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The Auckland Heritage Festival runs from Saturday, September 20 to Sunday, October 5 with the theme Auckland at Play.
On the Hibiscus Coast, clubs are marking the occasion by showcasing almost a century of sporting history at an exhibition at Ōrewa Library.
Groups taking part include Silverdale Rugby Club, Silverdale Tennis Club, Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving Club, Red Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, North Shore Aero Club, Silverdale Pony Club, North Shore Riding for the Disabled and Bowls Ōrewa.
Silverdale Rugby Club was formed in 1930 with just one junior team in the Kaipara Rugby Union. It later went on to win the Junior Championship three years in a row. Although the club went into recess during World War II, it reformed in 1946.
Silverdale Tennis Club opened around 1935, but also had to close during the war years. In 2013, it won both the Tennis Northern Club of the Year Award and the THR Gold Medal Award for Membership Growth.
Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving Club began in the 1950s, operating at first from a simple tower of driftwood and donated materials. In 1958, fundraising enabled members to build their first clubhouse.
Red Beach Surf Club was established in 1953 after local resident Toby Mitchell witnessed a drowning. He led efforts to set up the club, with members training to become lifeguards by the following summer.
North Shore Aero Club started in 1963, when members volunteered their time to build an airfield.
Silverdale Pony Club was founded in 1969 by Betty Buckby and Adrien Wright. After losing land to a motorway extension, members rode for a season on a private farm. The club is now based on Council land at Green Road, Dairy Flat.
North Shore Riding for the Disabled celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. First operating from borrowed sites such as such as Woolly Bear Farm and Rosedale Pony Club, it later moved to Stillwater in 1999. The club opened an all-weather covered arena in March 2024.
Bowls Ōrewa is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Among its members was international competitor Marlene Castle, who represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in 1990, 1994 and 2002, winning two bronze medals and one silver.
