WAITANGI TRUST

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 10 (Supplement)

WAITANGI TRUST

ADVISORY COMMITTEES SET UP. MEETING OF THE BOARD. Honorary advisory . committees consisting of authorities on the subjects with which they may be called upon to deal, were appointed at the first meeting of the Waitangi National Trust Board, held at Government House, Lord Bledisloe, consented at the special request of the board to act as its chairman for the first year. Mr. ■ Vernon H. Reed was appointed deputy-chairman, honorary secretary and treasurer, and Mr. A. R. Sclanders, public accountant, of Wellington, honorary auditor. The advisory committees appointed were as follow:— Architectural Advisory Committee.— Mr. W. H. Gummer, of the firm of Messrs. Gummer and Ford, Auckland; Mr. W. M. Page, architect, of Wellington.

Historical and Maori Life and Customs Advisory Committee.—Mr. T. Lindsay Buick, the well-known authority on New Zealand history; Mr. G. Archey, director of the Auckland Institute and Museum; Mr. H. E. Vaile, Mr. F. G. Mappin, of Auckland; Mr. Tau Henare, M.P., the Rev. A. B. Chappell, of the literary staff of the New Zealand Herald and a member of the Radio Advisory Committee; and Mrs. A. Buchanan.

Farm Advisory Committee.—Mr. L. W. Nelson and Mr. J. W. McAulay, both of whom are farmers, and Mr. K. H. Mountain, of Waimate. North, whose grandmother was the first female white child born at the Bay of Islands. Forestry and Scenic Preservation Advisory Committee.—Mr. E. Phillips Turner, former' Director of Forestry; Mr. A. B. Williams, sheepfarmer of Waipiro

Bay, chairman of the Waiapu County Council.

Golf Committee—Mr. W. A. Kiely, who has been a member of the'New Zealand Golf Council for some years; Mr. J. W. Mawson,■ Director, of Town'. Planning, who is also a keen golfer. At the meeting of the board the Gov-ernor-General expressed keep appreciation of the generous offer of the Maori people to erect a handsome carved runanga (or assembly hall) to mark the centenary in 1940 of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. His Excellency also voiced the hope that some, interesting relics ’ and lifelike pictures of the chief figures, at the signing of the' treaty may be available for, a small, local museum in one of the rooms; of the treaty house. ' '. ■ ' . i ■ -7 Votes of thanks were passed ' by the board to the Lands and Survey Department for preparing surveys of the' Waitangi ■ property, to the Solicitor-General for revision and preparation of the.deed A of trust, and to the Crown .Law Office for the preparation of the transfer of the property. It was also resolved that ’the thanks of the board be conveyed to the Bank of New South Wales for its generous donation of £5OO toward the expenses of the trust.- • —r A report presented by Mr. Vernon H. Reed to the board stated that the old British Residency, formerly occupied by Mr. James Busby and now known as the treaty house, would need repair and reinstatement, that .the formation of two short roads on the trust property was desirable, that the clearing of a portion of land now overgrown by gorse and scrub would be necessary, and that! about two miles of fencing would be Much of this work can be carried out with the help of the unemployed. It is proposed to lay out a 9-hole golf course for use as from next winter, and arrangements are being made whereby it is expected that it will become ' selfsupporting. The rehabilitation of the old British Residency, or treaty house, is the most urgent ilfeed in connection with the Waitangi property. In order to conform to the original. plan, the N.E. wing/removed many years ago, will have to be replaced, and extensive restoration and repairs are required forthwith if further deterioration of this historic building is to be avoided.

Toward the cost of restoration of this building and the general re-establish-ment of the Waitangi Estate, which is in a somewhat dilapidated condition, no money is at present available beyond-the £lOOO promised by their Excellencies and the £5OO promised by the Government, but it is felt that many New Zealanders may be disposed to identify themselves with what is now national property by contributing to the cost of this undertaking. u Those who are willing to do so should send their contributions, to the Banis of New Zealand at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin, marked “Waitangi Renovation and Improvement Fund.” They will be most gratefully received and will be acknowledged in du« tourse by the Governor-General as chairman of the Waitangi National Trust Board. •<