‘Hard rock’ Heeney’s cloak back in N.Z.

Press, 15 May 1985, Page 72

‘Hard rock’ Heeney’s cloak back in N.Z.

PA Gisborne The kiwi feather cloak worn by the New Zealander, Tom Heeney, who fought for the world heavyweight boxing title, is back in Heeney’s home town of Gisborne. The cloak has been returned by a friend of the boxer, Mr Mario Castricone of Miami, Florida. With it he has sent the certificate presented to Heeney by the Royal Humane Society for his part in a rescue at Gisborne’s Waikanae beach in 1918.

The cloak was presented to Heeney by the Maori people of the Waikato and

he wore it into the ring before he fought the world heavyweight champion, Gene Tunney, in 1928. Heeney, known as “the hard rock from down under,” was defeated in the eleventh round on a knockout.

He settled in the United States and died in Florida last year at the age of 86. Mr Castricone announced last November that he wanted to send the cloak back to New Zealand. The director of the Gisborne Museum and Arts Centre, Warner Haldane, contacted him and after

some negotiations the cloak and the certificate were sent by sea in February. The actual bronze medal presented by the society to Tom Heeney was sent to the museum last year by his sister-in-law, Mrs Nora Heeney. The rescue which prompted the award occurred when two girls were swept out to sea in an undertow.

Tom Heeney brought one of the two girls ashore and then went back to help another man bring in the second. The first girl died but the second recovered.