Whangarei to dazzle in celebrations

This artist's impression of what Whangarei could look like in the year 2000 - "as seen from the NAC heliport" - was published as part of a Northern Advocate feature on October 31, 1964. PHOTOS/FILE

Whangarei will celebrate its Golden Anniversary as a city on November 1 with a party and 1960s-themed grand parade, with every resident invited.

The party to celebrate 50 years as a city will start with the grand parade through the central city in the morning and every Whangarei resident, business or community group is invited to watch or be part of it, Mayor Sheryl Mai said.

"The more the merrier. This is a whole-community event celebrating what the community has become over 50 years," she said.

Then Governor General Sir Bernard Fergusson officially declared the Borough of Whangarei to have achieved "city status" on May 21, 1964, when the town's population passed 20,000.

"The official proclamation was made on October 1, 1964, which allowed time to organise and hold 60 commemorative events over the course of the first year as a city," Ms Mai said.

"A formal declaration took place in Laurie Hall Park, followed by a civic dinner in the Town Hall, and then an intense week of 'City Celebrations' featuring parades, flower shows, balls and a Miss Whangarei City competition, and a further year of commemorative tournaments, carnivals and exhibitions."

LANDMARK: Whangarei will celebrate 50 years as a city in November.

This year's celebration, being organised by the venues & events department of Whangarei District Council, includes a parade being co-ordinated by the Whangarei Lions, which ran the parade at Te Matau a Pohe when it opened last year.

The parade theme is "dress, dance and dazzle like they did in 1964". It will start in the central city and make its way to the Town Basin where the 50th anniversary will be celebrated with food, a "Whangarei through the decades" fashion parade, a dance band and prizes for the best 1960s floats, groups and costumes from the crowd.

"We will also have display boards featuring photos, news clippings and other memorabilia from the 1964 city status celebrations. I'm grateful to everyone who contributed these mementos when I first called for them in May," Ms Mai said.

"We're gathering a fascinating collection that helps us to understand the festive feeling that city status generated throughout the district."

Anyone else with memorabilia to share can call council customer services on 09 430 4200. Material will be copied and returned to its owners.

Anyone wanting to have a float or walking group in the parade should contact Colin Twyman from the Lions Clubs of Whangarei on 09 4350717 or at colin.twyman@vodafone.co.nz.