Lyttelton Celebrates Borough’s 100 Years

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29742, 8 February 1962, Page 15

Lyttelton Celebrates Borough’s 100 Years

A new vigour had come to Lyttelton though, like many small boroughs, it had the problems of growing, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) told 100 guests at a dinner in the Lyttelton Borough Council Chamber last evening, held to celebrate 100 years of municipal government in the town. Yesterday, Mr Gotz inspected progress on the road tunnel to Lyttelton and noted the growth of housing in the port. “I have seen the progress of your harbour work and know something of the development of the port of Lyttelton,*’ said Mr Gotz. He felt sure that future progress would be just as spectacular as the work of the pioneer planners. Mr Gotz paid two special tributes during his speech. ‘‘l wonder if the people of Lyttelton realise how proud they should be of the man after whom Lyttelton was named, and of his greatgrandson, now our distinguished Governor-General No-one can fail to be influenced by his erudition and the common sense of his speeches.” said Mr Gotz.

His second tribute was to members of local authorities who “give their time, energy and brain” to the service of other people. His audience included members of the borough council, former councillors (including Mr H. A. Rhind. who was a member in 1915), two former Mayors (Mr F. E. Sutton and Mr F. G. Briggs) and representatives from Christchurch and surrounding local bodies. “Their only reward is the self satisfaction that they did the best they could, and if it were not for people who are prepared to lay themselves open to attack we would be much the poorer. I thank

your councillors and those of other bodies for taking their share,” he said. The Mayor (Mr J. B. Collett) recalled items from early records of the borough which, he said, suggested that affairs of 1862 were not so very different from those today. The council then had to advertise regarding unregistered dogs and issue warnings that citizens using water for their gardens, or wasting it, would be prosecuted. He presented bound copies of a book, “The First Hundred Years,” to the Minister anc to its author, Mr J D. Watson. The Mayor also reported that a short council meeting had been held before the dinner to mark the exact anniversary of the first meeting on February 7, 1862. “My thoughts then were: how would we measure up to the first councillors’ ideals. We are a fairly young council, but we have faith in the borough and faith in its peoole,” he said. Mrs N. E. Kirk, wife of the member of Parliament for Lyttelton, read a speech sent by her husband, who is on tour abroad, and Mr Sutton and Mr T. L. Young, on behalf of former councillors, also spoke. Mr Young spoke of the tunnel project; “It will end the curfew of the last train to Lyttelton and it will annihilate the barrier in the minds of thousands of people who would like to live on the slopes of the loveliest and largest harbour in the South Island”

Among the guests was Mr A. McDonald, who left Lyttelton 35 years ago and returned from Sydney this week for the occasion. “I am delighted to be here to meet so many old *riends,” said Mr McDonald, who was a baker in the town.