Visit To Peninsula

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30451, 27 May 1964, Page 1

Visit To Peninsula

Informality marked the visit of the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, and Lady Fergusson to Akaroa and Little River yesterday when they received welcomes from the chairmen of the Wairewa and Akaroa county councils (Messrs W. C. Miller and G. P. A. de Latour), and chatted to school children and residents. At both centres, the weather was overcast and showery.

Stopping at Little River on their way to Akaroa, their Excellencies were welcomed at the school grounds after being met by Mr and Mrs Miller and the County Clerk, Mr L. Wealleans, and Mrs Wealleans. His Excellency spoke to the school children and told them that the Queen was a symbol of freedom, justice and order, and a wonderful example to other people.

Their Excellencies took coffee with councillors,

former councillors and district residents, and Lady Fergusson was presented with a bouquet by Mary Stanbury, senior pupil at Little River. At Akaroa, their Excellencies were met by Mr and Mrs de Latour and the County Clerk, Mr A. G. Foreman, and Mrs Foreman. The public ceremony was transferred from the open to the Gaiety Theatre. <■ Mr de Latour told their Excellencies that Akaroa, the South Island’s oldest town, was today trying to develop and promote itself. There were some, he said, who thought Akaroa should be allowed to remain the sleepy hollow it had been for 124 years, but most residents believed that stopping the clock led only tb stagnation.

“1 think most of us realise that only by having a willingness to progress can we maintain the mellow charm and beauty of our town and district,” he said. Mr N. E. Kirk, M.P., also spoke of Akaroa’s efforts to find new industries and to develop in other ways. ■ For the Maori people Mr T. P. Robinson greeted their Excellencies in Maori,' and in English gave them “salutations and welcome.”

His Excellency recalled that he had wanted' to . come to Akaroa with his parents in 1929, but school interfered. His home was a town in Scotland that was a metropolis compared with- Akaroa, and it too had those who would like to see it remain a sleepy hollow, but others realised that that could not be.

“Perhaps the fact that 1 am of pure Scottish descent, three-quarters Ayrshire and one-quarter Angus, gives me an affinity with Akaroa, because the alliance of France and Scotland is one of the oldest in Europe,” said his Excellency in a reference to Akaroa’s settlement by the French.

His Excellency inspected a guard of honour of Banks Peninsula returned servicemen and women, and later laid a wreath on the Banks Peninsula war memorial at Akaroa. Presentations were made to their Excellencies by two school pupils,' Marlene Davis and Adelaide Stewart.

The Vice-Regal party was entertained at a buffet luncheon in the as yet unfurnished new museum, and inspected the restored French house of the 1840 period, which has just been furnished.