KENSINGTON PARK \ DEVELOPMENT BEGINS \

Northern Advocate, 10 March 1948, Page 2

KENSINGTON PARK \ DEVELOPMENT BEGINS \

CLOUDS of smoke rising- high over Kensington Park last week signalled the inauguration of the Whangarei Borough Council’s scheme for the development of the park as the town’s municipal sports arena. Workmen were burning* oft the dry grass fit the noithem end to set the stage for the turning of the first sod in the greatest scheme of its kind ever undertaken in Northland. 4

A grader turned that first sod on Monday—a loader and trucks were (here in attendance —and also a dozen men who will do most of the manual work.

A group of ihrec more hockey fields run north and south on the eastern j side. _ | Two football fields lie end-to-end in j front of the main grandstand; two run j across the field to the east of No. 2 , ground, and the fifth is angled across' the north-east corner. The six cricket wickets are situated j within the northern half of the ground. | The No. 1 wicket lies almost directly ! in front of the main stand and the | others are dispersed to obtain maxi- i mum value from the space available, j The provision of water, chiefly for cricket wickets, has not been forgotten. This week the grader was engaged on the task of preparing a trench to carry a water main from Stanley ; Street to a central position from where > three arms will convey pipes to con- : venient spots. I One of the first jobs of the workmen | was the removal of the concrete floors j of did army buildings erected when j Kensington was a wartime military j camp. PLOUGHING AND GRADING This will be followed by the ploughing of the park in sections dnd the grading of the top soil prior to sowing. The north end of the park is to be attended to first, although it is intended to have the basketball and tennis courts completed by the end of April. It is probable that the Whangarei Cricket Association will be without its No. 1 wicket after this. Saturday, but this should not cause any trouble as the season is almost at an end. There will be ample room for softball diamonds, although, while the scheme is in the preliminary stages, this sport is not tied down to any paiticular area. In the meantime, it will lay its diamonds where suitable ground is available. The idea of incorporating tennis and basketball on the same sealed surface, with each sport having the use of the courts for six months of the year, is full of merit.

When the job is complete, Kensington will provide five football fields, six hockey fields, 12 sealed tennis courts, eight sealed basketball courts and six turf cricket wickets.

There will also be room for two more tennis courts if required, and an athletic track could be prepared if local headquarters arc to be established there.

All these amenities are enclosed in the inner circle of the racecourse and, within a few months the public oj: Whangarei and of Northland should be deriving the benefit which such an acquisi tion represents. FATHER OF SCHEME

The Kensington Park developmental ichctnc was fathered by Mr S. J. Snow

rhon chairman of the Borough Counil Parks Committee.

This was before he retired from civic life a few months ago.

During his term with the old council, he sowed the seeds which today are germinating under the guidance of his successor (Mr C. J. Home)'). Mr Homer is enthusiastic over the idea of Kensington being Whangarct's playground. He intends to call a conference of all interested sports bodies shortly to conceive a definite plan for the utilisation and administration of the area, with emphasis on the financial aspect.

Already LIOOO has been received in fonniions.

Half of it came from the Whangarei Basketball Association, which will be using its eight courts this winter, and the other CSOO was a grant from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parryi.

The question of rentals and grants towards capital expenditure will be thrashed out at the conference to be convened by Mr Homer.

A perusal of Ihe plan provides conclusive evidence of the worthwhile nature of the scheme.

Twelve tennis courts fit into the same space taken up by eight basketball courts. The Borough Council has supplied the answer to the needs of most Whangarei sports bodies, which for many years have been troubled by inadequate or unsuitable accommodation. *lt behoves <hese sports bodies to rally round the Kensington scheme and ensure not only its success but also their own.

The basketball and tennis courts, which will be marked out on the same sealed surface, arc situated in the south end of the enclosure. PROI’OSF.D LAYOUT

The courts will run approximately north and south to eliminate the nuisance of a setting' sun.

Immediately north of these are three hockey fields taking up the full width of the park.