DEVONPORT'S JUBILEE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22583, 23 November 1936, Page 8

DEVONPORT'S JUBILEE

All citizens will join in felicitating the Borough of Devonport on its golden jubilee, the celebration of which began yesterday. The history of the district extends, of course, a long way further back than 1886, but it is the civic organisation and its sound achievement that is to be specially commemorated. Those who can remember the Devonport of 50 years ago will have solid grounds for pride in the fine town and the complete community services which have been steadily developed by the labour, effort and vision of successive councils. To-day the borough contains a population of almost 10,000 people, as pleasantly situated as any could wish to be. The value of land and improvements, as at April, 1926, is given at £3,337,066, representing an unusually high figure per head. But Devonport possesses certain intangibles that are none the less valuable because they cannot be computed in money. The first is civic consciousness. Devonport is not merely a suburb, a dormitory for city dwellers. It has an identity, and a life of its own. The community spirit may be partly due to its geographical situation, partly to the live naval tradition, partly to the feeling that it has interests of its own to serve. Whatever the reason, such a corporate sense is an excellent thing so long as it does not degenerate into separatism. Its second important intangible is represented by sea air and sea beaches —the Devonport waterfront, Stanley Bay, Cheltenham, Narrow Neck. Here is wealth indeed, that the borough has done well to conserve and increase. Even yet the woik is not complete as questions of access to Cheltenham beach have yet to be settled. Nevertheless, Devonport residents can look out on an achievement that is practically complete. They have arrived at a sturdy maturity but will not, it may be hoped, rest content there. There are larger problems, regional problems, awaiting solution, toward which they should be able to contribute experience and leadership.