Most Beautiful Half-Mile In New Zealand

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 693, 19 June 1929, Page 1

Most Beautiful Half-Mile In New Zealand

Devonport’s Aim IMPROVEMENT OF PARADE Devonport is very proud of its Waitemata waterfront, and is aiming at making it the most beautiful half-mile of esplanade in the Dominion. Thanks to the foresight of some of its local body members in 1875 an arrangement was made with the Auckland Harbour Board to secure enough of the harbour bed to allow of an esplanade 100 ft wide, from the fort gates at North Head to Calliope Dock. The accumulated improvement work of a half-century has constituted a foundation that the present residents may build on, and with the remodelling of the wharves and transport facilities came ail opportunity for further beautifying the harbour frontage of the borough. Part of King Edward Parade was walled in as a Peace Memorial after the South African War. In the last two years a handsome terraced seawall has been carried from the east end of the Peace Memorial wall along to North Head, completely transforming the appearance of that end of the harbour boundaries. Last year the council employed the Harbour Board’s suction dredge plant to pour in 33;000 cubic yards of spoil behind a ’ new wall along the Queen’s Parade, which runs from the wharf to the naval base, and last evening a meeting'of the residents from the streets abutting on the Queen’s Parade was held to devise a scheme to grass and plant- the filled-in portion of the esplanade. W. Cassels-Brown and T. Walsh, representing the Borough Council, stated that it had b.een decided to allocate the Poppy Day collection, plus the Borough Council and Government subsidies, making in a11£216, £216, toward the work of grassing that portion of the filling that can be treated; and it was hoped that the residents would endeavour to take advantage of the oiler of the Government to give a £ for £ subsidy on all funds subscribed for relief of workless men. The council was undertaking the formation of footpaths and

other necessary works in the vicinity. The borough had a unique asset in its harbour frontage, and the most should he made of it. Mr. G. Minchm, wno said that for 1 many years Queen's Parade had been ! the Cinderella part of Devonport, moved that the meeting thank the Borough Council for its generous offer and its interest in the beautifying of I the parade, and that a committee be j set up to raise funds to do as much : work as possible. | The following committee was elected:—Mr. T. Walsh, chairman; I Mr. G. Minchin. vice-chairman; Mrs. ■ M. Mouat. secretary; Mrs. S. Wayne, i Mrs. J. Kelly, Mrs. Lane, Mr. J. H. ! Coombs. Mr. G. Falla, Mr. S. Fairgray. ; Mr. A. C. Allehin. Mr. W. Atkin. Mr. If. Bond and Miss Weston. The Queen’s Parade area is to be : canvassed for funds, and the commiti tee will meet nest Tuesday to report j progress.