by Catherine Wells | 27 Feb,2024 | Our History
Have you ever wondered as you drive up West Coast Road what is the Burgin Field, situated on the site of the old Girl Guide stronghold, Otimai?
The symbol of guiding on the sign gives a clue. Burgin Field is named after Mona Burgin, one of the shapers of the Girl Guiding movement in New Zealand.
Born on the Isle of Man in 1903, Mona came to New Zealand as a six-year-old. She trained as a teacher, taught at Dilworth School for over 30 years and was headmistress of Hilltop, private girls’ school, when she retired in 1968.
by Catherine Wells | 30 May,2023 | Plant of the Month
Walking around the garden it the last few weeks I noticed that the nīkau palm at the gate has two flower clusters beginning to form and I realised that I really know very little about them.
Time
by Catherine Wells | 15 May,2023 | Our History
In the “swinging 60s”, the leafy hills of Waitakere were one of the few places Aucklanders could enjoy a wine or cocktail with a meal. Down in Oratia was the Harres’ Town & Coun- try Roadhouse located in the old Parr homestead, Albion Vale. Up West Coast Road was the Lanes’ Back o’ the Moon. And Rolf Feijen and his partner H Romyen ran one of the first licensed restaurants in Auckland when they converted the old Waiatarua Boarding House (then in flats) into the smart and fashionable Dutch Kiwi Restaurant
by Catherine Wells | 28 Sep,2022 | Plant of the Month
I’ve been seduced – again!
I’m seriously considering growing a Chatham Island Forget-Me-Not – Myosotidium hortensia for a third time. Tricky to grow, but if you succeed you will be rewarded with an outstanding cluster of plants that have large glossy, rippled leaves and impressive blue flowers in the spring. There is also a much rarer white variety.
by Catherine Wells | 28 Sep,2022 | Our History
The timber firm of Mander & Bradley milled Nihotupu. Francis “Frank” Mander and Samuel Bradley were principals of the company. They bought the rights to mill Wasley’s bush in 1895 from a firm called Clinkard & McLeod who had acquired it from the Wasley family in 1890.
Mander was Onehunga-born and started his working life at 10 years of age. He was in his mid-40s when the Nihotupu operation started, but this was not his first timber-milling venture; he was a lifelong timber man and had already milled at Awhitu, Kaipara and the Northern Wairoa. Mander was later a Member of Parliament and newspaper proprietor.
