ANNIVERSARY DAY HOLIDAY TOMORROW

Northern Advocate, 28 January 1938, Page 6

ANNIVERSARY DAY HOLIDAY TOMORROW

Housewives and others should note that tomorrow, Anniversary Day, all shops will be shut, and supplies for the long week-end should he obtained today. Several sporting events will be on the Whangarei programme including the Whangarei Bowling Club’s annual full-rink tournament which will extend over three days. Both the Whangarei and Kensington greens will be in use, exceptionally good entries having been received. Forty teams are participating, including rinks from as far south as Cambridge and Pukekohe and as far North as Kaitaia.

Among the visitors is Mr W. Morton, of Wellington, a leading Karori bowler, who arrived yesterday afternoon to take part in the tournament. He was accompanied by Mr Josh. Hill, of Auckland. Cruising Club Regatta. The Whangarei Cruising Club will hold its annual regatta on the harbour, and with good entries some excellent racing should result. If the weather remains fine, and the prospects are good, many people will make the seaside their object. There will probably be few people remaining in town tomorrow. The Whangarei Cricket Association senior championship games are to commence at 10 a.m. to enable lost time, as a result of delays earlier in the season, to be made up. The senior B and junior games will commence in the afternoon as usual. History. Although January 29 is celebrated as the anniversary of the founding of Auckland, the city was not actually founded until September, 1840, and it is considered likely that when the Centennial is celebrated in 1940 the question of an anniversary day for the whole of the Dominion will be considered.

Officially and historically, January 30 is really New Zealand’s anniversary day. On that date in 1840 Captain Hobson proclaimed the sovereignty of Queen Victoria over the Islands of New Zealand, and hoisted the flag. This was done with the assent of the natives at the Bay of Islands, and, therefore, on that date New Zealand was officially born as a colony. One theory as to why January 29 was selected as Auckland's anniversary is that in 1842 January 29 fell on a Sunday and the celebration of the proclimation and flag-hoisting was transferred to January 29, the wrong date having been perpetuated ever since.