ANNIVERSARY DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21507, 2 June 1933, Page 11

ANNIVERSARY DAY

PROPOSED CHANGE OF DATE REJECTED BY CITY COUNCIL No action is to be taken by the City Council in response to the request by the Auckland Anniversary Regatta Committee that steps be taken to observe the anniversary of the foundation of the colony on the correct date, January 31).' In a report on the subject, the chief librarian, Mr. -J. Barr, said that the date of the colony's foundation had been a source of debate for many years, many divergent views having been put forward. He enclosed extracts froi i letters written by Sir Frederick Whitaker in 18S9 for the information of 1 he Earl of Onslosv, then Governor of New Zealand, who had been concerned over these divergences. In exposing an opinion* later consulting all the available records, Sir Frederick Whitaker wrote: "In the settlements founded by the Croivn, the 29th of January, the day of. the arrival of Captain Hobson, has always, whether right or wrong, been recognised as the anniversary of the colony, and now it appears to me that it is too late t<j question it." Mr. Barr added that he had tried to trace the original proclamation of Anniversary .Day holiday but had failed. He had, however, found a notice of the second anniversary, which appeared in the New Zealand Government Gai.ette cm January 26, 1842, which read: "Saturday, the 29th instant, being the second anniversary of the establishment of the colony, His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to direct that day to be held a general liol day, on which occasion the public olives will be closed. 1 The Finance Committee of the council reported that after careful consider* at ion of all the circumstances, it recommended that the council reply to the Regatta Committee that it was of the opinion that a change of date was not justified. This was adopted by the council.