The Story of Ella Cooke
In the winter of 1914, Ella Cooke was looking forward to a grand adventure. The Auckland-born nurse and her twin sister Lily had just departed New Zealand in a boat bound for Vancouver, New York and finally England. She was looking forward to seeing the sights, and eventually a working holiday in London, or maybe Paris.
The outbreak of war in July 1914 dashed all her plans. Rather than return home, Ella joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve. The work was extremely difficult, and Ella described it in her letters as 'frightfully hard'.
The story of Ella Cooke, captured below in our Online Cenotaph, is one of ceaseless dedication to nursing the ill and ailing back to health. Her work is reflected in the remarkable efforts of New Zealand's doctors, nurses and healthcare staff, who are taking every measure to ensure the ongoing safety of New Zealanders. A huge thank you to these essential workers for the incredible job they do.
www.aucklandmuseum.com...
Fair & Garage Sale
Saturday October 12, 8am-11am at Pukekohe Anglican Church, cnr Queen St & Wesley St, Pukekohe. Cakes, jams, plants, books, BBQ, raffles, Op Shop, furniture, household goods. Bargains for all! No Eftpos, cash only please.
Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
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43% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
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56.4% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
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0.6% Other - I'll share below