Anyone taking a quiet stroll along the Mahurangi River could soon get a stronger feel for the area’s notable history and landmarks if a Warkworth Lions Club project gets the green light.
Last month, the club put together a proposal to the Rodney Local Board for interpretive signage depicting historical buildings, places and events, and profiling prominent identities.
Lions Club president David Little says the signs would be an excellent way to understand a little more history of the area, especially for visitors.
“Otherwise all is silent and nobody knows what happened here,” he said.
David says so far the Lions have ideas for 25 signs, but initially plan to start with 10 along the river.
Additional signs might be placed beyond the vicinity of the river to highlight other areas of interest.
Sites identified so far include a jam factory, flour mill and sawmill. Notable personalities include Lucy Moore, Helen and Henry Phibbs, and Nathaniel Wilson.
Lucy Moore was a distinguished Warkworth scientist, known as the ‘mother of New Zealand botany’.
The Phibbs gifted the bush-covered land facing Warkworth on the other side of the Mahurangi River.
Nathaniel Wilson was the founder of New Zealand’s cement industry and Warkworth’s inaugural mayor.
The Lions Club has sought permission from the Board to erect the signs and have asked for $2000 toward their cost.
Mr Little showed board members a prototype sign to give an idea of what they would look like.
Board chair Beth Houlbrooke said the board had already assembled a group of interested parties, including Lions, to discuss improvements to the riverbank area.
It’s expected the upshot of these discussions, together with suggested enhancement projects, will be presented to the board early in the new year.
“There are a number of things being talked about and the interpretative signs might well fit with one of these projects,” she says.
