THE FIRST WARDEN.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20074, 31 July 1937, Page 2

THE FIRST WARDEN.

THAMES GOLDFIELD

Mr. James Mackay.

NEED FOR A MEMORIAL

LACK OF INTEREST EVIDENT. James Mackay, the first goldfields Warden in New Zealand and the first Warden of the Thames and Ohinemuri goldfields—what better time than the present, the 70th. anniversary of the opening of the Thames field, for the rectifying of neglect and the establishment of a suitable memorial to the memory of the late gentleman, on whose shoulders rested a tremendous responsibility of keeping order when the yellow metal was foremost in men'sminds.

A proposal was recently put forward by the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce

relative to some memorial to Mr. Mackay, but interest has not been very great, it is stated. Letters were sent out to the various local bodies, and the most enthusiastic reply came from the Thames School of Mines. The suggestion was that a scholarship should bo

set up at the Thames School of Mines, to be known as the James Mackay Scholarship. For any body or even two or three bodies to undertake this scheme would prove too great a burden, but with all interested local authorities in Thames and Ohinemuri co-operating and, perhaps Government aid, some definite progress should be possible.

The establishment of a suitable memorial to the first Warden who became recognised as "Guide, philosopher and friend" for pakeha and native alike, would be no foolish piece of work; rather, it would be a service of recognition which is long overdue.