BEAUTIFYING HIGHWAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21868, 2 August 1934, Page 13

BEAUTIFYING HIGHWAY

AVENUE STARTED AT TAKANINI

The. reyival of Arbor Day observance was celebrated by the Great South .'Road Beautifying Council in a treeplanting ceremony on the main highway at Takanini yesterday morning. The council aims at forming an avenue of totara trees over this straight stretch, t which will be completed and be known as "Centenary Avenue" by 1940. when t'he City of Auckland will celebrate its centenary. The road runs straight for almost a mile and several hundred treeit will be required to plant both sides. Over 60 trees were planted yesterday. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. WHutchisQQ, who is chairman of tho I Beautifying Council, welcomed a large gathering of representatives of local bodies : and organisations consituting thj? v council. The pupils and staff of Takanini District School . also were present, The first tree was planted by Mr. Hutchison at the southern end of the avenue.

KAIT.MA OENTEHABY THE CONCLUDING CEREMONY [bt telegraph—own correspondent] -v. -" V KAITAIA, Wednesday A ceremony concluding the centenary year celebrations was held yesterday at the Kaitaia Anglican Church. The ceremony consisted in the planting of oak trees to the memory of the Matthews and the Puekey families, the founders of the Kaitaia mission station 100 years ago. The trees were planted on each side of "this Memorial Church gate that was opened by Archbishop Averill with suitable ceremohies last March.

The oldest surviving member of the Puekey family, Mr. C. I. Puckey, aged 85 years, sou of" the late William Gilbert Puckey, one of the founders of the mission, who was to have planted one tree, was- too ill to attend, but when he recovers he is to have the honour of planting a tree. Mr. F. H. S: Matthews, aged 72 years, the oldest descendant and grandson of the-Rev. Joseph Matthews, the other founder of the mission station, performed the ceremony of planting the oak tree to commemorate the Rev. Joseph Matthews. Tablets are to bo placed near the trees explaining their significance.