®ws. Oh yes, there was a big row for years between the advocates of the old port and the new port, but after the Government tunnelled through the hill there was no argument against the new port. Ihis is the only deep water port in the Bay of Plenty." A few minutes later we passed through another tunnel and came on the suburb of Ohope. We skirted the beach along the new Waveil Parade boulevard.

"Named " p 'er General Waveil, who chased 'he Pagans across the desert " T H-h!. TMs road, travels tOong 'he \vnste of sandhills y rJ - j-c; getting more

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