Thames Pageant

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 3

Thames Pageant

JUBILEE PROCESSION END OF CELEBRATIONS (.Special to TEE SUN.) THAMES, Monday. Concentrating its 60 years of history into one great procession, Thames revelled in the pageant to-day. Over 5,000 people crowded Pollen Street to see the procession, which was over a mile long and one of the best-organised affairs ever seen in the Auckland province.

Bearded miners, and working shaftheads, towers of gleaming gold, loads of quartz, bullock-waggons, ancient sportsmen waving their ancient banners, hundreds of decorated motorcars, diggers and pack-horses, “boneshakers,” and four-wheelers—all that has had a part in the making of modern Thames from the gold diggings of ’67 was represented. Led by the band of the sth (Hauraki) Regiment, the procession was a lively affair, and burlesque and merriment were not wanting. A working model of the Caledonian shaft-head, complete with miners was followed by a dray of Mr. W. Verran, a Thames carter for 43 years. In the vehicle was Mr. H. H. Adams, perched by a heap of quartz, high-grade ore and lumps of amalgam from the Moanataiari mine. WEALTH OF THE FIELD The £8,000,000 worth of gold taken from the Thames field was represented by a gilded pyramid on a lorry, guarded by cadets. Footballers, no longer in the field, marched with their banners, and a team of a dozen bullocks drew a length of steel shafting. The Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade had a pageant of its own, beginning with the old manual machine of ’69. There were a number of diggers on pack-horses, and a “colonel” of 1881, drove his four-wheeler and wore a top-hat. School children shrilled choruses from waggons and Maori children from Kopu popped their heads through a native whare. Another Maori exhibit was a canoe with a prow of a sword fish’s head. Scores of gaily-decorated motorcars followed. The visitors included the Minister of Mines, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, members of Parliament, and the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. George Baildon. “THE PIONEERS” The pioneers were entertained at luncheon by the Jubilee Committeje, the Women’s National Reserve, and the Plunket Society. Provision had been made for 150 of the old people, but this proved inadequate and 60 or 70 more had to be accommodated at a second sitting. The toast of “The Pioneers” was proposed by Mr. J. W. Danby, chairman of the Thames Harbour Board, and was supported by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Mr. G. Baildon, who mentioned that he was born at Thames 59 years ago; Mrs. Oldham, president of the Old Thames Girls' Association, and Mr. W. Blomfield, president of the Old Thames Boys' Association. Replies on behalf of the pioneers were made by Mr. Richard Ross, who had worked in Thames in 1861, Mr. A. E. Glover and Mr. George Rhodes.