Film footage brings back memories

The 1950s footage of Warkworth that has been showing on the Local Matters website has stirred some happy memories for former Warkworth Primary School teach Evan Cross, 77, now living in Waitara, just north of New Plymouth.

The film, which was shot by the late Allan Papworth and kindly loaned by his family, captures Warkworth in the fifties, including the 1953 visit of Queen Elizabeth. One of the events covered in the third and concluding segment of the film, which will be on the website this month, is the Puhoi settler’s reunion.

Evan, who still keeps in touch with many of his former pupils, now scattered all over the world, came to the district in 1953. He was engaged in a relieving position at Kaipara Flats where he also celebrated his 21st birthday. He taught at the Warkworth District High School from 1954 to 1963, which became Mahurangi College in 1962. His wife, Rae (nee Cross) taught at Matakana School from 1956 to 1959.

The couple lived at Leigh and Evan played rugby for Kaipara Flats and Omaha, as well as cricket and athletics.

“I found viewing that old movie extremely interesting,” he says.

“I can remember the calf club days very vividly. Training College did not explain that one day I would not only be running calf club days, but would find myself in the middle of a war between breeders over such things as type, class, and worse, pedigree versus grade stock.

"Bill Brown from Ahuroa with his interest in Ayreshires; Ted Hutchings and Keith Patterson with jerseys; good old Stan Wyatt and his grade calves used to laugh at them; Ray Curran, full of common sense; Wayvern Davie-Martin from Kaipara Hills with his Friesians; and big Joe Schedeway with his milking shorthorns. Phillip Brooker’s grandfather, old Grange Melville from Matakana, was the chairman, and even he couldn’t keep them under control!”

Related Video: Watch the final video from the three part series of historical footage, featuring the A&P Show in 1953.