Northland’s Orphanage Is Opened

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1939, Page 9

Northland’s Orphanage Is Opened

WITH THE BAND PLAYING AND A REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDANCE FROM MANY PARTS OF NORTHLAND, THE NORTH AUCKLAND PROTESTANT ORPHANAGE AT TIKIPUNGA WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE MAYOR OF WHANGAREI (MR W. JONES) YESTERDAY.

It is the first and only orphanage in Northland

The weather was perfect

It was for the children, that the building was erected, and children*were the main interest of the community, Mr Jones salt .

He felt that the job of local bodies went further than attending to drains and culverts; they should look after the intellectual advancement and health of the children.

The principal donor to Tikipunga Orphanage —which served not Whangarei alone, but the entire 'North—had been a very wise man, as the deeds of trusteeship showed.

Mr Jones hoped that others would follow his example

Mayor Pays Tribute

trustees who had died before the completion of the orphanage, said the board chairman (Mr F. Cutforth). The gathering stood in silence as a mark of respect. Briefly sketching the history of the orphanage, Mr Cutforth told how an old gentleman lu?,d come to Whangarei, acquired 22 acres of land at Tikipunga, and set up a board oi trustees.

H’3 paid a tribute to the energetic trustees and congratulated the splendid work of the . ladies’ furnishing committee.

“All that has been said of them has not half enough,’’ Mr Jones said. “I don’t know the part that Kupe, cf the ‘ Advocate,’ has played in the building of this orphanage,” Mr Jones confessed in" response to a reminder from the chairman of the Orphanage Trust Board (Mr F. Cutforth); “but I do know of his work in raising over £I3OO to take to the Centennial Exhibition. “Kupe and his associates deserve the appreciation of the whole of the North.” In officially opening the building, Mr Jones trusted it would keep a safe roof over the heads of the children who would pass through it, and they would benefit by the care and attention they received within its walls and that no child would ever be ashamed for having been an inmarte. Mr Jones declared the North Auckland Protestant Orphanage officially open and asked God’s blessing on all who passed through it. The foundation stone, inscribed as having been laid by the Mayor (Mr W. Jones), was unveiled by the Mayoress.

Building Fund Stipulation

Later, the same gentleman—who insisted upon remaining anonymous—gave an endowment of £IO,OOO. He had, however, insisted that the actual building fund should be subscribed to by local people and that the orphanage should be erected free of debt.

A further generous gesture by the anonymous donor was the offer of a £1 for £1 subsidy up to £6OO on the cost of building, it being then believed that the orphanage would cost £I2OO to erect. The board had met with .a discouraging response when it made its first appeals for funds.

“Kupe Did Work For Us”

“We felt we were getting nowhere, and then Kupe of the ‘Northern Advocate ’ came along and did the work for us,” Mr Cutforth said. With children taking the lead, over £6OO was raised in six months, and the board was ready to go ahead with the building.

Died Before Completion

' A blessing on the orphanage was asked by the Rev. William Elliott, who also congratulated those responsible for the erection of the orphanage. It was, he said, a very fine building.

Costs had risen and it was necessary to use accumulated interest on the 'endowment to make up the additional cost, and the building was erected free of debt.

He trusted that in it children would grow'into strong men and women imbued with the spirit of Christianity. Mr D. W. Jack, Mr Alex. McLeod and Mr F. Higginson were three members of the original board of

He suggested that further donations might be made to replace the interest used and provide for additional improvements, among them a garage.

A ladies’ committee _ had been entirely responsible for the furnishing, Mr Cutforth said.

The public had responded generously to their appeals and all the furnishings had been forthcoming. He expressed appreciation to Kupe, the children, the ladies’ committee, to local bodies and to all who had assisted —even those who had contributed only 6d. £250 From Art Union Profits Telegrams and letters from Mr J. G. Coates, Mr C. W. Boswell, Mr F. Wordsworth (Hobson County), from the Dargaville Borough Council, and the Kaipara Hospital Board, were read by Mr A. H. Curtis. “The people of Whangarei have done marvellously,” Mr Curtis, a member of the board of trustees, said.

He also expressed appreciation for the £250 made available through the efforts of Mr J. G. Barclay from art union profits.

Women’s Committee Congratulated Actually, the property had been purchased by the wife of the man who had made the endowment, Mr Curtis stated.

He congratulated the women’s committee on the up-to-date furnishings they had obtained. After similarly expressing appreciation to workers, Mr C. R. Lovatt presented Miss Dorothy Smith, who had been appointed matron. The appointments of the orphanage were most up-to-date and would greatly minimise her work, said Miss Smith.

She greatly appreciated the thought of the women’s committee, whose hand was plainly seen in the furnishings.

Promises Assistance

A promise to do all,he could to assist the orphanage in the future was made by Mr J. G. Barclay,' M.P., who suggested the Forest Society would find great scope for planting activities at the orphanage. It was on the actions of philanthropists, such as the principal donor to this orphanage, that our civilisation would be judged when the history of our time was written.” Mr Barclay said. Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay (county chairman) congratulated the trustees on their work and regrettedthat some of the original trustees had not lived to see the finish of their labours.

The public afterwards inspected the building and were entertained to afternoon tea.