Awanui's story in one new volume

Awanui's reign as a commercial hub in the early days of the Far North's European settlement was not a long one, but the community has a fascinating history, a story that has now been expertly told by local historian and author Kaye Dragicevich.

Her third book, A History of Awanui, devotes 300 pages and 500 photographs to telling the community's modern history, thoroughly up to the 1960s with a little more from the following two decades, the result of three years of passionate research.

Mrs Dragicevich traces the township's development from the arrival of the first European settler to the establishment of the school, trading stores and wharves.

"The Awanui wharf ensured the town's important position in the development of the region; Subritzky's ship the Greyhound and the Northern Steam Ship Company's Apanui were regular traders to Awanui for more than 30 years," she said.

As more settlers arrived the town grew, boasting a Post Office, shops, the school, a hotel, flax mills, dance halls, billiard rooms, three churches, an Awanui Brass Band and the Sweetwater gumdiggers' band, a picture theatre, four garages and taxi services.

In 1926 the Kaitaia dairy factory was relocated to Awanui, while the Buccaneers Band and Awanui Concert Party made vibrant contributions to the town's history.

An aerodrome was built during World War II and The Park motorcamp was the birthplace of the now world famous 90 Mile Beach fishing competition.

Many Awanui family stories feature, complete with photos, testament to the generosity with which many people shared their family archives. Mrs Dragicevich paid special tribute to Victor Jurlina, who provided much of the information relating to the gumdigging era, many of those diggers, Maori, Dalmatian and English, going on to settle there.

Awanui rugby has also had a rich history going back more than a century. A large section of the book is devoted to the sport, again with numerous photographs.

Special mention is made of Awanui's most famous rugby player, Peter Hilton-Jones, along with with many other prominent representative players. Tennis, hockey, basketball and pony club are all there too.

The book follows the publication of Awanui - Town of the Big River, in 2011 (Mrs Dragicevich's first book, Matthews of Kaitaia, was published two years earlier, coinciding with the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Kaitaia mission station in 1834 - and incorporates that first version of Awanui's story.

"The first one looked at Awanui's quite early history, and as I wrote it I realised that there was a lot that could be enlarged upon," she said.

"This book includes the first one but goes much deeper."

And there would be more to come.

"Next up would be a history of the early Dalmatian settlers, and she also had the story of the Far North's early trucking industry "on the go."

"A lot of this history is rapidly disappearing, and it's important that we save it," she added.

Meanwhile Mrs Dragicevich said A History of Awanui would be of interest to anyone who grew up there, had family roots there or who had lived in the nearby area.

She will be selling the book ($50 plus postage) at the entrance to Pak'nSave in Kaitaia on Thursday July 4, if there are any left - well over half the first print had sold as of late last week - or order it direct from her, phone (09) 406-7389, email dragicevich@xtra.co.nz