1940 CENTENNIAL

Grey River Argus, 16 September 1937, Page 2

1940 CENTENNIAL

WESTLAND PROVINCIAL ORGANISATION. A meeting of the Westland Provincial Organisation, which has in hand the arrangements for the West Coast Celebration of New Zealand’s Centennial in 1940, was held at the Greymouth Borough Council Chambers yesterday afternoon, when there were present Messrs W. Meldrum, A. H. McKane (Greymouth Borough Council), A. B. Spiers, (Kumara Borough Council), J. Murdock (Ross Borough Council), P. JMcLean, W. B. Gilbert (Greymouth Harbour Board), J. Unwin (Greymouth Power Board), J. Mulcare, (Greymouth County Council), N. H. Brown, (Westland County Council), W. Wilson, (Convenor Historical Research Committee), and D. J. Evans, (Secretary). Apologies for their absence were received from Mr G. A. Perry (Chairman), who is at present in Auckland, Messrs J. Kilkenny and J. M. Robertson, (Westport Borough Council), and W. Jamieson, (Westland County Council). In the absence of the chairman, Mr Meldrum was voted to the chair. The Secretary' of Internal Affairs wrote replying in regard to the connection with the National Historical Committee which would set. up a bureau of information. The appointment of Mr Wilson as convenor of the local committee in historical work, was approved. The Wellington Historical Committee forwarded copy of address by Mr T. Lindsay Buick at the inaugural meeting of the committee. The general manager N.Z. Centennial Exhibition, Wellington, wrote stating that it would forward particulars of space etc. and welcoming the proposal to exhinbit. The chairman of directors, Centenial Exhibition, wrote asking that a representative committee be set up in each province to organise for the exhibition to open from November 1939 to April 1940. The Director Geological Department, Wellington, submitted conditions under which proposed essay on West Coast mining might be invited. Dr. W. McKay, Greymouth, wrote agreeing to act on photographic committee. Mr E. I. Lord notified of a visit to the district in connection with proposed history. The secretary stated that Mr Lord had already forwarded some interesting data and photographs. Mr Wilson read communications relating to historical research. Mr McLean said that Mr Wilson was to be complimented on the information obtained already. Possibly some information of early Westport could be obtained from Mr Ben McDonagh, who had contributed numerous historical articles to the “Argus". Mr Wilson suggested the appointment of representatives in Greymouth and Westport to verify and substantiate historical dates. The secretary said that one historical event of special interest was the purchase of Westland in 1860 from the Maoris, for three hundred sovereigns, at Okarito. They would not buy Westland at that figure to-day, let alone get the three hundred sovereigns. The action of the executive in appointing Mr Wilson convenor of the historical committee, was approved. On the motion of Mr McLean, it was decided to ask Dr. McKay and Mr John Higgins to assist in the securing of historical data in the Grey district, and that in respect to Westport and Reefton, the controlling local authorities be written to, asking for assistance and advice in the procuration of data on historical events. Mr McLean said that in connection

with Charleston and Westport, men of note, including Robert Hannah and T. G. McCarthy, had started their careers in that district. It was decided that Mr Lord be invited to come to Greymouth and confer with the executive regarding the publication of a historical booklet for the centennial. The proposed allocation of the contributions to be made from the variuos local bodies, was confirmed. It was decided to request the various local bodies to forward dates for their district celebrations. The chairman thanked Mr Evans for the excellent manner in which he had attended to the various matters. The secretary said that Mr Heenan, Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, who was a native of Maori Creek, was very pleased with the work that the committee had already done on the West Coast.