Te Puke Times' first photo of local people was published in 1948 and featured the 15 debutantes presented at that year's RSA Debutantes Ball.
Te Puke Times' first photo of local people was published in 1948 and featured the 15 debutantes presented at that year's RSA Debutantes Ball.
In this, the final edition of Te Puke Times, we look back at the paper’s 112-year history — a history of telling Te Puke’s stories, serving its community and being its voice.
The first edition of the paper was published on February 6, 1912.
Proprietor Thomas Herbert Wilsone was a man of vision and very much in touch with his times.
He started a newspaper for what was then a small rural community because he believed people wanted a “journal devoted mainly to furthering local interests”.
In his editorial of the first edition, Mr Wilsone wrote: “We have been encouraged to take this step, recognising the manifold signs of future progress which are everywhere apparent, and knowing that an up-to-date paper is an essential factor in helping forward those movements which make for the commercial welfare of the district.”
He went on to say: “We hold that a well conducted journal must always exercise a certain influence for good in a community, not only in a material but in a moral sense, that its duty is not only to expose abuses but to give every encouragement to all projects initiated for the elevation of the social life of a community.”
He assured readers that all endeavours would be made to uphold the traditions of upright journalism.
For one penny the people of Te Puke could buy a copy of the new newspaper.
The paper was printed twice weekly and Wilsone was both proprietor and editor until his death in 1936.
Fred Gemming, who had worked on Te Puke Times since 1919, was employed by Wilsone’s widow Edith and managed the paper until 1939 when he leased it from Edith and was proprietor until his death in 1941.
Thomas Herbert Wilsone founded the Te Puke Times in 1912.
The Te Puke Times was taken over by Mr Lovell and Mr Pearce in 1941.
A year later it changed leadership again with Phillip Basham taking the reins.
This began a very notable two-generation connection with the paper, with David Basham taking over on his father’s death.
Te Puke Times was then bought from David Basham and partner Rex Appleby in 1982 by John Woods.
Three years later New Zealand News Limited bought the paper and it was later purchased by Independent Newspapers Limited, forming part of the Independent Community Newspapers Group.
INL was bought out by the New Zealand Herald, which in turn was bought by APN. APN’s New Zealand division became NZME, the current owners, in 2014.
The first edition of Te Puke Times was noted as a creditable production by the Wellington Evening Post.
The Te Puke Times always got behind the various Queen Carnivals and other events organised to raise funds for patriotic appeals, the town swimming pool and Memorial Hall.
Descriptions of new houses being built were often included with full details on things like new plumbing ideas such as indoor toilets and hot water cylinders.
Content included full results for local sports matches, school athletics, Women’s Division and Women’s Institute competitions, A&P Show results and reports. Letters to the editor were always popular.
During both world wars, letters were printed from the front, and, later Te Puke exchange students sent regular news from their placements.
Overseas trips by locals were often reported on in great detail.
While photos, such as those provided by the war departments, did appear in the paper, and photos of cows from annual sales were included in adverts, it wasn’t until June 25, 1948 that the first photo featuring local people appeared. It was a photo from the third annual debutante ball.
The cover of the special publication put together to celebrate Te Puke Times' centenary.
The first wedding photo was of Te Puke Times staff member Gaye Taft when she married Dudley Vercoe in November 1948. The plates took almost two weeks to be set on zinc plates in Auckland.
In 1978 Te Puke Times was incorporated into the Bay Sun which circulated free within the Tauranga area. The Tuesday edition contained Te Puke news, but this was not well accepted and in early 1982 the Te Puke Times returned.
A special publication was printed in 2012 to celebrate the paper’s centenary.
Coincidentally Te Puke Times shares its birth year with one of the world’s best known, but perhaps not as well liked, newspapers, Pravda published by the Soviet Communist Party.
In 1912 New Zealand’s population was just over one million, Robert Scott’s ill-fated journey to the South Pole took place and the Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.
Thanks to Christine Clement for additional information.
