WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY DAY
Wellington Anniversary Day, January 23 next, commemorates the first group of European settlers sponsored by the NZ Company to arrive in NZ, who alighted on Petone Beach from the sailing shop “Aurora”, in January 1840.
The historic Christ Church Taita, built 12 years later by those first settlers, is the oldest church in the Wellington region, and was opened on New Year’s Day in 1854. Those responsible did so in gratitude for a relatively safe passage. They struck up a very positive relationship with the local people of Te Atiawa, who occupied a Pa at Horokiwi, and who fed and sheltered the several hundred new arrivals. That positive relationship continues down to this day. The church’s graveyard is the last resting place Chief of Manihera Matangi, whose father signed the Treaty of Waitangi, and who was a great friend of the settlers. His whanau continue to reside in the Hutt Valley to this day. Current chair of the fundraising committee is Rev. John Daysh, great grandson of one John Daysh, one of the first settlers, who gave the timber for the building
The church has survived flood and fire, and is favoured for weddings, While once on farmland, is now almost surrounded by industrial buildings in Wingate.
It will shortly have a Visitor Centre to expedite visits by members of the Public. This will enable enable visitors, and students of NZ History, to take tours of the building and adjoining graveyard.
Fundraising for the Centre has been under way for several years and Donors include The Lotteries Heritage Fund and Hutt City Council as well as numerous private individuals. Current funds will be sufficient ($250, 000) to make a start, while the Trust responsible is about to sign a formal contract with Yus Homes, builders, of Petone, which will allow for the work to start soon and to be completed progressively as further funds allow.
There is a GiveALittle page for those who may be interested in supporting this important Heritage undertaking.
Contact JOHN TERRIS, VISITOR CENTRE FUNDRAISER, 55 QUEENS GROVE LOWER HUTT TEL 0274440081.
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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63% Summer
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35.6% Winter
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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