Firemen
Meghan Hawkes looks back at what was in the news in Waipā in 1931.
Firemen and equipment
After recent dances at Te Awamutu, it was reported that the fire station was being used as a drinking resort.
Dance patrons covertly consumed liquor there and some had even gone so far as to use the spare space under the bonnet of the fire engine for alcohol storage. Novel use of firefighting equipment was also made by the fire brigade themselves when they hosted their annual ball; helmets, hose and other apparatus featuring in the decorative scheme.
The hall was festooned with greenery, and a trellis work of red and black, the brigade’s colours, entirely circled the ballroom. Nearly 300 guests came from Auckland, Hamilton, Te Kūiti, Cambridge, Ōtorohanga, Raglan and New Plymouth.
Fire brigadesmen were present in uniform, and included representatives from Hamilton, Ngāruawāhia, Ōtorohanga, Matamata and Cambridge. The Te Awamutu Orchestra provided excellent dance music, and the floor had been polished to brilliance by brigade members. Dancing was kept up merrily until the early hours of the morning. In the supper and drawing rooms were greenery and daffodils, with clever electric lighting effects adding considerably to the beauty of the scene. A very dainty and ample supper was served at about 10.40pm which continued until almost midnight, four or five sittings being necessary to accommodate all the guests. Attendees were of opinion that the Te Awamutu Fire Brigade’s 1931 ball was quite the best yet.
Following a big football game at Te Kūiti it was decided the visiting Thames Valley Rugby Union’s team should stay to a dance till 11pm. By 11.30pm they were on their way home. All went well until Kihikihi was reached, when a short cut was suggested, the detour promising to eliminate a considerable distance. The bus turned off at Kihikihi at 1.10am and all the players settled down to a quiet sleep for two or three hours. About 4am, after many weary miles had been covered, lights loomed up in the darkness, and the team, after completely circumnavigating the Waipā County, entered Kihikihi again. Navigation was then left completely to the driver, with the result that Paeroa was reached about 6.30am.
Thieves at Ōhaupō broke into the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company and removed clothing, a typewriter, a shotgun, ammunition, butter, cheese, biscuits and a large quantity of cigarettes and tobacco. The iron safe in the manager’s office was blown open and several pounds in cash removed. From the way in which the contents of the store had been ransacked and strewn about it appeared the thieves had taken their time. The forcing of the safe looked like the work of an experienced criminal, but the selection of goods taken suggested the work of amateurs. The premises had been locked up by the manager at 9.30pm and though he was attending a meeting across the road up to 11pm he heard no sound of an explosion. Mr Ebbett, who resided in a small cottage at the rear of the shop, likewise passed the night undisturbed.
