PRESENTATION

Northern Advocate, 20 March 1934, Page 5

PRESENTATION

TO ARCHBISHOP AVERILL. Aftor Sunday's opening of the lychgato Greeted as a memorial to the past missionaries at Kaitaia, Archbishop Averill was presented by Mr G. Wilkinson with a walking-stick, which he was asked to accept from the people of Kaitaia. Mr Wilkinson, in making the presentation, said the stick was not of any great monetary value, but he did not think the Archbishop would value it less on that account. Historic value

was given it by the fact that tho upper collar was from a piece of kauri taken from the old Kaitaia church, built about DO years ago. There was a piece of wood encircling the stick at the bottom which had once formed part of the old Waitangi house. The stick was also inlaid with a piece of wood taken from the Boyd in Whangaroa Harbour, and with another piece of wood taken from the wrecked British warship Orpheus. His Grace, in thanking Mr Wilkinson and the people of Kaitaia, said the gift was very interesting, and he hoped Mr Wilkinson would give him tho par-

tiriilnrs in writing. Tho stick might ho more useful than Mr Wilkinson anticipatctl, ami it would always bo associated in his mind with a very interesting occasion. Ft had been his great privilege, during tho past 2o years, to take'part in the Marsden centenary, the Waitangi celebrations, and now the Kaitaia Mission Centenary. To take part in these three great events he regarded as among the highest privileges of his life. New Zealand had been exceedingly fortunate in the stamp of men it had to lay the foundations of the country.