Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 36, September 1992
Mr C W Malcolm has provided the following corrections and additional information to articles in Journal 35. [where appropriate, these corrections have been made - E]
Historic event relived: Page 4, eight lines from bottom: Marsden's first Christian Service in Hauraki, at Raupa Pa, was on Sunday 18 June 1820, not 20 June as printed.
65 years of technological progress: Page 7, third paragraph: The first aeroplane to land in Paeroa did so in May 1922, not in October 1929 as stated. This is confirmed by an article on page 40 of the same Journal.
St Joseph's School Paeroa 90th Anniversary:
Page 10, second column: Norma (not Norman) Graham (nee Norma Carthy) assisted former pupil Ted Hughes to ring the school bell.
The cake was cut by brother and sister Kathleen Benney (not Benny) and Mervyn Poland (not Polland). Kathleen died in September 1991. Mervyn and his sister Loma Old, both of Auckland, are the survivors of the family of twelve children of the late Hugh Poland, Independent Member of Parliament for Ohinemuri for many years.
Second Railway Station at Paeroa: Page 21:
The 6.40 am train from Paeroa described as "the mixed for Frankton." i.e. mixed goods and passenger train. I travelled on that early morning train on every one of my school holidays making a total of over 30 trips. The tram's final destination was Auckland, not Frankton. My journey was to Pokeno where I spent those school holidays on my grandparents' delectable farm of stream, valley, hill, and native bush. The historic fact of interest is that this dawn train connected Paeroa directly with the city. It was followed, some three hours later by the express from Thames to Auckland stopping at few stations whereas the 6.40 stopped at every one. With my boyhood interest in trains, I knew every station, every curve in the line, every bridge, and the components making up the composition of the train and I do not remember its ever containing goods wagons; though it lingered what seemed an eternity at various stations to allow other trains to pass, I have no recollection of any shunting on or off, of goods trucks. That would surely have delayed its arrival in Auckland with weary passengers picked up at stations where the following express from Thames just flashed through. As it was, it took nearly 6 hours to do the 80 miles from Paeroa to Pokeno - an average of 13.3 miles an hour!
Paeroa's First Aeroplane: Page 40: In transposing to the typewriter from my hand-written draft, I unfortunately omitted an important line from the last paragraph which should have read:
"I was not to fly again until 1967 when, on a return cross-Channel flight, and later that year on a return journey to New Zealand...."
That cross-Channel flight in a small plane from England to France high above the Channel with "The Ditch" far below and the open beaches and green fields of England looking so innocently defenceless leaves a lasting memory of those in the Battle of Britain, including "boys" from Paeroa, who flew those same skies as I was crossing in peace and safety, and clawed down from them so heroically the planes of the enemy.