LONG HISTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1934, Page 15

LONG HISTORY.

AUCKLAND SOCIETY.

THE LADIES' BENEVOLENT,

APPEAL FOR SUPPORT.

Although the animal meeting of the Auckland Ladies' Benevolent Society yesterday is said to be. the fiftieth of the series, the liietory of the society "■ocs. back very much further than that. A fact that is not generally known ii> that the roots of the society <-iui be found in tlie historic fall of Kororareka to the Maoris 90 years ago.

Ifc it;k on a. Sunday morning in the year 1544 that the neVs of the fall of Kororareka. reached Auckland, the then Governor l>eing at Divine service at the old St. Paul's Ghnrch, when an orderly handed him a dispatch. The service wae immediately 'brought to a close- and the men of the congregation were- asked to meet tbe Governor and the incumbent, 3fr. Churton, in the church porch. There they were joined by Mr. L. D. Nathan, who lived close by. Substantial offers of help were immediately forthcoming, R!ul the small band of men formed themselves into a relief committee, so that ■when the refugees arrived they found ]iomc.~. and comforts awaiting them. As there was I=o much work to be 'done it became necessary to form a ladies' committee. This committee, 'under the name of the Auckland Ladies Benevolent Society, 'continued helping 'the needy of all classes-and creeds for 'some years. With the- close of the Maori "Wars land grante were given to 'the soldirs and .work became plentiful,Vith the result that there was no longer 'a need for the society. ; In the year ISB2, however, a new kind 'of poverty presented .itself.. A genteel 'class of people who bad grown old m 'the' -vou-nsr colony found themselves unTihlo"any longer to make a living. There Vas no Pensions Act, and the only "medium of help was the relieving ofliecr 'of the Charitable Aid Board. It was 'to meet this need that in 18S2 the -Auckland Ladies' Benevolent Society ■was reformed, with Mrs. L. D. Nathan as president of the -ladies', committee. Since then the society has never ceased in its good. work. Unfortunately the original minute books and records of the old society ■were destroyed in a fire which gutted "the secretary's office.