My Account
Descendants of Warkworth’s pioneering families, many of them in period costume, gathered in the town hall on November 18 for a lunch celebrating the settlement’s founding 170 years ago.
Although a forecast of bad weather scuppered a planned river pageant that morning, the rest of the day marked a fitting highlight to the anniversary celebrations, Heritage Mahurangi chair Dave Parker said.
The guests were to have sailed up the river from Robertson Boats to the wharf for a reception, after which the Wellsford-Warkworth Vintage Car Club would have ferried them to the town hall.
Instead, about 120 descendants and guests, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, assembled in the hall for a special event, “to thank them for their families’ contribution to the building of the township”. The vintage attire worn by many added a real spirit to the event, Parker said.
“There weren’t many pioneering families that weren’t represented, one way or another. An excellent cross-section of local families, who haven’t had such a gathering for a long time. Quite significant in many ways,” he said.
Those present included descendants of the town’s founder, John Anderson Brown.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown took part in the function, identifying himself as a descendant of an Albertland family (not related to J.A. Brown), which settled in Pahi for a number of years.
“He was excellent, very informed and jovial, and very taken by the whole event.”
Also taking part were Councillor Greg Sayers and Rodney Local Board member Colin Smith.
In the evening, a Victorian musical soiree featuring the Kowhai Singers rounded off the 170th anniversary celebrations.
Parker said he was thrilled with the day, and with the whole festival, including the Armistice Day commemorations, which featured period military vehicles and a flypast by vintage planes.
“Overall, an outstanding event of which I and the team are extremely proud.”
