Reluctant Mrs Parkin Made County Ranger

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 10

Reluctant Mrs Parkin Made County Ranger

"The Press" Special Service

AUCKLAND, August 11. Mrs Anne Gladys Parkin, of Matangirau, is a reluctant ranger for the Whangaroa County Council. She was enthusiastically appointed at Monday’s meeting of the council—“probably the first woman ranger in New Zealand,” members said—but when told about it later she said: “It’s rather silly. I don’t want to be a ranger.” It all started when stray cattle became a nuisance along the road to the

farm owned by Mrs Parkin’s husband. “They were nearly driving us mad,” she said. “So I got on to the County Clerk (Mr D. Guthrie) about it.” At that time, Whangaroa was following the lead given by its sister counties of Bay of Islands and Hokianga in starting an intensive campaign against w’andering stock. All members of the county staff had just been appointed rangers. “Mr Guthrie said if I brought the stock into town he would make me ranger for the day, so that it would be all right,” said Mrs Parkin. “When I got into town, he handed me a whole lot of papers.” Now Mrs Parkin is not certain whether she will resign or not. “I don’t know that I want to be a ranger for the county,” she saia. “i don’t mind keeping the end of our road clear—but no more than that. I’ll have to hoe into somebody about this.” s