Northern Advocate move to Robert Street, 2004 by Northern Advocate

1875

Water Street WHANGAREI

2004

Robert Street WHANGAREI

Now at 88 Robert Street, Whangarei. Feed your mind with a local

...

Moving forward with Northland THE

Report "What matters to you"

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Te Warahi Hetaraka greets Noleen Dassler after the dawn blessing of the new Northern Advocate building in Robert St, Whangarei. — PICTURE / John Stone

Contents Page Comment

■ A word from general manager, John Henton ■ Comment from editor Tony Verdon ■ Rangimarie Harding notes ... ■ Northern advertising manager Steve Hutton reflects ...

3 4 4 The Northern Advocate has now moved its operations to this striking new building at 88 Robert St, Whangarei.

Making the move ■ Attending the dawn blessing ■ Stirring the memories

6 7

Northlanders driving business and news ■ People behind the daily paper ■ Welcome to 88 Robert St

10-11 12-13

History of a newspaper ■ Bygone buildings tell Advocate’s story ■ Founder editor’s legacy ■ Carving a name as innovator ■ Introducing The Report ■ Northland and Advocate grow together ■ Crawfords take the helm ■ The Report — making its mark ■ Milestones — memorable moments in time

14-15 16 17 17 18 19 19 20

Opinion ■ Subscribers write ... a tribute to paper-carriers ■ Pause to reflect ... words of praise ■ Shayne Heape recalls his paper run ■ Bring on the paper-carriers

21 22 23 23

A by-gone era ■ COVER: Northland Naturally logo supplied by Destination Northland

— PICTURE / John Stone

Start of a dynamic new era T

HE Northern Advocate has double the reason to celebrate. Not only has it been delivering Northlanders their daily news for the last 129 years, but after the best part of a century based at premises in Water St, Whangarei, Northern Publishing Ltd which produces the Advocate and the community newspaper, The Report, has begun

a new era in a brand new building. The new location is at 88 Robert St. Built by Kerr Construction, the distinctive building will accommodate almost 100 Northern Publishing advertising, editorial, production, circulation, publishing and administration staff. The Northland Regional

Council has bought the Water St premises. In its home territory — from Cape Reinga to Wellsford — the Advocate has long been the traditional and respected voice of the North and today it remains the dominant daily paper, publishing six days a week with a circulation of 15,321. Northern Publishing general manager John Henton says group

owners APN News and Media Ltd has great confidence in its products, The Northern Advocate and The Report, and long-term commitment to their Northland readers. ‘‘The move to the new purposebuilt premises is a solid reflection of this as well as providing a bright, modern environment for staff to serve customers and

readers more effectively. ‘‘The Advocate works every day at maximising local and regional content to inform readers of local news, issues and events,’’ he said. ‘‘In addition, there has been ongoing investments in editorial and advertising process systems to give readers a more enlightening read.’’

First customer has long links to Advocate W

HEN Bertha Keys and foster daughter Maria Stutt waltzed into The Northern Advocate building just after 8:30am on Monday, July 26 this year to place an advertisement, they had no idea they were the fi rs t c us tom e rs to c ros s the paper’s new threshold in Robert St. ‘‘I was popping in to place an ad in the cars for sale section and the re c e p ti on lad i e s we re q ui te excited,’’ says long-time Whangarei resident Bertha. ‘‘The reception is beautiful and airy and spacious.’’ Bertha who ran a foster home in Whangarei for years, has dealt with the Advocate for many years. In fact in the 1980s, her late husband, Brydon Keys, was a journalist for both the Advocate and the Weekend Report, as it was called back then. Bertha who has been a subscriber for over 30 years, says she has seen many changes to the paper and enthusiastically awaits each day’s edition. She remembers a time when

Bertha who has been a subscriber for over 30 years, says she has seen many changes to the paper

another Advocate fan started taking all the papers on her street from letter-boxes one by one — every paper except hers that is. ‘‘I almost wished the person taking them would take mine too as it looked pretty suspicious,’’ she laughs.

Advocate frontperson Judy Harlowe, left, welcomes the first customer to cross the newspaper’s new Robert — PICTURE / Tania Webb St threshold, Bertha Keys, right, and her foster daughter Maria Stutt.

Robert St team ready for action

— PICTURE / John Stone

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

A word from general manager John Henton:

General manager settles in for long haul M

OVING an entire company to a purpose-built new business environment is a challenge that comes only once or twice in a

career. The big picture was — along with the physical move — to reinforce our management practice and create a new business culture with our staff embracing a complete customer service culture. The move on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25 was potentially a technical nightmare. We had to produce Saturday’s paper and then shift the entire infrastructure ready to produce Monday’s paper which featured the 5.30am blessing that morning. All goals were accomplished on time and I extend a warm thanks to every staff member who made this happen without any hitches. The Advocate’s new home demonstrates the commitment by group owner APN News and Media Limited to the Northland community and the staff of Northern Publishing. APN has signed a minimum 20-year lease with the Northland Regional Council on this Robert St site — we plan on being here for some time. The former NRC site in Robert St has been developed from an old Robert St office and laboratory complex into a modern office building purposely built for the dynamic operations of newspapers. The Northern Advocate and its sister publications The Report and Rural Advocate now have a solid base to expand both operations with their news services, while maintaining a continuous growth in readership and advertisers, be they large corporations or individuals. I’m often asked why the paper is no longer printed in Whangarei. Newspaper production technology has advanced at a significant rate over the last decade. The advance is so much so, that in 2 0 0 1, w h en th e ol d press was decommissioned, The Northern Advocate pioneered in New Zealand the process and systems improvements to be one of four regional newspapers to be printed daily at larger more technologically savvy central printing press locations. We now produce a daily e-paper at 7.30am, which is then transmitted down a

The Advocate’s new home demonstrates the commitment by group owners APN News Media Limited to the Northland community and the staff of Northern Publishing

phone line and physically sent back to the market in a truck one hour later ready for sale as The Lunchtime Read in Whangarei. The Northern Advocate’s Feed Your Mind With A Local Bite marketing slogan clearly implies our primary goal to give our Northland readers the full details of local news, events and opinions with sting and investigative journalism. We are open-minded and easily accessible and welcome readers’ views through letters to the editor or by contacting reporters direct. With the new premises the scene is set to continue to develop Northern Publishing as a professional, dedicated business that reaches out and touches the minds, hearts and souls of Northlanders daily. — John Henton General manager Northern Publishing

Northern Publishing general manager John Henton . . . we plan on being here for some time.

— PICTURE / Tania Webb

Contact us ... The Northern Advocate, 88 Robert St. Box 210, Whangarei G e ne ra l ma n a g e r — John Henton: Mobile (021) 634-146. Email: john.henton@apn.co.nz Editor — Tony Verdon: Mobile (0 2 1 ) 675- 339. Email : editor@northernadvocate.co.nz Advertising manager — Steve Hutton: Mobile: (021) 516-770. Email: steve.hutton@apn.co.nz Circulation manager — Rangimarie Harding: Mobile: (021) 997-111. Email: rangi.harding@apn.co.nz General inquiries: Phone: (09) 438-2399. Fax: (09) 430-5669. Email: daily@northernadvocate.co.nz Editorial: Phone: (09) 430-5675. Fax: (09) 430-5665. Email: editor@northernadvocate.co.nz reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz sports@northernadvocate.co.nz News tips after hours: (09) 459-5583 Chief reporter — Craig Cooper. Email:

reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz Chief photographer — John Stone. Email: photos@northernadvocate.co.nz Sports editor — Tim Eves. Email: sports@northernadvocate.co.nz Business editor — Rosemary Roberts. Email: rosemary.roberts@northernadvocate.co.nz Kaipara Advocate — Robyn Downey. Phone: (09) 439 5400 or mobile (021) 422 085 Fax: (09) 439 5402. Email: kaipara@northernadvocate.co.nz Bay of Islands Advocate — Sue Ferens. Phone: (09) 433-6744 or 021-612-855. Email: sue.ferens@clear.net.nz Community columnists + Whangarei — Wendy Arman. Phone: (09) 434-0044 between 9am and 3pm weekdays. Email: exnonblonde@hotmail.com (using the phrase ‘‘Advocol’’ in the subject box) + Far North — Tony Gee. Phone: (09) 406-0469.

Email: tonygee@igrin.co.nz Write to: Box 45, Mangonui, 0557 + Bream Bay — Huw Turner Phone: (09) 432-0880. Email: waipu@xtra.co.nz Photo orders: Phone: (09) 438-2399. Fax: (09) 430-5665. Email: photos@northernadvocate.co.nz Advertising: Display — Phone: (09) 430-6805. Fax: (09) 430-5676. Email: ads@northernadvocate.co.nz Special features — Phone: (09) 430-5657. Fax: (09) 430-5668. Email: sunil.maharaj@northernadvocate.co.nz C lassifieds —Ph on e: (0 9 ) 430-4321. Fax: (09) 430-5669. Email: inky@northernadvocate.co.nz Advertising accounts: Inquiries phone 0800-110-579. Circulation: Free phone: 0800 6 5 2 - 3 9 9 . D irect d ial: (0 9 ) 430-5666. Fax: (09) 430-5669. Email:circulation@northernadvocate.o.nz Late delivery (to 6pm): Phone (09) 430-5666 The Report, 88 Robert St. Box 1603,

Whangarei. Editor — Kris von Keisenberg Reporter — Liz St George Editorial: Phone: (09) 438-0660. Fax: (09) 430-5686. Email: kris.vonk@apn.co.nz liz.stgeorge@apn.co.nz Advertising: Phone: (09) 430-6805. Fax: (09) 430-5676. Email: ads@northernadvocate.co.nz

Benefit from a subscription Convenience: In residential areas, the newspaper is delivered to the letterbox or door on request. In many rural areas, it is left at the gate. Sav ings : It c osts 78c Monday to Friday and 88c Saturday — $4.78 per week — saving 13%.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Comment from editor Tony Verdon:

News team rises to challenge T

HE Northern Advocate’s editorial team faces one of the toughest tasks in the country in terms of reaching a provincial population where the nearest reader is in a downtown Whangarei apartment or cafe — and the most remote is more than 300km away in Cape Reinga. Reaching our readers takes a strong strategic approach, balanced with the rapid reactive mode a newspaper must have to report breaking news. So how do we do it? The core of our news gathering team is based at Whangarei — 10 reporters and three photographers working on Northland-wide news. There is also an editorial branch office in Dargaville. Local and regional news dominates the first three pages of every edition of The Northern Advocate. There are 20-plus local news/sports/feature stories published in every edition, providing a depth of daily regional news coverage that ensures Advocate readers know about the major issues affecting their region. The news is gathered from communities as diverse at Kaitaia in the Far North, to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, to Dargaville on the West Coast, to Warkworth on the southern border of the Advocate’s circulation area. General News: The first three pages of The Northern Advocate are devoted to local and regional news, all of it written by our journalists based in Whangarei and Dargaville. Sport: Recreation and sport are key facets of the Northland lifestyle, and we publish more local and regional sports news than most regional papers in the country. The Northern Advocate’s SuperSport Monday edition, introduced 12 months ago, has become Northland’s definitive source of local, regional and international sports news and results. This offers from four to seven pages of sports coverage, including all the mainstream sporting action plus sports with particularly strong followings in the region such as surfing, hockey and equestrian events. Sports pages are also published in all other editions of The Northern Advocate. Business Pages:

Bay of Islands Advocate:

There are 20-plus local news/sports/ feature stories published in every edition, providing a depth of daily regional news coverage that ensures Advocate readers know about the major issues affecting their region. features at least one and often two pages devoted to business news. From Tuesday through to Saturday these pages include a detailed share table, and our regular local feature, Northlanders at Work. This picture/story highlights a local person going about their daily work. On Mondays, business reporter Rosemary Roberts writes her Down to Business column about local business developments. New businesses, appointments and upcoming business events are featured. She highlights local business successes, people coming and going, and local developments in the real estate market. The range of local names featured in this column has helped establish it as one of The Northern Advocate’s best-read weekly features. Kaipara Advocate: This page each day features news from the Kaipara District, stretching from Wellsford and Mangawhai to Dargaville on the West Coast. In between there are several smaller communities whose news is featured, including Maungaturoto and Ruawai. The Kaipara District includes some of the fastest-growing coastal communities in the country. The Northern Advocate is the only newspaper providing these communities with daily local news.

Six days a week The Northern Advocate

The Advocate has two correspondents based in the Bay of Islands, writing about breaking news in rapidly-expanding communities like Kerikeri, Paihia and Russell. This daily feature is in addition to a weekly Bay of Islands Community Spirit column, appearing each Tuesday. There is also a weekly fishing column, giving Bay of Islanders expert advice on fishing conditions in their area, which appears every Thursday. Community Spirit: Community news from Whangarei, the Bay of Islands, the Far North and Bream Bay appears on page two of the Advocate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively. These columns are written by people living in each of the communities featured, and provide a forum for local volunteer and charitable organisations to publicise their activities. They have become a forum for local schools, cultural and sporting organisations to discuss their activities and events. Weekend Advocate: Each Saturday we publish an in-depth local feature, highlighting local personalities and issues. These reflect what is happening in Northland, exploring local issues and controversies. For example, a recent edition of the Weekend Advocate featured the four Northlanders competing at the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials in Britain. The Saturday edition also features food and wine columns, and there will be an expansion of the range of features published later this year. Leisure Advocate: The Leisure Advocate is a weekly page featuring articles on pleasurable leisure activities, to be introduced later this month. It will have an emphasis on gardening, indoor and outdoor home renovation, travel, good food, and fashion. The Leisure Advocate will appear each Tuesday, recording the latest colour trends, home accessories, indoor and outdoor furniture, kitchen and bathroom designs, decking and outdoor design. There will be recipes using seasonal fruit and vegetables when they are in abundance in Northland, and there will be practical help for Northland gardeners.

Every week there will be advice on what to do and where to go the following weekend. While targeting women readers, the Leisure Advocate will have practical local information for all readers. TV Guide: The Tuesday edition of The Northern Advocate has been strengthened with the introduction of a pull-out television listings guide. This easy-to-use and keep guide features a full seven days of television listings. Motorwise: From two to four pages of motoring news, published every Friday. Motorwise features new vehicle road tests, plus local news for motoring enthusiasts. Included are articles about local vintage cars, car club events and news. Gardening: Prominent local gardens are featured on the gardening pages, published every Friday. Useful tips are often included from people who have developed spectacularly successful gardens around their own Northland homes. Among recent local gardeners featured is one Northlander growing and selling chestnuts. Other articles have focused on avocado, kiwifruit and citrus orchards, as well as beautiful suburban gardens.

Advocate editor Tony Verdon . . . reaching readers takes a — PICTURE / John Stone strong strategic approach.

Rural Advocate: A monthly stand-alone tabloid crammed full of news for Northland farmers, the Rural Advocate showcases successful farmers in the region while also providing a forum to debate Northland farming politics. It includes controversial columns and thought-provoking opinion pieces which reflect the lively nature of the Northland farming scene. Marine Advocate:

coastal or offshore events of a commercial, recreational or environmental nature. Northland is surrounded by a spectacular marine environment, and Northlanders make the most of it. The Marine Advocate features advice for fishers, boaties, surfers, ramblers and anyone who ventures on or in the water. Computers: The weekly computer column features a Northland website plus other local news for web users. Donna Russell’s Web Talk column appears every Thursday.

This monthly feature showcases news of interest concerning Northland with regard to

— Tony Verdon Editor of The Northern Advocate

Sales and marketing manager Rangimarie Harding notes:

The Northland Regional Council congratulates the

‘Northern Advocate’ & ‘The Report’ on their new building.

Newspaper sales and marketing manager Rangimarie Harding.

— PICTURE / Tania Webb

Circulation crew keeps life blood pumping The Regional Council is proud to have been associated with the development of this Robert Street facility. have you clicked on yet?

www.nrc.govt.nz Northland Regional Council Online

Caring for Northland and its environment

ANGIMARIE Harding is responsible for the sales and distribution of the Advocate to nearly 9000 home subscribers and 250 retail outlets throughout Northland. It is also part of her job to ensure all customer feedback and reader inquiries are dealt with appropriately. Meanwhile on the home front, Rangimarie is also involved in planning and implementing marketing strategies to maintain and assist in the growth in readership of our product. Supervisor Vivienne Darlington is part of the circulation team and manages 106 of our 180 paper-carriers, who deliver the Advocate to all subscribers in urban areas throughout Northland, and oversees the rest. She also supervises the circulation

department and handles all circulation inquires and complaints. Melissa Pivac is our circulation customer services consultant and assists Vivienne with the day-to-day running of the circulation office. Retail Sales Consultant Kelsey Gibson manages all the retail outlets and liases with the retailers throughout Northland to ensure the appropriate number of newspapers are supplied. Also, it is up to Kelsey to ensure the stands and Advocate merchandise are in the best possible locations for visibility. Anna Carman our marketing executive looks after the general marketing of the newspaper, implementing retail and home delivery promotions to assist in the growth of newspaper sales.

Sh e ma n a ges a t e am of f ou r telemarketers whose sole purpose is to gain new home subscribers. Fiona Pope is weekly feature Newspapers in Education co-ordinator. She manages and implements the NiE program into Northland schools. Liaises with teachers to ensure the NiE resources are used to their fullest potential. Rangimarie Harding our circulation/ sales and marketing manger works closely with all key staff, especially marketing executive to ensure department objectives are met. — Rangimarie Harding, Northern Advocate sales and marketing manager

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Northland advertising manager reflects ...

Emphasis on advertising solutions T

HE Northern Publishing Advertising Department employs over 40 local people. Collectively we identify opportunities and deliver marketing solutions for a varied and comprehensive Northland marketplace. This dedicated department is highly skilled and multi-faceted. It includes a local and national booking department, a full creative team, typesetting and scanning departments, pro-active display sales teams for both the Northern Advocate and The Report, an inbound/outbound classified sales team and a special publications features team. These passionate Northlanders are committed to driving marketing solutions while delivering a customer experience second to none. The customers we serve are varied from large businesses requiring start-up or ongoing aggressive market share growth campaigns to private customers looking to sell a car or boat. We are constantly identifying and then implementing new ways to push the boundaries of innovation and production to achieve and deliver the most effective quality product. An example of this is the Northern Advocate Property Guide Magazine. This weekly stitched and trimmed publication is Northland’s largest show case of residential, rural, coastal and commercial properties. This publication has delivered consistent results for local real estate companies and enabled them to

enjoy huge growth month-on-month and year-on-year. This year Northern Publishing is one of the first newspapers to develop an extensive targeted approach for advertising campaigns within the news section of our two newspapers The Northern Advocate and The Report. We have carried out extensive primary and secondary market research to identify what demographic and psychographic readers seek in each editorial section of our newspapers. We have then used this knowledge to place relevant advertisements on these pages to deliver the targeted consumer eyeballs that our advertisers seek. Northern Publishing’s Advertising Department also produces many special publications. We are proud of our achievements in assisting to connect communities Northland wide, from our inaugural Whangarei District Council Residents Guide 2002 to the publication of the Kaipara Handbook for Residents and Businesses 2004. These publications have helped to strengthen the districts by reinforcing their brand positioning, identity, achievements and assisting to encourage inward investment by communicating strengths of local infrastructure. Next time you speak to one of our sales consultants to place an ad, be assured that we are here to deliver you expertise that will ensure results and the best possible customer experience.

Northland advertising manager Steve Hutton.

— PICTURE / Tania Webb

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Powhiri for a new beginning Pictures by John Stone and Tania Webb

JULY 5, 2004: ABOVE and BELOW RIGHT: Staff gather for the tapu-lifting ceremony to mark the carving’s removal from the Water St office. BELOW LEFT: Renowned master carver Te Warahi Hetaraka conducted the ceremony.

JULY 27, 1987: Advocate general manager Bill Crawford jnr, left, at the powhiri marking the installation of a Maori carving by Rua Paul in the office foyer when the newspaper moved to new Water St premises.

JULY 26, 2004: ABOVE TOP: Detail of the Advocate’s iconic carving. ABOVE: Staff gather outside before the dawn powhiri of the new Advocate and Report building in Robert St.

k n a h t o t e k i l d l u Wo

JULY 26, 2004: ABOVE: Kuia enter the Advocate’s new building for the dawn powhiri. LEFT: Te Warahi Hetaraka takes part in the blessing of the new building.

The Northern Advocate for successfully partnering us over the last 40 Years, connnecting Home Buyers with their dream properties. We look forward to partnering The Northern Advocate over the next 40 Years.

All the Best to The Northern Advocate and Property Guide Teams, from all the players at Taits.

JULY 26, 2004: BELOW: The carving installed in the foyer of the Robert St building is blessed. RIGHT: Te Warahi Hetaraka, right, at the blessing of the carving.

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Move stirs many memories

Northern Advocate paper-carier Rhys Heaven-Smith delivers the paper on foot with the help of his grandmother Ann Heaven, after thieves stole his bike. — PICTURE / John Stone

Ashlee Teal and her four-legged helper Cody make delivering the news a team effort.

— PICTURE / John Stone

Northern Advocate staff members receive awards for their long service, from general manager John Henton, second from right; they are, from left, sub-editor Arthur Barnes, typesetting manager Craig Williams and, far right, operations manager Lance McDonald. — PICTURE / Michael Cunningham.

Northern Advocate staff members pitch in to help circulation staff insert a news sheet on a breaking story about the power blackouts in the United States in August, 2003 into each Northern Advocate before delivery. — PICTURE / Michael Cunningham

An aerial view of the old home to Northern Publishing and the Advocate newspaper for the last 17 years, in Water St, Whangarei. — PICTURE / Michael Cunningham

Press operator Jamie Cummings checks the last edition of the Advocate before the Web offset press shuts down for the last time. — PICTURE / Michael Cunningham

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Introducing Northlanders driving business Administration

General Management

RECEPTIONIST Judy Harlowe REGIONAL MANAGER

Simon Ellis

NORTHLAND GENERAL MANAGER

COMPANY P/A

FINANCE MANAGER

Jenny Vaile

Amanda Beamish

RECEPTIONIST Nanette Cains

CASHIER Katrina Nicholson

ACCOUNTS Margaret Gray

John Henton

Advertising Department

PUBLICATIONS SALES DISPLAY MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Sunil Maharaj

NORTHLAND ADVERTISING MANAGER

ADMINISTRATION Gayleen Tebutt

AD SERVICES MANAGER

TYPESETTING MANAGER

ADVERTISING SALES REP

Naomi Fenton

Craig Williams

Noleen Dassler

Anita King-Lassauw

FEATURES ADVERTISING SALES REP

REPORT ADVERTISING SALES REP

Toni Garnier

Tania Karklins

Anita Van velthoven

Samantha Haines

Mike Taylor

Advertising

Steve Hutton

ADVERTISING SALES REP

SALES ADMINISTRATOR

AD SERVICES CONSULTANT

PROPERTY GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR

CLASSIFIED SALES SUPERVISOR

James Merry

Sharyn Sands

Demelza Mason

Pippa Mentor

Desiree Poulson

Erin Brighting

Denise Roscoe

CLASSIFIED SALES

Val Braithwaite

Tauke Clark

Gaylene Kooge

Jean Knowles

Advertising

CLASSIFIED SALES

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIED

TYPESETTER

IMAGE HANDLER

Sue Wolfindin

Carol Peachey

FEATURES REP

Sarita Haslem

Donna Kuljish

Deb Bunton

Robyn Anderson

Natasha Veltman

Steve Townsend

Kerin Schultz

Iain McDonald

Shane Olliff

Advertising

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

GRAPHIC ARTIST

FEATURES EDITOR

Kat Hewson

Kyren Tonkin

Marianne Clark

Jodi Bryant

FREELANCE FEATURES WRITER

AD SERVICES ASSISTANT

Bev Gailey

Carmen Hall

Diane Sanders

Circulation and Marketing

SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

RangiMarie Harding

SALES & MARKETING

Kelsey Gibson

MARKETING EXECUTIVE

CIRCULATION

Melissa Pivac

Anna Carman

CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION

Vivienne Darlington

Fiona Pope

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Introducing Northlanders driving the news Editoral

CHIEF REPORTER

Craig Cooper EDITOR Tony Verdon

DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER

BUSINESS NEWS/ ARTS REPORTER

Mike Dinsdale

Rosemary Roberts

REPORTER Mike Barrington

REPORTER Rochelle Long

REPORTER Dylan Thorne

REPORTER Kathryn Powley

Editoral

REPORTER Leighton Keith

SPORTS EDITOR Tim Eves

SPORTS REPORTER

REPORTER

KAIPARA REPORTER

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Natasha Harris

Robyn Downey

BAY OF ISLANDS REPORTER

THE REPORT EDITOR

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EDITORAL ASSISTANT

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Editoral

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR

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DEPUTY CHIEF SUB-EDITOR

SUB-EDITOR

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Colleen Thorpe

Arthur Barnes

FEATURES SUB-EDITOR

SUB-EDITOR

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Peter Shand

SUB-EDITOR Mike Regan

PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTGRAPHER

COLUMNIST

John Stone

Michael Cunningham

Tania Webb

Donna Russell

Huw Turner

Colin Jewell

Jock O’Connor

Dispatch

IT CONTROLLER Peter Banyard OPERATIONS MANAGER Lance McDonald

SUPERVISOR

DISPATCH

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Gladys Withers

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Noel Amson

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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Lance McDonald — operations manager

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S the longest serving staff member of The Northern Advocate, operations manager Lance McDonald has seen much progress in the technological evolution of the newspaper. Lance began working for the paper as an apprentice compositor in January 1967 and, with the exception of one year away working overseas, has remained there until the present day. In the 1970s he retrained as a typographer (setting type and making up pages), before being promoted to production co-ordinator, production manager and, finally, operations manager. ‘‘When I commenced my apprenticeship in 1967, the newspaper was prepared from molten lead injected into a type matrix via Linotype machines or a heading machine called a Ludlow,’’ he said. ‘‘The small Columbian hand platen which took pride of place in our Water St reception area was fully utilised as a page proofer in the ’60s. That Columbian press is now on show at Whangarei Museum." This ‘‘hot metal’’ operation progressed to stand-alone computers which produced punched paper tape by old fashioned qwerty keyboards — nothing like what is used today, he says. ‘‘The development of networked computers operating proprietary publishing software was a major leap forward especially f rom m anually pasted-up positive film copy on to pre-ruled art paper pages. Today our pages are fully computerised paginated pages ready to transmit to Auckland for printing.’’ Lance’s day usually begins at 7.45am finishing around 6pm. The job

Though computerised graphics make her job easier, Kat misses her Twink pen and felt tips.

Katrina Hewson — creative director ATRINA Hewson always had a keen eye for imagery. Making things balance on a piece of paper was her forte and led to her current job as creative director leading a team of designers in The Northern Advocate’s production department. Over the last 71⁄2 years she has watched the graphics world evolve from physically cutting and pasting to doing everything on a computer. ‘‘When I started at the Advocate it was all paste-up with Twink pens, scissors and glue. In fact the Twink pen was my best friend back then. If the client didn’t like what you had designed, you started again from scratch. It was actually a really good way of learning layout skills and I do miss having felt tip on my fingers and Twink all over my face.’’ These days, when compiling an ad, it’s simply

all computerised, though Katrina says the occasional job still requires hand-drawn stuff. Katrina, known as ‘‘Kat’’ to her peers, starts her day at 7am. A typical day will involve meetings, briefs, design work, talking to clients, editorial graphics, deadlines, liaising with sales reps, typesetters, scanners and reporters. ‘‘There’s not really a typical day. Every day is different which is something I enjoy. Every day is a challenge and, depending on the publications that are scheduled, some days are more challenging than others. There are certain days of the week where the pressure really goes on, things become a real juggling act.’’ Kat values the people she has met while at the Advocate. Other job highlights include having her creations published daily and taking a new concept and turning it into reality for a client.

Noleen Dassler — sales consultant Specialising in Ruakaka – ESPITE the introduction of faxes and e-mail, long-time Advocate sales consultant Noleen Dassler still prefers faceto-face contact with her clients. ‘‘When I first started here 18 years ago, it was all about phone calls and deliveries. Although faxing and e-mailing has opened up more scope to get through to manufacturers and clients outside of the area, I still maintain personal visits with all my local clients.’’ Noleen started at The Northern Advocate as a scheduler — laying out pages — before moving into general sales. She stayed there for 15 years before becoming a rural category rep three years ago. From a farming background herself, Noleen specialises in farming, agriculture, gardening and machinery. Her job involves daily update meetings and features meetings every Tuesday morning where she is notified of upcoming features. From there she will go through her database and phone all the appropriate clients and arrange a time for an appointment. If a sale is agreed upon, she will liaise with the client and offer advice for their ad. She will then return to the office, book the ad, fill out a ‘‘creative brief’’ form and pass it on to the art department to design the visual. When complete, it is then passed back to Noleen, who runs it by the client for approval. ‘‘It’s always a high-pressure job. Running to deadlines means always working so far ahead. It’s not like a day-to-day job where you go into a shop and you serve people and it’s finished. People don’t understand deadlines.’’ A highlight is building a rapport with long-standing clients. ‘‘I also enjoy receiving positive feedback from happy, satisfied customers. The aim is to go out and help clients and build their businesses through promotion and advertising in the Advocate. I’m the main liaison person between the Advocate and the client and I’ve looked after a lot of my clients for years.’’

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is diverse. It includes ensuring IT functions run smoothly, newspaper page files reach Auckland and the delivery of newspapers back to Whangarei. It also involves daily administration of the publishing software, Cybergraphics, controlling the dispatch of newspapers to rural delivery contractors and to the private contractors servicing Kaipara and the North. Lance also manages the dispatch team who service the immediate and outer Whangarei areas and ensures that the buildings, vehicles, computers and other equipment are well maintained. He oversees all aspects of job estimat ing, quot in g , p ro d u ct io n workflow, quality monitoring and the timely delivery of products and, at the day’s end, ensures all advertisements are accounted for and assigned to pages for the sub-editors’ late shift. ‘‘You never get bored with the diversity or the challenge of the job,’’ says Lance. ‘‘One minute you could be dealing with contractors or adjusting publishing software and the next you could be delivering newspapers for a missed delivery run. ‘‘Prioritizing work is ongoing as a number of events could be happening at the same time — one threatening production over-rides all other work. It can be literally all hands to the wheel to ensure our newspapers are dispat ched as p ro mp t ly an d efficiently as possible. All resources are called upon to achieve this goal.’’ However, technology has made his job a lot easier than those early days of producing a newspaper from lead type. ‘‘It’s been great working for the Advocate and experiencing technology changes over the past 30 years.’’

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she says. But dealing with dissatisfied customers is only a minor part of Viv’s job. She also takes calls for new subscriptions and cancellations and inputs the data into the computer. She prints the daily labels for the newspaper supplies and supervises 106 paper carriers. Viv has had this job for 10 months and says the people interaction — both happy and grumpy — is the highlight. She particularly enjoys dealing with the kids and organising the Paper-carrier of the Month awards.

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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Colleen Thorpe — sub-editor UB-E DI TO R Col l e e n Thorpe joined The Northern Advocate as a young school leaver. There the late, renowned sports editor Garry Frew took her under his wing and became her ‘‘mentor’’. ‘‘I learned everything from him. We spent most weekends in those 27 years covering every cricket and rugby game played in Northland — at all levels.’’ After his death in 2000, Colleen moved from her role as reporter in the sports department to general subbing. Sub-editors lay out the paper. Their mission is to make the paper tempting to the casual buyer, by making it attractive to the reader with catchy headlines and appealing layout. A sub’s day on the Advocate may start as early as six in the morning and end as late as 10pm. There are five fulltime and three part-time subs and a c om m e r c i a l fe a tur e s s ubeditor. The early shift, starting at 6am, updates the overnight news for that day’s paper, giving readers the latest national, international and local news and sport stories. By 7.30am this process is complete and the pages are sent via computer link to Auckland, where the paper is printed. Early shift subs then move on to the feature pages of entertainment, food and wine, farming and the Whangarei and

Rochelle Long’s job ensures she rarely has a dull — PICTURE / Tania Webb. day.

Rochelle Long — reporter HEN there’s a major drama unfolding in Northland you can almost be sure Rochelle Long will be in the thick of things. As The Northern Advocate’s news reporter specialising in the emergency services round, Rochelle rarely has a dull day. Her job focuses on stories about crime, policing, the fire service, ambulance, and Coroner’s Court. ‘‘On an average day I’ll start work at 8am at Whangarei Police Station where I have a briefing with the sergeant on duty to see what crime and arrests have been reported. Back in the office, I follow up with phone calls to emergency services and police stations around the rest of the region to see what’s happening. ‘‘About 8.30am the reporters and photographers meet to discuss what they are working on throughout the day, and story ideas are developed and prioritized. ‘‘The rest of my day I will be chasing stories — either in interviews with people, at Coroner’s Court, and occasionally being called out to fires, crashes and crime scenes.’’ Time constraints mean Rochelle often works on several stories at once, writing average of about four a day. These are then checked by the chief reporter and handed on to the sub-editors to be put on the page. Stories have to be filed by deadlines at 2pm (page three) and 3pm (page one), and Rochelle says there is a ‘‘bit of a mad panic’’ in the newsroom when crucial people are not available for comment. ‘‘If there is breaking news there’s a bit of an adrenaline rush as everyone pitches in to try and get the story in the paper before it goes to print. ‘‘Working in the round I do, there is a real need to strike a balance between what is newsworthy, sensitivity to victims, consideration for crime scenes and evidence, and ensuring nothing I report will prejudice any legal proceedings that follow.’’ Fatal car crashes and fires are a harrowing part of the job, but on the upside, Rochelle’s role also involves talking to heroic and extraordinary people. ‘‘I get real satisfaction when my stories spur people to contact police with information which helps solve crimes.’’

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— PICTURE / Tania Webb

regional community pages. The night shift, starting at 1.30pm, looks at the up-to-the-minute pages of local, national and international news and sport. As well as the page lay-outs, subs are also responsible for the paper’s top boxes and the poster used at sales outlets to advertise that day’s big story. An eye for detail is essential in the role of the sub, says Colleen. ‘‘The sub is the last person to see the story before it goes to print and must, therefore, ensure its accuracy.’’ In the past 10 years, Colleen says there have been many changes in the sub’s role with

the introduction of computers. ‘‘Computers have not only altered a sub’s job description, but have also introduced a freedom to challenge the boundaries of a structured design. This has meant that many of the feature pages are fun to do because subs have a free rein to be creative in devising attractive layouts.’’ A breaking story, right on deadline, gets the adrenalin running as pages are stripped and a new design put in place. ‘‘Every day and every page is different, keeping subs on their toes and keen to try something new.’’

Tania Webb — news photographer EDIA scrums and drug busts are all part of a day’s work for Northern Advocate photographer Tania Webb. Tania joined The Northern Advocate studio team after a short stint of work experience during high school. Two years on and she hasn’t looked back. In fact, in her first year on the job, Tania won the Best Junior Feature Photo at the Qantas Media Awards. She recently added Best Surf Lifesaving Photo in the Northland Region to her portfolio. Tania’s day begins at 8am and involves organising photo shoots and convincing people to have their photo taken. Gone are the days when photographers would spend long hours in the dark room developing and processing. These days their work is done on digital cameras so Tania’s job also involves downloading, sharpening and cropping. Her photo subjects range from features to sports to hard news. ‘‘You have to be able to think fast of ways to compose a

30 or 40 other media, you need to be able to work under pressure and get right in there.’’ No day is the same when it comes to photography, Tania says. ‘‘I never know, from one day to the next, what I’m going to be doing or where I’m going to be travelling. But I enjoy the variety. ‘‘I have seen a lot of Northland through this job and met many interesting people.’’ Being in the thick of things is one of the highlights of the job. ‘‘One of my favourite jobs was when a reporter and I were helicoptered on to a navy ship miles out at sea and stayed the night on it.’’ However, most jobs are not without their down sides and for Tania the least enjoyable aspect is the abuse which a photographer must experience occasionally. ‘‘Some of the photo situations can become heated. I can remember one angry activist pointing down my camera lens and saying ‘get out of my face’. People try to intimidate you but you have to know your rights.’’

Tania Webb is often seen on the sidelines of sports events, camera in tow. — PICTURE / Michael Cunningham

photo so that it tells a story,’’ says the ex-Tauraroa Area School pupil. ‘‘And with news events, like Waitangi Day when there are big media scrums with

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Val Braithwaite — classified advertising adviser EING a frontperson at The Northern Advocate comes with its fair share of starspotting for Val Braithwaite. The classified advertising receptionist has seen the likes of Rob Muldoon, Jenny Shipley, Helen Clark, Ian Jones, Josh Kronfeld and Jeff Wilson, to name a few, sail by en route to interviews with reporters. As one of the Advocate’s longestserving staff members, Val’s face is familiar to the public. She began working 22 years ago in the front office of the paper’s original Water St building, the front door of which, she fondly recalls, stepped directly down on to the street. After a 15-year break to raise three children, returning to the workforce was a huge lifestyle change for Val who wondered at the time if she’d last the first week.

Val Braithwaite is one of the smiling faces ready to greet The Northern Advocate customers. However, 22 years on, she says she has enjoyed her job in classified advertising and has worked with some great people. ‘‘Belonging to a good team who work together and support each other, and led by an

enthusiastic manager, has been an added incentive for me to carry on. I enjoy the challenge of helping clients compose an advert which will achieve the desired results for them, whether it be someone wishing to sell their home or an elderly person anxious to write a memoriam notice for a loved one.’’ Val’s job also involves looking after the advertising of the local church communities. ‘‘This has given me an insight into the wonderful work being carried out for those in need in our city,’’ she says. Over her years at the Advocate, Val has witnessed some major progress — both in the premises and technology. ‘‘When I first began, we were only just starting to install advertising into computer systems and invoicing was all hand written. We had a

manual switchboard too.’’ And it is not just customers Val has seen come and go over the years. ‘‘I’ve seen a number of staff come and go including general managers, and the transition from two buildings into our new home here in Robert St.’’ The public’s reaction to the move has been pleasant. ‘‘They walk in and say ‘Wow, this is flash and don’t you look smart in your uniforms!’’ Val is no stranger to uniforms. Years ago she says the Advocate front reception staff wore navy and green outfits. These days they are attired in smart black dress suits and blue blouses. ‘‘One could never say life in a newspaper office is dull. Northern Publishing has been a great employer and I am happy to still be working for them.’’

Sandra Wilson — dispatch supervisor

Sandra is on call should there be a setback with the day’s paper. Then she steps into any one of her staff’s roles — be it labelling, inserting or delivering. She worries about accidents if a staff member is late back from a delivery. ‘‘We haven’t had any major ones for a while but one of my drivers stepped out of his van years ago and got hit by a truck. He survived but it was quite a scare.’’ A challenging aspect of the job is on Saturdays and public holidays when Sandra works on circulation — a task entailing sitting in front of a computer. ‘‘I’m a very active person,’’ says the former dancer. ‘‘I can’t see myself giving up work. I have no plans to retire — if they’ll have me, that is. I do have my senior moments though!’’

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HOUGH only three years away from retirement age, 62-year-old Sandra Wilson has no plans to slow down. The despatch supervisor is a hard person to catch up with — her image is a cheerful blur as she races here and there. Sandra has been an Advocate staff member for 14 years. She started as a casual worker — inserting pamphlets and supplements inside papers and delivering them by van, before becoming despatch supervisor in 1998. Sandra’s job entails organising a staff of 12 which runs the rural and town deliveries, and rolling and labelling the bundles of papers for delivery to shops and rural addresses. It is also her job to ensure all vehicles are legal and serviced.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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LEFT: The Advocate is proud of its new premises that stand out from other commercial properties. — PICTURE / John Stone

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free-flowing open plan office design has been used to maximise space at The Northern Advocate’s new premises in Robert Street. Visitors will notice the difference the moment they enter the ultra modern reception area which features a welcoming floor-to-ceiling Maori carving by local artist Rua Paul. A large curved wooden desk is situated inside the automatic glass sliding doors and is the work station for the front-line reception team. The internal layout of the building is spilt into two levels with the advertising, classifieds, display, administration and circulation departments covering the ground floor, while editorial takes up most of the second story along with managerial offices. Reporters, photographers and sub-editors occupy an open environment upstairs which allows each department to share the room but maintain an identity. This is achieved by taking advantage of a strategy that encourages staff to work out of one central arena.

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Branching out from the nucleus are the offices of The Northern Advocate editor Tony Verdon and The Report editor Kris von Keisenberg. The office of general manager John Henton can be found at the top entrance-way which incorporates a small lounge and waiting area. Glass is a major medium as full length windows capture light and create a natural warm ambience. Underfoot, blue carpet has been utilised throughout, contrasting well against cream walls. Meanwhile, downstairs the blueprint runs to a similar theme. Advertising manager Steve Hutton and sales manager Sunil Maharaj have offices that branch off from their team of sales consultants, typesetters and graphic artists. Circulation and display share the righthand-side of the building and also favour an open plan working style. Once again glass is a focal point and has been used to replace many traditional internal building materials. Offices have been enclosed with walls of

transparent glass which allows freedom of integration without compromising privacy — paramount when conducting important business meetings. The lunchroom is another main hub where staff can gather to socialise and share a chat over food or coffee. Spacious in design, it provides a relaxed atmosphere for people to chill out and take a break. The newspaper business is a highpressure, fast-paced, action-packed, competitive industry that demands acrossthe-board excellence. Statistics from Occupational Safety and Health show people perform at an optimum level when they are working in an environment that stimulates them. The Northern Advocate believes the new building is a visual tonic for its employees and the community of Whangarei and Northland. Its contemporary style is cutting edge and unique, two factors that make it stand out from other commercial properties.

BELOW: Glass is a major medium of the free-flowing design of the Advocate’s new building at 88 Robert St. — PICTURE / John Stone

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RIGHT: Large grey pebbles feature in landscaping outside the building. — PICTURE / John Stone

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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OCATION, location, location. That was one of the main criteria The Northern Advocate general manager, John Henton had to consider when the company decided to relocate its offices earlier this year. Ironically the new premises in Robert St, which is owned by the Northland Regional Council, is exactly the same distance to the CPO as the old building, only in a different direction. Mr Henton says the new building is in a great location and its modern, spacious, interior design is an ideal working environment for The Northern Advocate team. ‘‘It’s a perfect site and I’m delighted with it.’’ Kerr Construction Ltd foreman Neil Nicholas supervised work on the project and thinks the end result is a credit to architect Winnie Ong. ‘‘She has managed to combine two buildings that haven’t fought each other, and it works,’’ he said. The two end sections were pre-existing buildings on the site while the middle is new. Mr Nicholas says composite aluminium cladding was used to create a unique look and add an unusual dimension. Wooden piles were also driven deep into the ground, some of them reaching up to 18 metres. A speed floor system designed by Graham Stubby in Auckland was used on the ground level and proved invaluable as it could be installed very quickly. At peak construction times, more than 45 tradesmen worked on the building including subcontractors. It took about six months to complete.

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ABOVE: 1890 — This building, on the corner of Bank and Vine Sts, housed The Northern Advocate and The Gumdiggers’ Weekly. The horse and buggy wait outside T.J. Stewart’s butcher’s shop on the ground floor. Though the parapet proclaims ‘‘Established 1874’’ the first Whangarei Comet, predecessor of the Advocate, was not printed until June 1, 1975. This error was perpetuated when the newspaper moved to Water St. — PICTURE / Drummond/Te Wake collection

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LEFT: January 1901 — Crowds throng Bank St celebrating the Proclamation of King Edward VII. The top of the Advocate building on the Vine St corner is visible above the Hunter & Wilson Auctioneers sign.

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— PICTURE / Drummond/Te Wake collection

The Waharoa at Ruapekapeka opened by the Minister of Conservation with an iwi-led dawn ceremony in December 2003

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RIGHT: 1904: This Water St cottage at left, owned by a Mr T. Watts, was the first Brethren Church, and later became the site of The Northern Advocate office. — PICTURE / Drummond/Te Wake collection

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

. . . tell Advocate’s story LEFT: 1914 — Staff pose outside the Advocate office on Vine and Bank Sts. In the centre of the front row sits Thomas C. Cox, managing editor and managing director of the Northern Advocate Publishing Co Ltd. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

BELOW: June 1921 — Advocate staff pose outside the newspaper building in Water St, next to Cafler Park. From left: W.H. Robinson (linotype), ‘‘Tiny’’ Bourgeois (linotype), Jack Harland (machiniest), Leo Keyte (job printing), Joe George (newsroom foreman), Mr Gibson (job printing), Hugh W. Crawford (manager), Ivy Connolly (job printing), Cuthbert East (editor), Eileen Blake (linotype), Wyn Bentley (office), Don Smedley (secretary), A.C. Bevington (sub-editor), Frank Pearce (job printing foreman), Charlie Twidle (linotype) and ‘‘Spud’’ Murray (reporter). — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

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A pony joins staff outside The Northern Advocate, by now housed in a brick building bearing the stamp ‘‘Advocate Office’’, an early version of its long-running Water St premises. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

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1932 — The Advocate’s delivery fleet and newspaper bundles are ready to roll outside the Water St premises, which by now had expanded. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

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LEFT: 1987 — The Advocate moved to this new purpose-built building next to its former Water St — PICTURE / John Stone premises.

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Dean Realty MREINZ Ltd privately owned and operated by Noeline Dean, is located in the hub of the North with branches in Whangarei and Kaikohe. Our skilled, professional and experienced staff can cater for all your real estate needs, ranging from Residential Homes, Coastal Properties, Lifestyle Blocks and our speciality - Beef & Dairy Farms. A comprehensive Property Management service and holiday homes are also available to both landlords and tenants. The busy industry of the Port and associated businesses makes Whangarei an excellent choice for the career minded. The many outdoor pursuits and education opportunities also create an ideal environment for families.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Newspaper plays part in lives of Northlanders

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HE place The Northern Advocate fills in the life of Northlanders is one of responsibility no less than one of privilege. It may be said the life of a newspaper is transitory — here today and gone, probably in smoke, tomorrow. This is a generalisation which fails strict scrutiny. Compared with the spoken word, the printed word is enduring almost to the extent of imperishability. Readers of today’s special issue, for example, may peruse the front page from the first humble issue of the Advocate, then called the Comet. This issue spelled out its independence, staunchly maintained today. When it was launched, the editor [George E. Alderton]boldly declared: ‘‘We have no censor but the public. . . ‘‘We do not profess to reform society but hope to use an invigorating influence in the cause of morality and to give a healthy dose to all that is good for the welfare of mankind.’’ This, too, holds as true today as 100 years ago. Inevitably, the Advocate is deeply involved with the community, aware as it is of most things that go on. Its policy of impartiality, balance and presenting without fear or favour the latest possible local, national and international news, is not without occasional critics. Recognising that it cannot please all its readers all the time, it strives to be a family newspaper which is accurate, informative, attractive and, hopefully, entertaining. ■ The above text comes from the Advocate editorial of May 31, 1975, marking the newspaper’s first 100 years. A further 30 years on, the Advocate continues to give considerable help to community, school and arts groups through its newspaper columns, while at the same time supporting young Northlanders with its Kids column, junior sport and the schools’ newspaper curriculum.

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On horseback, George E. Alderton, founder-editor of the Whangarei Comet, as the Advocate was first called, and Mr H.S.Hill in Whau Valley in 1901. — PICTURE / Drummond/Te Wake collection

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Founder-editor set Advocate’s tenor O

N June 1, 1875, when George E. Alderton laid the foundations of The Northern Advocate, now one of New Zealand’s most respected newspapers, it was a different world. At today’s modern Advocate, reporters and sub-editors use computers to pore over news as it flashes in from around the globe. Mr Alderton instead laboured alone over an old hand press manufactured in 1861 and had only his immediate environs and contacts to rely on for news. Contact with the outside world was tenuous at best, news usually arriving with ships that sometimes took 10 days to make the voyage from Auckland. Since there was no regular mail or telegraph service, it is no surprise th a t th e weekl y Whangarei Comet and Northern Advertiser appeared erratically and was not too serious a publication. Mr Alderton recalled in later years: ‘‘The whole staff of the Comet, needless to say the editor, publishers, printer, compositor etc was, as in the cash of Pooh Bah, for economic reasons, represented in the one individual, Mr Alderton, who says that in those good old days people were easier satisfied than now. ‘‘There was not as much difficulty in filling it (the Whangarei Comet) up with local news. And it was so easy to get news then. Nobody had much to do — or if they had, they were never in a hurry — and quite a number of all sorts and conditions of men used to hang about or drop into the printing office to pick up the latest tidbit of scandal — a morsel greatly relished in those old dream days.’’ Th e f ir st editio n o f th e Whangarei Comet ran to only four pages — but Mr Alderton was not fussed. ‘‘Running a paper in those days had its advantages,’’ he wrote later in The Resources of New Zealand. ‘‘You were never rushed, and you could go as you pleased. If there was a picnic on, you went to it — and hang the paper. ‘‘If you had a swollen head next morning through overgorging pumpkin pies, and there was not enough ‘matter’ set up for the paper, you went to press with a blank column or two, with an announcement at the head as follows: ‘Printed in invisible ink, so that ladies of a most nervous temperament cannot read this most astounding narrative. If held over the fire, the printing will come out’. ‘‘This amused the stronger sex immensely as all the girls in the place got the paper in front of the fire and there was endless fun.’’ Despite the twinkle in his eye, Mr Alderton was a serious newspaper man and in the very first edition he set the scene for what was to follow, and what has developed into today’s Advocate. ‘‘It is usual in starting a news-

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April 20, 1995: Winner of the Advocate’s oldest edition contest, Bert Boswell with his 1876 copy of its forerunner, the Whangarei Comet. Michelle Hodgson’s 1914 edition was third after G. Haskell’s 1901 edition. paper to say something big; to write professions of attainments to be achieved by the manytongued voices of the Press,’’ he wrote. ‘‘But we prefer brevity and plain speaking, and not shallow bombast. We shall not profess to reform society; but we hope to use an invigorating influence in the cause of morality and to give a healthy tone to all that is good for the welfare of mankind.’’ In 1877, when he teamed up with W. Bartleet Langbridge, the name Whangarei Comet was changed to The Northern Advocate and General Advertiser. The Advocate title was apt, as in those early days the newspaper was already establishing a reputation as a champion of the North, a voice that had not existed before. But Whangarei and district were starting to grow, and from the early 1890s the Advocate’s proprietors became preoccupied with fighting off competition. One such paper, the Waitemata County Messenger and Gumdiggers’ Weekly, was even established by Mr Alderton. When he found insufficient business for the two publications, the weekly was absorbed by the Advocate . Other publications were less fortunate, appearing occasionally and then disappearing as the Advocate reinforced its standing. By 1899, when the paper was being edited by E.H. Wyatt, Mr Alderton was able to declare ‘‘the Advocate is one of the best country papers in the Colony — certainly with the largest circulation — has the best and mo st mo der n pr emises specially-built for the purpose,

with new plant and the electric light.’’ But still the newspaper wars raged — at one stage involving three Whangarei papers — The Northern Advocate , the Kamo and Hikurangi Gazette and the Kamo Echo . Yet another publication, the Northern Chronicle, was established in 1902 by Francis Mander, and shortly after, he and sawmiller Fred Foote took over the Advocate. In 1910, the Advocate was formed into a company, but was still skirmishing with other publications, among them the Northern Mail. Ailing at the time, the Mail was taken over by former Auckland Education Founder editor George E. Alderton B o a r d tea ch er Hu gh laboured alone over an old hand press, Wentworth Crawford and a see above drawing, relying on his stationmaster, Mr J.L.A. immediate environs and contacts for Hutt. In 1914 that pair news. obtained the Advocate from The original Columbian press, manufacMr Mander and the Mail tured in 1861, was still in use at the was ended. Advocate up to 1968 for page-proofing With Mr Crawford hold- type, mainly for advertisements. ing a majority share, the It then went on loan to Whangarei artist Advocate entered a new era Ron de Rooy, founder of Te Kowhai of stability, innovation and Print Trust, for use in lithography. gr o wth th a t co n tin u ed The press is now on display in the foyer under successive members of Whangarei Museum at Maunu. It of the Crawford family. The bears a brass plate with its number, era culminated in the com- No.1285 and manufacturer Miller Richpany building new $2.5 ard of London and Edinburgh, and date million headquarters in of manufacture. 1987 and ended in 1995 when the Northern Publishing the local ‘‘wise-acres’’ had preCompany was bought by Wilson dicted the paper ‘‘would go up and Horton, the largest publish- like a comet and come down like a stick’’. ing house in New Zealand. Today’s Advocate shows how In 1 8 9 7 , Mr A l der to n r emin isced th a t wh en th e wide off the mark the cynics Whangarei Comet first appeared, were.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Proud reputation for innovation Taking lead with technology

HE Northern Advocate is Northland’s only regional daily newspaper, with a proud reputation for quality and innovation covering 130 years. It began in 1875, when Englishman George Edwin Alderton established the district’s first newspaper, the Whangarei Comet and Northern Advertiser, acting as reporter, compositor, publisher, printer and business manager. Because of Whangarei’s small population, it was predicted that the paper ‘‘would go up like a comet, and come down like a stick’’, but within two years it had expanded to 12 pages and was being published weekly as The Northern Advocate and General Advertiser, with a small section printed in Maori. As the title suggests, the Advocate was determined to be a voice for Northlanders. Its stated purpose was to redress ‘‘the real criminal injustice the northern settlements laboured under from the legislature of the colony’’. It campaigned hard for better roads in the region, resulting in a famous parliamentary tour of the North in 1917 which saw MPs pushing, pulling and digging out their vehicles as they tried to make progress on the muddy tracks which were the bane of the locals. It was the first business in Whangarei to use electric lights, and helped coin the phrase ‘‘The Winterless North’’ to reflect the region’s subtropical climate.

Enlightened Advocate

Over the years it has actively sought out historical photos of Northland’s pioneering days, and its library now contains a major photographic archive, including the renowned Drummond and Te Wake collections. It was a leader in using full colour in production of the paper and pioneered early technology to produce same-day photos for a distant regional paper when the Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand. It has won Australasian awards as best paper for its circulation size, best front page, and its staff have won numerous awards for writing, photography and advertising work. It was one of the early users of computer technology (cold type) in production in New Zealand. The tradition continues, with its use today of a modern Cybergraphics computer system, extensive use of colour within the paper and the use of highquality digital equipment by its photographers. The paper employs more than 100 people at its new offices at 88 Robert St, Whangarei. The Advocate remains the dominant daily paper from Wellsford north, publishing six days a week with a circulation of 15,321. Over three-quarters of the population aged 15 and older in this area will read at least one edition each week. On any day, more than half of homeowners read the Advocate.

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Report a thriving paper he Report is the longest surviving T community paper in the Whangarei district. It was established as the Weekend Report nearly 20 years ago and its circulation has increased to 37,620. Its weekly free distribution each Thursday now covers households from south of the Brynderwyns, across to Dargaville and north to Paihia and

K er iker i i n the Bay of I s land s . Readership of the full colour, tabloidsized paper has been surveyed at close to 90 percent among people aged over 15 in the Whangarei district. Editorially the publication concentrates on local issues, identities and features while covering special interest areas like gardening, motoring and entertainment. See story P19.

There were, for the times, several unusual features about the Advocate office in the 1890s. Contrary to floor strength requirements for heavy machines and type cases, it was situated upstairs in a wooden building.

When this interior picture was taken in November 1897, the office had a kerosene lamp, left foreground, and electrical light powered from its own generator. It was the first building in Northland with electric light.

et tre nS

This scene is also unusual for the number of ‘‘printer’s devil’’ apprentice lads the Advocate employed to put out the newspaper , all properly waistcoated and capped.

ero

m Ca

— PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

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Until 1971 the body text of the Advocate was created on Linotype composing machines, above. Lines of words were produced in reverse out of hot metal and placed in long metal galleys (trays) where each line would be spaced with slugs of metal to create straight columns of text. In 1971 Linotypes were disposed of and full offset printing was implemented with the purchase of the Datex (perforated paper tape) system and Compugraphic CG2961, CG4961, CG8600. However, the paper continued to produce classified advertisements with the hot metal technique up until about 1975. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Enduring campaigner for Northland N

ORTHLAND and The Northern Advocate have grown up together, each responsible in a big way for the growth of the other. That observation, made in an Advocate editorial on June 1, 1935, remains as true today as then. The paper and the region have shared each other’s fortunes, a tradition the Northern Publishing Company and the paper are proud to continue with. History shows the occasions when a voice for Northland has been needed have been all too frequent. For many years, Northland was traditionally among the most neglected areas of New Zealand. In its roading — often a joke by national standards — or in other services, the region suffered unjustifiable deprivation. As the editorial of June 1, 1935 noted, the greatest

where it should have gone in the first place. Ev e n whe n the Whangarei Comet and Northern Advertiser was first published in 1875, the advocacy role was embraced. In that first edition Mr Alderton wrote of the advent of the steamship era of communication. ‘‘We presume it is pretty generally known by this time that a steamer is being built for the Whangarei trade, and that some of our leading settlers are shareholders in the concern; in fact about a sixth part of the steamer will be owned by them. ‘‘Mr Cruickshank and Capt McGregor were the promoters of the affair, and are having a steamer built in Auckland, to cost about £6500, drawing five feet of water, of a size between the Rowena and Iona. The new steamer is to commence running towards the end of the year. ‘‘The advent of steam communication with Auckland will be hailed with delight by the residents of Whangarei, and we are sure nothing could conduce so much to the advancement of the district. ‘‘It will also prove a great convenience to travellers and tourists who have hitherto had to undergo a most miserably wretched trip from the Heads in an open boat.’’ Not so welcome, however, was the proposed tax of £5 a ton on kauri gum being mooted at the time. ‘‘We would ask any sensible man whether this system is not rotten,’’ wrote Mr Alderton. ‘‘Is it not monstrous, REWA REWA RD, WHANGAREI ridiculous and absurd in the extreme that a community of PHONE 09 438 1319, Fax 09 438-9628 lab ouri ng m e n s hould b e Sales: Bill Bryant a/h 434-7469 Murray Bale a/h 432-3785 Laurie Riesterer 025 693-4423 singled out to pay for the educaWorkshop & Mobile Facilities: Keith Martin a/h 430-3790 need — for the city of Whangarei and its hinterland — remained ‘‘government recognition and justice for this shamefully neglected district’’. History also shows battles undertaken by the paper have usually paid off. One crusade even saved the North from a funding injustice when Whangarei was allocated £60,000 for bridge and road construction but £15,000 of that was misdirected to the construction of a bridge at Onehunga, Auckland. The misallocation infuriated Advocate founder-editor George Alderton. What ensued was an epic battle of words, the paper taking up the cause in editorials and elsewhere, fighting for Northland to be given what was its by right. In the end, it paid off. The £15,000 was refunded and the money spent

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The Advocate long campaigned for better roads in Northland. In 1917, MPs on a Parliamentary survey of the North had to pull their vehicle through — PICTURE / Drummon/Te Wake Collection a rough patch. tion of the children of both rich and poor by a direct tax upon their industry? ‘‘Mr Dargaville, or any other political quack, can say it is not a direct tax, but that is only child’s talk peculiar to that shallow school of lavender glove and silver spoon and fork politicians.’’ Other campaigns on behalf of the community have also met with success. When an extension to the Whangarei railway was needed to boost development of the Kamo coal mines, for instance, Mr Alderton quickly organised a ‘‘monster’’ 4000-signature petition to Parliament. By itself the petition was insufficient to convince the government, but in conjunction with a debate launched by the paper, it

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succeeded in making the rail line a reality. Speaking in Whangarei at the time, then-Native Minister John Sheehan commented: ‘‘It was the pertinacious advocacy of The Northern Advocate which obtained the Whangarei-Kamo railway, and they had to thank the editor of the paper, and no one else, for that railway.’’ The Advocate also started pushing for an extension of the line to Hikurangi and Puhipuhi to transport coal from the former and timber from the latter. Again the campaigning paid off. The muchpraised Mr Alderton, however, did not rest on his laurels, but continued to use the newspaper as a champion of the North. Another campaign was to introduce citrus-growing to the North and the government sent him to Australia to make a feasibility study. ‘‘When The Northern Advocate first advoca ted o r a n ge-gr o win g here,’’ he wrote in later yea r s, ‘‘th e idea wa s scouted as absurd, but the district is now producing the finest oranges in the world.’’ O ver time, th e ca mpa ign in g r o l e h a s co n tinued. Harbour improvemen ts, h ea l th -ca r e facilities, schools and many o th er in stitu tio n s a n d developments have become a reality or been improved with the Advocate’s help.

1928: The Advocate’s rotary Cossar press was a major advance, printing up to 3600 papers an hour. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

1949: This Victory rotary press superseded the Cossar, capable of 16,000 broadsheet pages an hour. — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive

1968: This new web offset press, a Miehle-Goss-Dexter, was capable of printing 25,000 broadsheet pages an hour plus colour — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive production.

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Reporters and sub-editors at work in the newsroom, in this view taken in the mid 1980s during the — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive Advocate’s long sojourn in Water St.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Crawfords 81 years at helm A

S much as it is the story of a newspaper, the history of The Northern Advocate is also the story of one family, the Crawfords. From 1914 until 1995, the Advocate was steered by members of the family. In the 90 years since Hugh Wentworth Crawford bought a majority holding in the company that publishes the Advocate, it has blossomed to the stage where it now employs over 100 people and pours nearly $5 million in wages a year into the Northland economy. Many others are also involved in making the Advocate tick, from a network of agencies to the host of youngsters and contractors who deliver the paper six days a week. Each day, between 17,000 and 19,000 copies of the Advocate roll off the APN News and Media presses to find their way to all corners of the North. As well the company puts out a sister publication to the Advocate, The Report which started in 1982 initially titled Weekend Report. It cir cul a tes thro ugh ou t t h e Whangarei district and wider Northland to 37,620 homes. E v en in H ugh Wen t wor t h Crawford’s day the Advocate was an innovator. In 1877 the paper

Hugh Crawford.

Wentworth

Bill Crawford snr.

introduced a pigeon service to districts not served by Whangarei’s lone telegraph connection of the day. It took its first major technical advance in 1928 when, under Mr Crawford’s leadership, it bought the only printing machine of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, a double unit flat-bed rotary Cossar producing up to 3600 papers an hour. Other innovations have been many and varied. The Advocate was a leader in the introduction of full colour printing in 1970, two years earlier having bought a

Bill Crawford jnr.

Miehle-Goss-Dexter offset press to become the fourth paper in the country to move to such printing technology. In earlier days, a branch office was established in Auckland so that national and international news could be fed to Whangarei as quickly as possible, and in 1945 the Advocate made history by installing a Creed teleprinter in its editorial department for the direct transmission of news relayed through the Auckland Post Office. In an Australasian first, the Advocate later introduced the teletype transmission of news by p e rforate d tap e . T he s y s te m

Gerald Crawford.

enabled stories from the New Zealand Press Association to be fed directly to computers that then produced stories in cold type at a rate of 26 characters a second. In 1991 the company took a leap in technology, introducing a Cybergraphics computer system allowing direct input by reporters, sub-editors, advertising and circulation personnel. New frontiers were passed in 1995 when the Advocate and its parent company Northern Publishing Ltd teamed up with the Wilson and Horton group which was l a ter a cqu ir ed by th e Australasian Pacific Group, APN

News and Media Limited in 2001. This allowed the Advocate to draw on the vast experience, expertise and services of kindred organisations, in return helping them with Northland’s homegrown skills. The change marked an end to the long history of ownership by the Crawford family — Hugh’s sons Brian Crawford and Bill Crawford snr became managing editor and managing director respectively after Hugh’s death in 1939 — which had steered the Advocate on its pioneering way through most of last century. In 1982, Bill Crawford snr was chairman of the board of directors and his sons Bill jnr and Gerald Crawford joined as general manager and advertising manager respectively and board members. In April 2000, Bill Crawford jnr resigned as regional manager of the newspaper then owned by Wilson & Horton. Though ownership of the Advocate is now outside Northland, little else has changed. A hands-off policy adopted by Wilson and Horton ensures that the Advocate remains a Northland publication staffed by Northlanders, investing in Northland and a battler for Northland causes.

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HANGAREI Report is now Whangarei’s longest serv ing c ommu n it y paper, first appearing as the Weekend Report in the 1980s. Some years later the name was changed to Whangarei Report to more closely identify with its home city and more recently to The Report to reflect its increased distribution outside Whangarei District. That circulation now stands at 37,620 with about a third of those papers going to Kaipara and Far North districts, though The Report ’s centre of in t er est remains in Whangarei. Over the years The Report has won several nationally recognised awards for its journalism and its advertising features.

While its editorial staff has remained at two over that time, the paper has received wide recognition for the work of its contributors. In particular cartoonist Bob Darroch, now based in Temuka, and writer/musician Carl Wyant who wrote for the Report for about 10 years before his death in 2002. The paper also has had a longstanding relationship with established events in the city like Bride of the Year and model quest The Look. For the future, The Report expects to further develop and enhance its Northland coverage, providing a positive and thoughtful examination of events and trends in the area.

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Carruth House has been home to Northland schoolboys for 75 years. With less than five boarding places available for 2005, now is your opportunity to secure a place in Northland’s Premier boarding establishment for boys. For further information please contact: Mr Andrew Gibbs (Director of Boarding) Phone 09 430 4179 Mobile: 021 242 1108 email: a.gibbs@wbhs.school.nz or Mr Al Kirk (Headmaster) Ph 09 430 4170 email:a.kirk@wbhs.school.nz Golden Bay Cement is totally committed to cement and concrete technology – and the local community. Golden Bay Cement’s Portland plant, just out of Whangarei, is New Zealand’s largest cement manufacturing facility. During 2004 we are commissioning an upgraded Kiln Firing System and a new Cooler System, two key elements of a major plant upgrade programme. This investment in the latest cement manufacturing technology is a clear indication of our commitment to remaining a world class cement manufacturer. This investment for the future is also a clear indication of Golden Bay Cement’s ongoing commitment to remaining an integral part of the Northland community.

Golden Bay Cement congratulates the Nor thern Advo cate and Northern Publishing on their ongoing commitment to the region. The development of their new premises in Roberts Street signals that they are also planning to continue to play a major role in Northland’s future.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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Timeline ■ 1875: Mr George E. Al de r ton c onc e i v e s Whangarei Comet and Northern Advertiser. ■ 1877: Whangarei Comet be c om e s The Northern Advocate. ■ 1914: Mr Hugh W. Crawford and J.L.A. Hutt purchase Advocate. ■ 1 9 2 8 : Advocate buy s r ota r y Cos s a r press. ■ 1 9 3 0 : Te l e phone links newspaper offices. Advocate sets up Auckland office. ■ 1945: Newspaper installs Creed teleprinter. ■ 1949: Victory rotary press is installed. ■ 1 9 6 8 : Tr a ns i ti on from letterpress to Goss Suburban offset press. ■ 1 9 6 9 : Fi r s t four colour picture prints. ■ 1971: Full offset printing implemented w i th Da te x a nd Compugraphic systems. ■ 1975: Advocate centennial. ■ 1 9 7 7 : S a m e da y four-colour picture, processed in-house, prints. ■ 1981: Compugraphic-One System introduced. ■ 1983: Creusot-Loire four-colour unit installed. ■ 1987: Advocate $3m building opens. ■ 1991: Cybergraphics publishing system introduced.

Milestones Advocate takes top award The Northern Advocate was last night judged the best newspaper in New Zealand with a circulation up to 25,000 at the annual Qantas Media Awards in Auckland. The Advocate was also one of three finalists for the award for the best daily or weekly newspaper overall in New Zea-

Northern readers have welcomed the arrival of Whangarei Report in their letter boxes on Thursday. Nu mer o u s ca l l s h a ve been received from the new circulation area in the last few days and the indications are the expansion has gone ahead without any hitches. The accompanying map shows the area where Whangarei Report is now delivered free (in the Bay of Islands, Whangarei district and Dargaville). The specific deliveries total 32,380 with a couple of hundred extra at drop off points throughout the area. The 32,500 is a round figure with exact numbers to be confirmed by audit in February next year. 16 July, 1998

That ‘family feeling’ ends As from today, for the first time in over 80 years, there is nobody called Crawford working at the Northern Advocate. The departure last Friday of Bill Crawford, regional manager of the newspaper for owners Wilson and Horton, marks the psychological end of an era that began when Bill’s grandfather, Hugh Wentworth Crawford, took over the newspaper near the end of World War One. In reality the Crawford era ended five years ago when the Crawford family sold the business to Wilson and Horton, but as long as there were Crawfords in the building, the newspaper still had some of that family feeling. April 3, 2000

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The Northern Advocate has beaten all other newspapers in New Zealand in the drive to increase circulation. Northland’s daily newspaper is currently the fastest growing in the country in terms of circulation — irrespective of size of paper or frequency of circulation. The Advocate’s circulation for the 12 months to March 31, 2001 — as audited by the New Zealand Audit Bureau of Circulations — was 15,042, and was 3.01 percent higher than the previous year. May 19, 2001

Advocate gets new look Starting on Monday, your Northern Advocate will look and be different — and better and brighter. We’re making it easier to find and to read the stories and information we carry. The front page will be more modern. There is a new Advocate masthead — substantially the same as the one on today’s front page, but it has been made darker and given better definition. The top boxes underneath it have been redesigned to be more informative. A new front-page panel will contain easier-to-follow information, and will retain the popular features Oddspot and Artspot. Th e size o f th e text h a s been marginally increased, to make stories easier to read. The style of headings has also been changed for the same reason. May 5, 2001

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She’s been a grand old lady, and has had a great innings — but she’s coming to the end of her working life. This webb-offset printing press (pictured just after its installation in October 1968) has printed hundreds of millions of The Northern Advocate, The Report, Northland Age, and various supplements for the Advocate and for clients. It printed its first Advocate on October 14, 1968, and at that time it was just the fifth webb-offset press to operate in New Zealand. Never has it missed a day’s production due to malfunction. August 2, 2001

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Subscribers write ... that’s another story! — Bert Boswell, Onerahi

Y name is Percy W. M Bourke and I live in Whangarei.

Octogenarian recalls ’20s run

We were married in 1948 in Whangarei and over the next dozen or so years we had a family of six — four boys first, then two girls and today they all live in Whangarei and are employed. The four boys, Murray, Maurice, Garry and Douglas all had paper runs in King and Keyte St. At first the oldest boys had to pick the papers up from the Advocate, then later they were delivered to the old Appleton’s building in Kamo Rd. Myself, I am a veteran of World War Two and spent four years and two months in camp in New Zealand and overseas. I was discharged in 1946 and after some time I decided to get a job, driving if possible as I had driven from when I joined the Territorials in 1937 and during my training in New Zealand and all overseas. I obtained this driving job at Hardie Bros, now extinct, and drove for 18 years, then was asked to ‘‘go inside’’. This I did for another 18 years and retired some 21 years ago and am still in good health. I have been a subscriber to the Advocate since 1948. This is only part of my life, perhaps you could call on me and I could tell you the rest. I might need many, more writing pads. — Percy W. Bourke, Kensington.

Paper route pays 1 shilling HEN we lived in Puriri Park Rd, Maunu, we had a small farm where we milked cows. This is where Selwyn Park Rest Home is now situated. Our family was the first in the area to subdivide land and sell sections — about 1948-49. Three acres of this land was given as a Crown reserve for the use of the people of Whangarei. I was the paper boy for Puriri Park Rd, a rough dirt one at that time and delivered to all houses, about 12 in total. This would have been in 1946. I can’t remember my wage, possibly about one shilling a week and a free paper. Some of the people who lived there were the Gunson, Child, O’Meara, Flux and Carruth (the solicitor) families, to name a few. We moved to Auckland in 1950 and I returned here to retire in 1984. — N. Canning, Whangarei

First pay goes on wheels WAS a paper-boy in Kamo in the early 1940s and, just like today, the paper had to be delivered rain, hail or shine. Technology has taken huge leaps in the last 50 years, but not much has changed on the paper

Well, I’m blessed!

Darroch’s Advocate

Regular reader for 56 years

LEFT: Northern Advocate reader Ethan Hare may only be 14 months old, but he enjoys looking at the paper.

FEEL I could be one of Iboys, the oldest living delivery so I thought I would write to you and tell my part of the story. I started delivering the Advocate at Tauraroa when I was nine-yearsold. They were building the railway line from Waiotira to Dargaville and all the metal for the job came from the Tauraroa quarry. So Tauraroa was quite a big place when the quarry was working. Sorry, I can’t remember the name of the man who came to see me and gave me the job, it would have been some time in 1925. I delivered the Advocate around Tauraroa, nearly up to Maungakaramea, as there was a camp in a paddock where they were crushing paddock stone for the council. I did the delivery for three years. My father was a carpenter in the carpenter’s shop at the quarry. We shifted to Okaihau in 1928. They were extending the line. I think it was to Kaitaia. We were not there for long as my father’s health was not good. We then moved on to Kaikohe. It was not long before I met up with the same man who used to pay me for my paper run at Tauraroa, who was looking for a boy to do a run in Kaikohe, so away I went again on my bike. That job lasted until we had to return to Whangarei. My name is P. R. Deeming (Dick). I am 87 years of age. — Dick Deeming Whangarei

Bert Boswell. round. I still see kids with the same sort of paper bags strung across the bar on their bicycles and they still have the privilege of being able to ride their bikes on the footpath. Although their bikes might be a lot more sophisticated they could not have had a more proud owner than my ‘‘Monarch Special’’. For a long time I had coveted one of the Farmer’s shiny new models displayed in their Bank St window. Suddenly, when I got the coveted Kamo paper round, I was rich and able to buy one. Owning a new bike gave me just as much a thrill as modern kids get out of owning their first ‘‘set of wheels’’. ‘‘Set of wheels’’ had a different connotation in those days. A ‘‘set’’ meant a pair, not four! With my first pay I took myself off to the Farmers, entered into my first hire purchase agreement and rode home on my brand new pride and joy. To pay the full price of four pounds, 10 shillings ($4.50) was way beyond my financial ability, but my weekly paper-boy’s pay of half a crown (25c) allowed me to pay two bob (20c) a week off my time payment and still leave me a penny for a chocolate sante bar and enough to buy the weekly edition of The Triumph — the boys own magazine featuring such heroes as Biggles and Buck Rogers. The paper-boy’s job didn’t finish with the Monday to Saturday evening deliveries. On Saturday mornings it was his job (paper boys meant boys — no girls in those days) to go round the subscribers and collect the payment for the papers. This meant knocking on doors, collecting the payment, recording it in a notebook and putting the money in a bag to be delivered back to Mrs McInerney, who owned the newsagent’s shop in Kamo. Occasionally she would give us an apple to eat on our rounds and, very occasionally, some kindly soul would add a penny, or a threepence to the weekly collection ‘‘for being a good boy and always putting the paper in the box’’. Eventually exams and sport intervened and I gave up my job, but by then my Monarch Special had acquired a carrier and a dynamo light which ran off the front wheel and gave a better light than the battery operated model — provided you pedalled fast enough! I still owned and used that bike when I started teaching years later — but

— PICTURE / John Stone

Hawthorn Geddes engineers & architects ltd. SERVING THE NORTH FOR OVER 40 YEARS • Civil & Structural Engineers • Architects • Geotechnical & Environmental Engineers Specialists in Industrial & Commercial Development Northland cartoonist Darroch drew a series of cartoons titled ‘Darroch’s Advocate’, to portray to the reader the daily process of producing a paper, for our 1975 centenary edition. This cartoon depicts the Webb offset printing press in action . . . in more pressing times.

Despite the coming of computers and electronic wizardry which sees our daily news emerge from a wire to the page in Auckland and on Whangarei streets by noon, the trusty paper-carrier is still irreplaceable. In response to our quest for the oldest Advocate paper-carriers we received these letters from ex-paper-carriers, parents of paper-carriers and long-time subscribers. As one writer puts it: ‘‘Technology has taken huge leaps in the last 50 years, but not much has changed on the paper round. I still see kids with the same sort of paper bags ... and they still have the privilege of being able to ride their bikes on the footpath. Times were challenging but it is pleasing to note that rain, hail or mud — the Advocate always got through.

Wartime brings fresh challenge WAS a paper boy during IMy1944 and 1945. run was from the AA

Delivery days recalled fondly ECENTLY one of my sons was home for a quick visit and asked me to write and tell you how they all enjoyed delivering the Advocate. There were only five houses in Jack St and the remainder of the area was scrub and gorse. That was in December 1950. My eldest son was oneyear-old, my late husband was a returned serviceman and was a prisoner of war. I know we read the ‘‘local rag’’ as we called it. Whenever I walked into the city area to do shopping I purchased a few copies. Eventually when this area became built-up we had our Advocate delivered. This was over 30 years ago. My eldest son was nineyears-old when an Advocate staff member visited us and requested my son be a delivery boy. He was so excited and so were my two younger sons. I agreed only on the condition, should he last out to the high school term, he had to retire. The younger brother escorted him for safety reasons and I too went on the first run to introduce the boys to their clients. Clients in those days were

Hannah Agent, 14, delivers theAdvocate and has run 45 in the Kensington area. She is seen here with Dick Deeming, 87, who delivered the Advocate in his youth and is possibly our oldest ‘paper-boy’. — PICTURE / Tania Webb

warm and friendly and my sons used to deliver their paper to their doors if it was raining. Unlike today, we never know when the delivery is, and have to get the heater out to dry the paper before we can read it. Eventually all my sons became delivery boys for the Advocate and I think their excitement was that they got to own their own bicycles. The Advocate was always important to us and everyone read it — my husband and I being the

last on the list. You know, I could not believe The Report was free as I had to check. So if my Advocate is not here by 5pm I ring the delivery office and if The Report does not arrive by Friday afternoon I want to know why. However, the Advocate delivery staff are very considerate as they will deliver. I have been on my own for over 25 years and a regular paper is important. — A. Maree Millar, QSO, MBE, Whangarei

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line up inside and wait their turn for their papers. If your round was more than 100 papers you did not have to wait in line. In those days we had to collect the money as well as write out all the subscribers’ names on pre-ruled and lined foolscap sheets; it was our responsibility to make sure the money was kept up-to-date. We got no holidays or anything like that and even had to supply our own delivery bags — usually a sugar bag closed both ends and cut across the middle of one side and slung over the bar of the bike. For all this the wage was nine shillings a week. The only perk was that although it was war-time and tyres were rationed we could get one without waiting by getting a letter from the firm who, believe it or not, would pay half of the seven shillings and sixpence (75 cents) it cost. — L. Chapman, 30 Meldrum St, Kamo

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

Paper’s investment in the district deserves congratulations HE Northern Advocate touches the lives of T Northlanders in many different ways, six days a week — providing news, entertainment, local information and a perspective on the world which only a daily newspaper can provide. And just as the world changes constantly, so the Advocate has changed and moved with the times. Many of us remember when the newspaper was only printed in black and white. Now full colour pages create a sense of vibrancy and interest. Regular features highlighting local events and activities are enjoyed in a community small enough

for people to recognise friends or acquaintances as their stories are told. While The Northern Advocate has been a part of Northland for many years, Advance Whangarei Ltd has only been established for a little over one full year — to assist in the development of Whangarei District by supporting existing business and industry, attracting new business opportunities and promoting the area as an ideal place to live, work play and invest. The local newspaper can be the ‘‘window’’ to an area if someone is looking to relocate or invest their

money (and their lives) somewhere different. Telling the stories of local success, of developing infrastructure and an improving economy are critical to supporting the idea that Whangarei and Northland present great opportunities for people wanting to move here. Advance Whangarei Ltd congratulates The Northern Advocate on its own investment in the district with new premises and a renewed vigour for development in the community it represents. — Ros Martin, general manager Advance Whangarei Ltd

Sponsorship proves pivotal Sports editor encouraged partnership

HE Northern Advocate has been instrumental in Sport Northland’s growth over the years. Sport Northland’s chief executive Brent Eastwood says the trust has appreciated the Advocate’s generous sponsorship, which varied from sponsored pages in the sports tabloid through to sponsorship of the Advocate Stadium. Former Advocate sports editor, the late Garry Frew, was not only a great supporter of the work Sport Northland delivered to the community, but he was also the trust’s patron until his death in 2000. ‘‘Garry was the cornerstone behind this partnership, which continued for a number of years,’’ says Brent. The Kensington Stadium was signed up to become the Advocate Stadium in 1994 and the 10-year partnership will be completed when the contract expires later this year. O the r p artne rs hi p s hav e included major editorial support for community events such as Expo North and The Northern Advocate Go to Golf Day. One major event that continues is the annual Northern Advocate Northland Home Show, which is held annually in August. In addition, the Sport Northland offices were housed in the Advocate’s Water St building for some years before its sale.

March 25, 1995: Kensington Stadium becomes the Advocate Stadium. Left to right: Sport Northland CEO Steve Bramley, Sport Northland chairman — PICTURE / Northern Advocate Archive Richie Guy, Northern Advocate director Brian Keene, Minister of Sport and Sport Northland patron John Banks.

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Advocate behind children’s home THOUGHT I should write a note of thanks ‘‘I to the staff and the Advocate’s founders on behalf of the Tikipunga Children’s House with which we were involved for many years. If it had not been for the Advocate it probably would have never been built. The land was given in 1926 for an orphanage. The awful years of World War One, the flu epidemics and the hard years that followed showed a need for such a place. However, no building was forthcoming and no hope for one in sight until the Advocate’s children’s page, and ‘‘Kupe Club’’ editor (Mr Ray Cockfield) came on the scene and the building was on the way. Children, some now quite aged, recall those days of raising money for all sorts of things. And when it was opened in 1939 the Advocate was there. I recall spending time in the small room at the Advocate building going through back issues and the amazing coverage the paper gave the House through the years was an encouragement to itself. Laurie Keys, one of the great reporters of the Advocate staff for many years, often called, and the Crawfords took a personal interest as well. There are not many newspapers that can say they built an ‘‘orphanage’’, now a Children’s Home, but the Advocate can and I think I can say a big thank-you on behalf of the children that have been helped for over 60 years, the staff, like us, who have been there and the board members over many years, to the Advocate for being there too. Thank you.’’

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MP’s Message

Ever even-handed ‘‘B

LACK and white lication, it will a n d r ea d a l l praise you if you over.’’ get it right but it The Northern Advocate: will sure as heck red it is not, or National cane you if you blue, or Greens green or, in ge t i t w r on g. fact, any political hue. Readers, there is Even-handedness — the n ot h i n g f ai r e r Advocate should be conthan that. gratulated for that. Believe me, at My first tussle with the various times the Advocate was in 1967 when journalist’s pen it printed my age and first has both sketched home (zero and Whangarei me as achiever Base Hospital). and etched me as Since that time the local vi l l ai n , an d I daily has reported ever-sohave the scars to slightly more significant prove it. Yet, in things. Events such as a hindsight, it’s difma n o n th e mo o n , th e f i c u l t t o ar gu e Vietnam War, the Muldoon they got it wrong National MP Phil Heatley. er a , th e sh a r ema r ket — at l e as t n ot crash, Berlin’s Wall toppling and Sep- completely wrong. tember 11. Further, in my tenure as one of On the local front, the paper has Northland’s MPs, the Advocate has searched out the wisdom of Ralph never demonstrated any consistent disTrimmer; the Marsden Pt pickets; glass tinguishable political party bias. In works, money factory, freezing works fact, I know of one reporter who has closures; endless polytechnic fiascoes, been accused by election-year candifarming-forestry-tourism and building dates of being as right-wing as Ghengis cycles, and a $500 million Tenix con- Khan and as left-wing as Karl Marx in relation to the same political story. tract. Black and white and even-handed Through such history the Advocate often reported the achiever and all over. I acknowledge The Northern skinned the villain. Those are always Advocate team on their approach. Long the most interesting stories. One sure may it continue. And should a bias ever thing about any local politician’s creep in, let’s just hope it edges my — Phil Heatley, National MP relationship with this 130-year-old pub- way.’’

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Congratulations to T he Northern Advocate

Northlaw is Kamo’s only law office. The firm was established by David Roughan in 1986. It serves the Whangarei community from a 1920s villa situated at the corner of Kamo Road and Meldrum Street - one block north of the Kamo traffic lights. The Principal, who holds both New Zealand and Irish passports, has been providing assistance and solutions for clients as a wills expert and property law specialist since 1972. Appointed a Notary Public in 1978, he obtained his Landbrokers licence in 1990 and the Norlaw patent in 1996.

Trust in Wellington and Wanganui and 12 years with Connell Lamb Gerard & Co in Whangarei. He has tutored Commercial Law at Northland Polytechnic and conducted successful seminars for the local community on Family Trusts and Real Estate transactions. A Land Rover enthusiast, farmer and graduate of Victoria University, David has served as a Lion and was elected to the Committee of the Kamo Club. He has been involved with Boards of Trustees and other community organisations.

David’s background includes 3 years with Public

Corner Meldrum Street and Kamo Road, Whangarei. PO Box 4333, Kamo 0131. Ph (09) 435 2261, Fax (09) 435 4250, david@norlaw.co.nz

The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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Paper delivery sees changes but mode stays the same E

Robert Mason, clutching his quota of newspapers, pauses briefly for the camera as the Onerahi delivery team — PICTURE / John Stone members set off on their daily mission to bring the news to the gates of our subscribers.

VERY afternoon, six days a week approximately 170 kids around Whangarei gear up for their paper round. Boys and girls aged 11 and o ver a ssembl e a t va r io u s points around the city to collect their quota of The Northern Advocate. This has been happening since the first paper rolled off the press over 129 years ago. The duties involved are slightly different but the paramount aim — to deliver the paper to household subscribers — remains the same. In the past paperboys were expected to collect the cash, which gave the job a whole new meaning as good math and accounting skills were vital. Nowadays that chore is left up to an administration team and paperboys are called paper carriers. Northern Advocate circulation supervisor Vivienne Darlington says some of the paper carriers who are working today have been there four years. While the trend still sees

most of them delivering the news off the back of their bike, a fair majority walk their beat. A lad in Kaikohe drives his car and has two paper runs. Vivienne says being a paper carrier takes commitment but it is an excellent chance to earn extra pocket money. Paper-carriers have been enjoying the limelight recently as The Northern Advocate recognises their contribution to the paper. A Pa per -ca r r ier o f th e Month award has been formulated to reward those kids who do an excellent job. Su bscr iber s h a ve been encouraged to write in if they f eel th eir pa per ca r r ier deserves credit. So far Vivienne says the scheme has been a great success and gives the papercarriers something to strive for. ‘‘They get a real buzz if they get it.’’ The prize includes a $50 Blue Rev voucher for the paper carrier and two months’ worth of free Northern Advocates for the subscriber.

Paper run helps hone life principles S

HAYNE Heape started making the most out of opportunities in 1959 when he knew the kid next door was about to chuck in his paper run. The 12-year-old used the information to proactively ‘‘hound the hell out of’’ Jack Touchy at the Northern Advocate, to nab the job for himself. Shayne managed to talk his way into the best paper route in Whangarei. The beat covered First Ave, Central Ave and finished up on his own doorstep in Second Ave. ‘‘It was definitely the easiest run and in town, all flat and it ended at my house. ‘‘I earned 18 [shillings] and six pence, which wasn’t bad money in those days.’’ Not one to pass up a chance to increase that income he also pulled papers off the machine (press) to earn another one pound two [shillings] and six. Everyday after school he’d go like the clappers to catch the final edition. It was a perk most of the paper-boys took advantage of. Circumstances changed two years later

when Shayne took over the biggest run in town. It encompassed houses south of Otaika Rd including Raumanga Valley and Mt Pleasant. It was hard yakka but Shayne accepted the challenge with zest and before long attained the position of head paper-boy, making a healthy one pound, five shillings. Upon reflection, the CEO of Rosvall ITM and Northland Rugby Union chairman believes the Northern Advocate gave him a firm work ethic which helped him cement a successful future. He can not recall taking a day off from his paper run but does remember the important events that dominated the era. ‘‘I can vividly remember the day president Kennedy got shot and when the bus went off the bottom of the Brynderwyns killing 23 people, after the Queen’s visit to Waitangi. ‘‘It’s quite strange how those moments have stuck in my mind, but they were huge events.’’ Driving down the middle of the road with his sister’s boyfriend, madly throwing papers out the car windows is another flashback that

makes him laugh. ‘‘My bike was broken, and it was a heck of a lot of fun.’’ The characters he has met along the way have also remained with him over the years. ‘‘In my day you didn’t just deliver the paper, you also collected the money once a fortnight.’’ People gave you little tips especially at Christmas when they were feeling generous. ‘‘One lady on my run had never given me anything but kept on telling me she was getting me a really, really neat Christmas present. ‘‘I spent weeks dreaming about what it could be, and when it turned out to be a small, poxy bag of lollies I thought it was funny and even at that age I could work out the message. ‘‘Be mindful of people who talk too much and don’t deliver!’’ Shayne holds firm to his beliefs and thinks his after-school job definitely taught him responsibility and prepared him for fulltime employment. Two principles which have paid big dividends.

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The Northern Advocate, Saturday, August 21, 2004

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