J Sterritt, Te Awamutu, tossing coin, Rotorua golf, 1941
It’s 1941, and Meghan Hawkes looks at stories which were getting people talking in Waipā.
Joe Sterritt, Te Awamutu, tossing coin, Rotorua golf, 1941
In spite of some difficulties, a successful season was reported at the annual meeting of the Te Awamutu Golf Club. Congratulations were extended to three members including Joe Sterritt who had reached the final of the Rotorua patriotic tournament which was one of the major events held in the North Island during the season.
There were thrills and spills at the Kihikihi speedway when the season’s opening motorcycle and midget car racing carnival was held. The large crowd enjoyed some exciting driving, Auckland riders being to the fore in most of the events. The midget cars on a fast track and novelty races created much enthusiasm.
A rather more sedate event at Kihikihi was the commencement of home nursing classes. The first lecture of a series was delivered by Mr Robinson in the supper room of the Town Hall. The initial attendance numbered 17 and consisted of eager trainees looking forward to future classes. There were to be 12 weekly lectures followed by oral, written and practical examinations.
The Ōhaupō unit of the Home Guard enjoyed a departure from its usual training when Sergeant-Major Thomas, with the aid of 20 Thompson automatic guns, gave a good insight into the working and handling of the weapons. The men were keen to learn about the combat weapon and closely observed a demonstration of fighting in a trench, from house to house and in a forest. The remainder of the meeting was led by Sergeant-Major Holmes who gave his men a good working knowledge of the Lewis machine gun. The men were reluctant to go home proving that if the required material was available the Home Guard could be made into a keen fighting force.
A large boar, equipped with treacherous tusks, was dispatched by hunters on the Pirongia mountain slopes. A farmer had complained to hunters that the boar had destroyed sheep and lambs and had killed five pig dogs. The hunters, accompanied by several dogs, located the boar and a fierce fight between it and the dogs resulted. One dog was killed and another severely wounded before the boar was finally stopped.
The reduction of four rural delivery mail services from a daily delivery to thrice weekly in the Te Awamutu Postal district was announced. The alteration was made due of an official order that “every ounce of benzine must be saved.” The stopping and starting of the heavy lorries and buses on the runs significantly increased petrol consumption, and the thrice weekly service would eliminate a great deal of this.
The mail delivery days would now probably be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but the final decision would not be made until the local butchers, bakers and other interested trades people had been consulted, as the aim was to eliminate any overlapping of the two services – all in the interests of benzine saving.
