Waiouru rink community effort

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 38, 4 March 1986, Page 15

Waiouru rink community effort

The Commander of Support Command and chairman of the Army Welfare F und, Brigadier Evan Torrance OBE from Palmerston North, opened the new roller skating rink at Waiouru Military Camp last week. A large crowd gathered for the opening and watched

skating displays by the Manawatu Showgrounds Skating Club. The opening was the result of many months hard work and fund-raising by Army staff and the community, and Brigadier Torrance also made funds available from the Army Welfare Fund. Other finance came from funds left over from the

swimming pool construction, the Warrant Officers' mess and Sergeants mess, HMNZS Irirangi, Rangitikei County Council and fund-raising efforts of the Waiouru Roller Skating Club (W.S.C.) and the Waiouru, Taihape and Ohakune communities. Commander of ATG, Colonel Graham Birch, told the

large crowd that the rink represented another part of a major sporting complex in Waiouru, which would eventually include a large gymnasium to be built adjacent to Burns Pool. He said the rink would be available to the whole community as well as those in uniform. Lieutenant-Colonel Russell Martin, ATG Chief of Staff, thanked those who took part in the construction of the rink including the Ministry of Works and Development, Wanganui, who produced the original design; ATG's Royal NZ Engineers plant technicians, who prepared the foundations of one metre thick of. hard-packed grit; contractors who built the rink; Concrete Specialities Ltd, Hastings, and the owner of that firm, Phil Simmonds, who donated a stereo system for the rink. Landscaping and tidying up around the rink will be completed by Waiouru 's Ministry of Works and Development. Chairman of the Waiouru Skating Club, Padre Sonny Melbourne, gave his and the committee's "most heartfelt thanks for those who helped with fund-raising." He said that a club house and lightir.g for the rink were in the pipeline. He thanked the public and local businesses for their generosity and Colonel Martin, "who gave tLe final push to get us here." "Without his knowledge and support the plans for the rink would still be at the drawing board," he said. Meanwhile every Monday afternoon, Colonel Russell Martin can be seen showing off his expertise at the rink where he instructs a group of budding skaters w.ho belong to the W.S.C.