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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
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KAMO, the Village Contents I want to thank the many people who contributed to this feature, from authors and planners, to business owners and residents, but more importantly thanks to “the community” of Kamo for supporting this feature. I had great pleasure in reading the book ‘Kamo The Story of a Village’ by Diana Menefy. This book was of such interest, that I have referred to it on numerous occasions throughout this
feature. The historical stories, images, recollections and research on Kamo make this book, a must read!
A special thanks goes to Diana for allowing us to use excerpts and images from her book.
When you look at the diverse businesses, services and industries from Kamo featured here, you will agree, Kamo is very much a thriving community!
This feature is brought to you by the Northern Advocate features team.
How Kamo Got Its Name ........................................................... 3
The Village of Kamo through the eyes of Nick Williamson........ 4 Kamo Intermediate-a proud partner of the Kamo community ... 6 Kamo High School - staff win awards......................................... 7 The Old Kamo Schoolhouse and Hurupaki Primary Schools’ part in that history........................... 8 More on the schools of Kamo including Kamo Primary School...... 9 The Kamo Hotels Old and New .............................................. 10
Kamo - the history behind the village ...................................... 11 UIT comes to Kamo.................................................................. 12 The buses of Kamo................................................................... 13 Industry in Kamo ...................................................................... 14 The taste of gold in Kamo........................................................ 15 An early image of Kamo taken around 1912
Bush Road Medical Centre Serves the Community ................. 16
A gathering outside one of the early stores.
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in their care. We also offer full palliative care as part of our role as a hospital for the elderly. Active aged care encouraged Residents are encouraged to take part in a wide range of informal and organised group activities. The daily atmosphere and routines are designed to stimulate conversation and forge friendships. From in-house activities and health programmes to organised excursions and events on our modern 20-seater bus, there is always something happening and fun on at Puriri Court Rest Home and Hospital. Enquiries and Inspections welcome. 437 9302 Fax: 09 437 6487 wendy@puriricourt.co.nz www.pcrh.co.nz Visit us on Facebook
Kamo The Story of A Village
KAMO
FEBRUARY 2016
How KAMO Got its Name I t seems likely that Kamo was named after the numerous springs that are scattered throughout the district, as one of the meanings of the word Kamo is bubble up. Other meanings are all associated with the eye – eyelash, eyelid, wink, or blink. Kamokamo is to wink
frequently, to twinkle. There are several versions of the story about the naming of Kamo. Some people say the main character was a man – after all Kamo is a masculine name – but agree it was the puriri tree in Grant Street that still stands today.
Historical image of Kamo Township (Northern Advocate)
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A Beer and a Ball T here is little recorded of the early social life of the Kamo community. Gatherings for family occasions, picnics, sport and church seem to have been the highlights in the days when the population was scattered between various farms. Many events were held in Whangarei , but once the Kamo town hall was built it became the hub of the community –school, church and entertainment. Then as the mines opened the village grew, with more people settling at Kamo, and the various clubs and organisations started up…
“The teenagers of the early 1900s thought nothing of riding or walking for miles to get to a function. “In those days it was either that or stay home,” recalls Melwyn Young: “I’d go to Kamo on my own, it was very seldom that dark, there were street lights here and there. I’d walk over the paddocks going there but come home via the road. Once, I’d just turned down our road and saw what looked like car-lights coming out of the cemetery, but it was just the moonlight reflecting on the mist”.
The hall was a great place for dancing. Ruth Boaz remembers her last dance there before it burnt down – she was seventeen: “Pictures were often shown, the projector a hand-worked one. Clement Wragge once came and showed lantern slides of stars, etc. He was the weather reporter for the Auckland Star. A few overseas entertainers used to put on shows. I remember the Humphrey Bishop show coming from England. And then there were the bell-ringers… “The Kamo troupe Christy Minstrels was reputed to be the best in all the districts. They performed songs, choruses, gags and local skits and every member played at least one musical instrument –clarinet, piccolo, triangle, euphonium, tambo, concertina, bones… The information on this page has been retrieved from Kamo The Story of a Village.
Morris and Morris, Kamo
The main street in Kamo showing Robert Whitelaw’s general store on the right and the rear of the blacksmith’s on the left. Image from the Northern Advocate.
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
The Village of KAMO by Nick Williamson B elow are excerpts taken from a Tedx talk by Nick Williamson on his involvement with the “village of Kamo”.
“It’s no secret that most council business is pretty tedious. Like many great mysteries the story of our local government system was set in ancient times. It started around 150 years ago, in the days before typewriters. When meeting agendas were handwritten and delivered on horseback, civic life was pretty hectic, so getting together for monthly meetings was quite a challenge ... “After years of working in this environment I was worn down by government processes generally. I was tired of the adversarial planning process, so decided to quit my job and do something else. That’s when I saw this. And after spending an action packed 54 hours in the world of the tech startup movement, there was no going back”. “Instead of being self-centric or organisation-centric, the most successful start-ups build their businesses with the customer at their centre. In service design, you build a solution to real life problems that people experience, rather than creating a product to try to sell to someone. But ‘selling’ their plans for the community is something that councils are notorious for”.
“So what could we do differently? What if we were to design a council process that places people at its centre? Rather than asking people to come to us, what if we went where they were? Rather than subjecting them to a tedious government process, what if we held an action packed event that perhaps even made town planning ... exciting! “So in January 2014 we decided to pack a 5 month local government process into 5 days. Our target was the village of Kamo, home to 5000 of the 50,000 people living in the urban area of Whangarei. Our objective was to develop a town plan for the community”. “We were sure this ‘sprint’ format would work faster, cheaper & better. The council executive weren’t that keen on it, but I thought to myself, “Actually, I don’t really need approval to do this. It’s my job to talk to people, and surely nobody could have a problem with me doing my job” - I was just going to do my job on the street instead of at my desk”. “But as word of our plan began to spread, we started to hear murmurs that some people did have a problem with it”. “My experiment was causing some apprehension within the council ranks, because I was taking us into uncharted territory. What I was doing would change
“When we asked what people liked about Kamo, people made reference to the supermarket that burned down years ago. So we asked “Does Kamo need a supermarket?” Over 2500 views and much debate followed. The debate was becoming relevant and meaningful.
the council’s role from arbitrator to facilitator, to change its focus from being self-centric to citizen-centric”. “The conventional urban planning approach is for the council to develop its preferred solution, and then ‘consult’ the community by asking them to signal their support or opposition to that solution. Council then acts as arbitrator by either accepting or rejecting the submissions of those who have chosen to participate. This process promotes factions and can cause in deep divisions within communities”.
“Something magical then started to happen. By putting the community at the centre of the process and using social media, the process had become more social - more human. We were interacting with real people with real passion and personality. This was a stark contrast to the usual process where “submitter number” blah says something blah. We were no longer the shadowy figures that lurked in city hall. There were no cryptic forms to fill in. We had made the process accessible by going into the same physical and digital spaces where the people were”.
“Instead, my team was going to facilitate a discussion within the community. We weren’t going to be presenting any solutions at all. We were presenting problems, potential consequences, and handing them back to the community to come up with their own solutions”. “So for the 6 weeks before the event, we made an effort to share information that the community needed to know, in places and formats where they were likely to engage. We printed flyers and used Facebook, YouTube and email. We used simple language and pictures, & we asked questions to find out what was important to them. We let the community guide the conversation themselves”.
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KAMO
FEBRUARY 2016
“By moving out of our civic habitat, we urban planners were humbled by the ideas and vision from the community. Very early on it became evident that the village lacked a community focal point; somewhere to gather like a park or town square. Our local govt lenses caused us to immediately see a huge problem - having to spend public money to purchase land. Then, two people on the street separately came up with same suggestion - closing a short length of road - we already owned it so there was no purchase cost. Brilliant! In fact, why don’t we build a pop-up town square to try it out”? “Some of the team rallied around and began event planning, while rest of the team continued to work on the new town plan, which of course we still needed to do”. “We were witnessing a community growing stronger. And we the council were becoming a part of that community, rather than being ‘overseers’ that were divorced from it. We were experiencing the community’s pain first hand; trying to cross the road, having nowhere to sit to eat our lunch, and trying to have a conversation with people when noisy smelly trucks rolled past. Our planning assignment was becoming personal! “We became part of a process to create of a new, digital version of the community, and our Facebook page was the new town hall were conversations were being had amongst its citizens. We were thrilled. What we hoped to see happening, was happening”. “You see, a couple of weeks prior, the residents’ society were also concerned about whether the council could deliver on what the community wanted. But where did that sense of expectation come from? How did we get to the point where we needed the government to solve our problems for us”?
we could ask the global community of experts. “Calling all engineers on Twitter, fly across to this address in Google Maps, and let us know your ideas for getting across the road”. We can get half a dozen ideas from the other side of the world overnight while we sleep. We can test the ideas with the community immediately without spending thousands. It kind of no longer makes sense to do it the old way”!
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An illustration from Kamo The Story of a Village.
“But the huge irony is that, in fact, with this new process we were doing it the old way the ‘old’ old way, before communities learnt to helplessly rely on the government to look after them. And it was this that I was hoping would happen. That the community would ‘revert’ back to the times when they looked out for each other. Holding the finale for our town planning event in the pop-up park was itself an example of what the community can do for themselves. They asked for somewhere to sit and relax, a gathering spot, where events could be held to create a buzz and a sense of community. We did everything that the community had asked for. And by ‘we’, I do not just mean the council. We, as a part of the community had rallied together, held an event and gathered in a space that was already ours. What we proved is that the community had the ability to do this now, and whenever they wanted”. “The Message that went out to public officials was to Look at your job not through the eyes of a government employee, but through the eyes of a member of your community. Rather than trying to expertly give out answers, ask those people in your community to help solve those problems that are important to them. Instead of having local government at the centre of the process, put the community there, right where it belongs”. The Kamo Village Florist
McNabb Decorating Ltd, Kamo.
“At the time I had asked the residents society, “what would you do if the council couldn’t pay for what you wanted? What would you do? Complain? What if the council was bankrupt or simply evaporated over night, what then”? “If the council did not exist the community would still be there. Back in the day, the community would have passed the hat around, or done a sausage sizzle, or other forms of fund-raising to get things done. So what’s stopping you now? In fact, now you have a global community to draw from through the power of the internet”. “Of course it’s not just funding that can come from the crowd - solutions to real world problems could be found that way too. Instead of the council’s roading department doing a lengthy study,
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
Chalk and Dusters From Kamo The Story of a Village by Diana Menefy
B
y the early 1870s the number of children around Kamo itself was such that the local settlers decided they wanted their own school. They petitioned Auckland Education Board: That the township of Kamo, on the road from Whangarei to Kaurihohore, is distant from the village of Whangarei about 4 miles, and nearly as far from the school in Kaurihohore. That it is situated at the junction of four roads and forms a convenient centre for an educational district. That there are about 30 children, more or less, residing in the neighbourhood inadequately provided with the means of common school education. And you memorialists would therefor humbly pay that the central board would form the said district of Kamo into an Educational District with a certain fixed radius so that it would neither encroach on the Whangarei or Kaurihohore educational districts. Signed –William Carruth, John Grant Johnson, Peter Mitchell, Henry Cheeseman, Walter Garrett, William H. Burrough, William Thomas, John Giles, Alexander McGregor, John Cook, Thomas Graham, William M. McConnell.
The board replied in January 1873, saying the matter was under consideration
and asking for the boundaries of the proposed district to be defined. The residents met in February and defined the boundaries, and Carruth replied: On the east and north sides the boundaries extend 1 ½ miles to meet the Whangarei and Kaurihohore districts and considerably more on the south and west including the Whauwhau block and part of the Ruatangata Highway district. The number of houses is about 33 and the children able to attend school probably about the same. Once again the board deferred the decision, but the residents were determined. More families joined the fight for the school and signed subsequent petitions. They were; Henry Meredith, David Farrow, John B. Dinnis, Alex Farmer, Peter Mulvaney, Robert Sissons, William Buckhurst, Eliza Going, H. Robinson, Henry C. Holman, William Meredith, Charlotte Taylor, Edward Millington, J. Woolley, and William Willing… Two years later the Kamo district had raised £100 towards their school. They applied to have the education board for a further (pound sign) 200 but were told there was no chance of the money being granted. Apparently Whangarei School had first call on the board’s money as it was the worst
The class of 1903. The teachers are Edith Jackson first on the left (standing), Edward Millington in the centre window and Margaret Johnson on the right. (Auckland Museum Library)
accommodation. By 1877 the school roll had increased to 64 and the school moved into Kamo Public Hall, paying rent of £15 per annum. Mrs Carter was appointed assistant. Over the next few years the school committee seemed to be in constant conflict with the hall trustees, and only the negotiations of Henry C. Holman kept the situation workable… On 1 August a new school opened. Build by Henry R. Holman, the school cost £550 and stood opposite the old hall on the site bounded by Hall, Grant and Farmer Streets. The oak trees that still stand today were planted on Thursday 4 August 1892 New Zealand’s first nationally celebrated Arbour Day. They marked the boundary of the original school and were planted by Miss A Tristram and her young students, Thomas Griffin and Walter Wakelin. In 1956 the old Kamo school building was
KAMO Intermediate School A proud partner of the Kamo community
K
amo Intermediate is proud to be part of the Kamo education community and the wider Kamo community. We aim to provide a positive learning environment where students are confident, actively involved and inspired to succeed. We provide numerous opportunities, at school and in the community. All staff and students endeavour to work to be the best they can be and we know that if we are to achieve to our best it is important for us to believe that: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Our well maintained and beautiful environment inspires us to incredible feats. Students are involved in activities and events that enable them to develop and extend their talents across a range of areas, including performing arts, visual arts, cultural, environmental, technological, media, sport, global awareness and leadership. Significant achievements in 2015 included: • Excellence at the regional Science Fair • Y7 Mathex champions • Teammates Cup, AIMS Games • Awards in international and national curriculum competitions • Excellence at local and northlandwide sports events • Northland Young Leaders winners
• Agri Kids representation at national competition The school curriculum rewards and encourages excellence and creativity and is supported by an exceptional staff and board of trustees. Kamo Intermediate is an inclusive school, catering for all learners. Like the other schools in our area, we are an amazing place with amazing people. We are proud of who we are and what we are able to achieve.
dismantled…Today part of the old school grounds is used for Kamo Memorial Hall. In August 1875 Kamo School made the headlines with “bitter public opinion” expressed against Mr Carter. William Bedlington was very ill at the time with typhoid fever. Two of his children who were staying with Dr Sissons at the time, attended Kamo School. There were angry complaints and letter written to the Whangarei Comet and Northern Adviser about Mr Carter’s irresponsibility in going against the actions taken by the Whangarei teacher, Mr McMurdo. The editor responded by stating he was reluctant to address the matter, calling it “trivial”. Apparently McMurdo had got medical advice stating that there was a risk in allowing the children to attend school. The four children were then forbidden to attend school during the period of the fever.
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National recognition for KAMO High Staff Win Awards
It is with much pride that Kamo High School announces to the wider community the recent study grant recipients. The Post Primary Teachers Association– the national secondary teachers’ union - offers all members limited study awards for up to 32 weeks every year. The awards are hotly contested and are very difficult to achieve. Around 50 placements are awarded every year.
After 17 years at Kamo High School, we recently farewelled a much loved teacher of English and Media Studies, Mr Ashok Unka. He has followed his heart and started work at the ‘A’ Academy in central Whangarei. The staff, students and his volleyball team will miss him. Our very best wishes go with Ashok.
The purpose of the awards is to refresh teachers with study of their choice that will bring strength and capability directly back into the classroom, directly benefitting the students of the school. Kamo High School has had four of its staff awarded with these prestigious awards in the last two years. In the recent past Social Science teacher, Adele Towgood, and Tourism and Spanish teacher, Karen Baker, were awarded full scholarships for individual study. In 2016 Alison Hankinson, Head of Health, and Grace Evitt, teacher of Art and Photography, have been awarded full study leave. We wish them a fantastic year of stimulation and education and look forward to their return in 2017. We applaud the effort and contribution all of these staff have made and continue to make here at Kamo High School. They are actively demonstrating our Kamo High ethos of being life-long learners. Congratulations to you all.
Adele Towgood
Karen Baker
Alison Hankinson
Grace Evitt
Ashok Unka
Inspiring Leaders' Programme
A full year option course for Yr 9 and Yr 10 students Introduced by Emily Bell The first half of the option explores the path to leadership. The students learn the essential habits of accomplished people, including collaboration, self-management and project management. Regular inspiration sessions will involve interactions with a variety of experts, and the chance to try new things. In the second half of the option the students put their skills into practice by managing individual Mastery Projects. Through these the students can inquire into a talent or develop an existing talent. The students have a chance to demonstrate their skills in the final stage of the option, where they branch out into the community to transmit the learning from their experiences, with the goal of inspiring others to aim higher. Emily Bell
Phone: (09) 4351688 | Email: admin@kamohigh.school.nz | Website: www.kamohigh.school.nz
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
The Old KAMO Schoolhouse T he tender for this house was let in June 1879. It was built in 1880 by Alexander Ronald Ross and Murdock McDonald at a cost of (pounds) 497. The land (area 2 acres, 3 roods, 20 perches) had been reserved by the Commissioner of Crown Lands and gazetted 7 November 1878. The house is very plain with only basic
decorative curved pieces at the tops of the veranda posts. It has high kauri ceilings and large airy rooms. Despite some alterations when it was used as a boarding house for trainee teachers, the house in in very good condition. The first occupant was the Reverend Richard Coate, the headmaster from April 1879 to April 1884…
Excerpt taken from Kamo The Story of a Village
The School with the oak trees that were planted in 1892. (Whangarei Museum)
Th he Old Schoolhouse
Hurupaki Primary School A special feature of our school is the fact that it sits at the foot of the Hurupaki Mountain where a wetland area has been developed. We have a Silver Enviroschools award for creating this sustainable resource and this year our enviro team have the exciting task of developing a new edible gardens area.
The school is very well resourced and is set within beautiful, spacious grounds. The Hurupaki Kindergarten is located on school grounds, on the Three Mile Bush Road boundary. They have an active relationship with our school. Hurupaki School has a reputation for developing a life-long love of learning and actively promotes participation in academic, artistic, sporting, environmental and cultural activities. One of our sporting highlights is the Triathlon, held in Term One each year. A cultural highlight is the children’s performance in a school production held every three years, which last took place in
2015. Next year we will hold an art auction and this will see the creation of many wonderful student artworks.
Our teachers are a dedicated team of professionals who work together to deliver the highest standards of education to our children. We also have a supportive Parent Support group who work hard to provide social gatherings and raise extra funds for fabulous things for our school.
We promote a strong values focus: Caring – atawhai, honesty – pono, pride – mana, respect – manaaki, responsibility – kawenga. And we believe that our purpose is “Teaching today for tomorrow”. This includes provision of a collaborative learning environment, digital literacy and an increasing focus on students as active learners taking a greater level of responsibility for their learning. “Hurupaki is the best school ever”, to quote a child during our welcome-back assembly 2016.
KAMO
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THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
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KAMO Schools, the old and the new ... Historical image taken from Kamo The Story of a Village.
Pupils from Kamo School Std. 5 and 6 taken at Cooking Class in Whangarei during 1919
The School Uniform Shop in Kamo
R ES FO IN T NU ENAN ! GERM C RD GA OUFO Y AF
Images of Kamo Primary School
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KAMO PRIMARY SCHOOL Kamo Primary is a progressive, exciting and vibrant school! Our focus is ‘Learning for the future’. Staff are dedicated and passionate about best practice. Students are friendly, engaged, respectful and motivated for success! Kamo Primary is proud to be part of the Kamo Learning Community and the Community of Kamo!”
Phone 435-1482 email d.batten@kamoprimary.school.nz
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
KAMO Hotels
FEBRUARY 2016
The current Kamo Hotel
From Kamo The Story of a Village by Diana Menefy
T
he credit for the commercial centre of Kamo goes to the foresight of Thomas Wakelin, Kamo Hotel being one of the first buildings to go up on his subdivision. Although he never had anything to do with the running of the hotel it is said that he organised its construction then sold it. A visiting correspondent from the Auckland Weekly News described the hotel in December 1880 as a large edifice that occupied a prominent position in the village. It was single-storeyed. Matthew Frost More Whitelaw is thought to have bought Kamo Hotel and then sold it on two years later to build the Star. It seems more likely that he managed it, as to sell an established business to set up another in competition to it doesn’t make sense. Whatever the circumstances, Whitelaw was definitely the proprietor in 1880. In March 1882 the licence was transferred to Thomas Davis on condition that a bathroom he added to the premises.
Davis was replaced by David Munro in September and everything went smoothly until late May 1883, when the building was totally destroyed by fire. The book goes on to say “The run of managers didn’t do much for the maintenance of the hotel. On 15 February 1904 the Inspector of Nuisances for Kamo Town Board reported that the pigsties and drainage from the urinals at Kamo Hotel
were a danger to public health. The board decided to notify the hotel proprietor that the sties needed to be thoroughly cleaned, and kept clean, and that the drainage be kept in thorough working order.” “At some time during the next few years the hotel was enlarged, with additions going onto the top storey to give a total of fifteen bedrooms, mostly upstairs. The hotel now boasted twenty-four rooms, including a storeroom, two bars, a commercial room and kitchen. John Morrison Morron took over in 1929 and sold the business on to William and Edna (Bill and Peter) Brydon in June 1935. The wooden building only lasted another sixteen months, on Saturday, 3 October the Northern Advocate the following Monday highlighted the event: “The fire was the most spectacular seen in Whangarei district for many years… Tongued flames leapt 40 and 50 feet into the sky, and sparks cascaded fort a distance of several hundred yards… People had arrived from all directions and many hundreds, standing at a safe distance because of the intense heat, watched… When the fire bell rang at Whangarei, dance halls quickly cleared of patrons… a number left picture theatres and there was a general exodus of cars, push bicycles and even pedestrians from the borough towards Kamo...” Valma Wilkinson, nee Brydon, was eight at the time. She recalls:
The second Kamo Hotel
“The night of the fire I was kneeling down beside my bed saying my prayers. I said to Ima (her sister) my knees are getting hot. She said I was being silly. But I wasn’t, our bedroom was right over the kitchen where the fire started. Very little was saved. An old piano riddled with borer. After the
fire we lived for two years in the stables behind. The old woodshed was made into a bar. In those days you had to keep the hotel going or lose your licence.” The hotel was at its busiest during the mining era. Valma has vivid memories of the miners with their helmets in the bar after shifts, the miners’ corner with its photographsthe bus used to stop at the hotel on its way to and from the Hikurangi mine. Sale days used to see farmers and and stock agents propping up the bar-Valma is sure most of the transactions were made at the hotel. Then came World War 2. The hotel was the army headquarters during the war.
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In the tradition of the Kiwi country pub, The Kamo Hotel offers home style comfort food such as a full roast dinner, lasagne, lamb shanks and pork ribs. If you aren’t conquered by the generously sized main meals, there is also a dessert menu to tempt you. The kiddies are looked after as well with favourites like cheese burgers, fish and chips and chicken nuggets on the menu. You can be sure you’ll never leave the Kamo Hotel hungry.
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KAMO
FEBRUARY 2016
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
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KAMO, The History of a Village T homas Wakelin came from Braintree, Essex, arriving in New Zealand when he was 21 on board the Frenchman in 1860. It is thought that he first worked on a farm at Whareora, then went pit sawing at Awaroa Creek and Pataua, before being employed by Edward Dent. By 1864 he owned his own land in Whangarei, and paid his rates by collecting for the Whangarei Highway Trust from mid-1864 to part way through 1865. The electoral roll published in the Daily Southern Cross on 18 April 1865 credits Wakelin with a household, show and dwelling. The shop is thought to have been the first butcher’s in Whangarei. In 1866 he
Kamo showing Puriri Street
leased a 10-acre paddock in Whangarei from T. B. Miller for 12 months from 15 August onwards. Wakelin marries Mary Udy in Auckland on 24 August 1865she had come to New Zealand with her father, four sisters and two brothers on the Nimroud in 1860.
By 1871 the business was doing so well that Wakelin could afford to purchase land at Kamo. He bought the first of two lots from Carruth- the land from Farmer’s boundary to the Bay of Islands Road on 1 January 1871. That same year he purchased three sections from Te Puia, 53 acres in all. While the second big block, giving him 148 acres in total from
Carruth, wasn’t legally purchased until 12 May 1881, Wakelin had already started on the subdivision next to the Bay of Islands Road. Wakelin built a “commodious and delightfully situated residence” on the Te Puia land, sold his butchery business to Paul McDonald, and shifted from Whangarei sometime between April 1877 and March 1878.
Thomas Wakelin
Taken from Kamo The Story of a Village. Images from the Northern Advocate.
Image of Kamo taken around 1912
Regency Pies was established in 1992 in the Regent. Our customers still tell us stories of how the pies used to be as low as $1.00 each. The current owners Jodie Ansell & Peter Morrison have owned Regency Pies now for 9 years. Since then they have taken Regency Pies to a whole new level by supplying to Supermarkets & major Catering Companies in Auckland. Currently we supply pies & our healthy wraps throughout Northland & Auckland. Our most popular day at work is Wednesday because this is HUMP DAY. Hump Day is Wednesday & we started this 8 years ago. We pick one of our most popular pies eg. Steak & Cheese sell it HOT or COLD on HUMP DAY for $2.00 each. We have queues of people throughout the day & sell between 500 – 600 HUMP DAY pies alone in our 2 shops on a Wednesday. Not a day to be missed.
475 Kamo Rd, Kamo • 09-435 2365
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
UIT Technology Solutions U IT Technology Solutions are the new kids on the block in Kamo and loving their recent decision to relocate from downtown Whangarei.
From small beginnings, owner Paul Batchelder worked from his garage as a one man band. He later leased a building in town and over the last 14 years has grown his experienced team and never looked back. It all steamed from growing up on a dairy farm. Their cow shed was hooked up to a computer many years ago. Paul soon found that he had a natural interest in this area and his passion grew from there. UIT was born with a strong motto to welcome any challenge that comes their way. They provide professional support for schools, businesses as well as residential and welcome any new business. “We don’t care if you have one or 100 computers, we will be able to sort you out,” Paul guarantees. With over 14 years experience, UIT offers computer network management to over 300 business clients from Tauranga through to Kaitaia, while keeping their main focus on Northland. From a basic fix solutions to managed server and cloud products with 24 hour a day, seven days a week monitoring and support.
The move to Kamo came with much excitement for the committed team of six as well as more customer parking and a raised profile with the plans to continue growth of the business. “We are really excited to be up here,” says Paul.
“We now attract walk-in business like we never had before, it’s a great community.” “We strive to be the most sought after IT firm in Northland, this was a step toward that journey. We are now enjoying a fresh new working environment and the feedback from the customers has been very positive.”
UIT is community conscious, sponsoring local football and junior rugby league teams, and TechQuest in local schools. Come and see us at 376 Kamo Road (09) 4388484 or call us to discuss your business needs we’ll come to you!
YOUR PROFESSIONAL IT SPECIALISTS. UIT provides friendly, professional service. We support on premise and cloud computing infrastructures to ensure a secure and efficient client ecperience. Business, Education & Residential Support. Hardware & Software Sales with Service. On premise or data centre server solutions. Computer network design & management. Domain name & custom website Hosting. Microsoft 365 & Google Apps management. Smart network monitoring 24/7. Experienced friendly people.
PARTNERS / PRODUCTS WE SELL
376 Kamo Road, Kamo • Whangarei • t: 09 438 8484 e: contact@uit.co.nz OPENING HOURS
Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:00pm • Saturdays by Appointment
KAMO
FEBRUARY 2016
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
13
The Buses of KAMO From Kamo The Story of a Village
The Memoirs from Kathleen Farrow (1899-1987)
“Mrs Griffin ran horse buses between Kamo and Whangarei and Mrs Mason had the first ordinary ones. When Pope came home from the war he built his own buses (canvas sides and benches). Mr Thorley a taxi driver ran a bus from Dargaville to Whangarei. We went to the pictures in Whangarei at the Lyceum and Brittania. A Mr Perry came to Kamo once a fortnight with his travelling pictures”.
The Bus Wars
“Wrack’s Pioneer Express appears to have been the first advertised transport through Kamo. William Stephenson Wrack settled at Whangarei in the late 1850s and took passengers and goods to the gumfields, going from Whangarei to Ruatangata, Whauwhau and Kaurihohore. Both John Blades Dinnis (Dennis) and William Murphy set up as carriers in Kamo during 1880 and were still operating in the early 1900s. During the 1880s with all the activity in Kamo, there were three carriers working most of the time: John Giles, William Mudgway and William Taylor all carted for several years”. “The fist of Kamo’s own “coach” owners seems to have been Henry Cheeseman. Henry advertised in April 1887 saying that hje had “…purchased a comfortable and roomy conveyance, suitable for parties visiting the various falls and objects of interest about Whangarei, and that safety, punctuality and courtesy can be relied on by his patrons.” He also had saddle horses for hire. Norman Gordon McKay started the first bus service in 1889. An advertisement in a Northern Advocate printed in November is headed, “Look out for the latest novelty Whangarei and Kamo “One Penny Bus”. The bus left the Star Hotel at 9.30am, 11.30am, 2.15pm, 3.45pm, and 5.15pm. The fare was a penny a mile. By 1891 McKay was also running a coach to Kawakawa, starting from Kamo at 9.45am during the winter months. A glimpse of what it was like to travel in the bus over the roads at the time is described in the Northern Advocate on 20 May 1893:
McKay’s ‘bus will be able to endorse all I can say…For the reducing of solid material to a powder like fineness, nothing is more suitable at present than placing it for a short time in the interior of McKay’s ‘bus while the horses are jerking it along the road from Tremaine’s Hotel to Johnson’s Hill. In 1896 Frederick Henry Cheeseman, known as Happy, bought the KamoWhangarei run, advertising that he’d adhere to the old timetable. Cheeseman had been competing against Norman for some years. He’d attended Kamo High School, then started work carrying the mail from Kamo to the Whangarei wharf. Next he worked driving his father’s cart filled with metal to outlying districts. His first bus was a four-wheeled glorified cart equipped with seats, a roof and detachable canvas sides. Later as his business developed his vehicles grew more luxurious and comfortable. He even bought a silk lined bridal cab for $ (pound sign)180 and ran a fine doubledecker coach drawn by five horses. After his marriage to Lily McGill in 1902 Cheeseman set up a house and stables on Kamo Road, from where he inaugurated two additional passenger and mail services – from Whangarei to Ngunguru and Poroti. He continued these runs until 1922, when the competition from petrol-driven omnibuses made the business uneconomic.
The horse bus outside Kamo Hotel, taken sometime between 1906 and 1915
The Ford bus H.G Wilkinson bought in 1918
Despite the antics of the drivers in competing against each other, there seem to have been very few accidents. A testimony to the skill of the drivers was printed in the Northern Advocate on 23 September 1911:
Those unfortunate people who have to journey over it (Kamo Road) in
As one of the incoming Kamo buses was about to descend Harrison’s Hill last evening the middle horse stumbled somewhat badly, but the driver in a very expert manner quickly pulled him to his feet again and drove on quite unconcerned. But no matter how skilful the drivers were, the horse-drawn coaches could not compete against the motorised buses owned by Martha Mason and Harry Green Wilkinson.
STANDARD VEHICLE SERVICE • Petrol Vehicle Service from $99.99 • Diesel Vehicle Service from $139.00 • Clean Air Filter • New Oil Filter • Re-place up to 4 litres of Engine Oil • Check Brake Fluid, Power Steering Fluid • Check Fan Belt and all Drive Belts • Other service packages available
GET YOUR W.O.F HERE FOR $40 GOLD CARD MEMBERS ONLY PAY $35
*Some engines may require extra-ordinary top-up of fluids and some engines may require new parts to complete the service.
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• Supply and Fit Brake Pads Rust repairs and WINZ quote - Conditions May Apply
448 Kamo Road, Kamo Ph: (09) 435 5450
For more information please call Tammy on 09 435 3803 262 Fairway Drive, Kamo *Terms and conditions apply
5722
• Steering Rack Boot fitted from $85.00
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
The Changing Face of Industry in Kamo The Legacy of the Coal
Today Kamo is a busy shopping centre, a suburb of Whangarei yet it retains the essence of the village. The mid1930s saw a new post office, hotel, town council office and library all built. Mr Stan Peters took charge of the post office, Mt Robert Whitelaw was appointed town clerk and librarian and Mr and Mrs William Brydon ran the hotel, which did a roaring trade with the workers from Kamo Potteries and the coal mine.
The mine had just reopened and was coming into full production. Kamo at the time had a progressive council who organised a water supply for the town and enlarged the recreation ground- about 4 acres had earlier been set aside and gazetted as a park. The Education Board bought sites for the primary, intermediate and high schools. The old post office building was sold for removal and a modern automatic telephone exchange built on the site. Gradually the village expanded until the shops lined both sides of the main road and up several side streets. The closing of the mines for a second time in 1955 did nothing to retard Kamo’s growth. It had a lot going for it; handy to the city, an even climate, volcanic soil, it was about frost levels – what more could builders want? The subdivisions went ahead.
By 1959 the town clerk was so busy trying to cope with all the paperwork that he called in helpFred Rose was appointed from the audit department. Kamo amalgamated with Whangarei 1965, but the town retained its own identity and its own particular problem, the legacy of coal. During the mining years and shortly afterwards subsistence occurred numerous times, but as there were few houses in Kamo at the time, damage to structures were not noticeable… In 1977 a crown hole occurred at 14 Wakelin Street, the depth of the mine below being about 23 metres. The hole was filled by the ground continued to sink. Later in the year the site was excavated to a depth of about 6 metres and filled with loose material. In November 1980 cracks began appearing in many of the properties around Grant Street-Boswell Street area of Kamo. Some residents approached the council concerned that their land was cracking up. A council-owned house and Kamo Memorial Hall were damaged… In June 1983 the council issued a writ, alleging nuisance and negligence on the part of the Crown in its mining operations in Whangarei… Excerpt taken from Kamo The Story of a Village
The Miners of Kamo (The Northern Advocate)
Retrieved from Kamo The Story of a Village
Wrought Iron Gates and Balustrades
Design | Manufacture | Install Locally owned and operated for over 50 years.
www.nmi.co.nz
PIPIWAI ROAD, KAMO Ph: (09) 435-3152 | 0800 167 922 www.nmi.co.nz
• Domestic • Alterations • Appliance Testing & Tagging • Maintenance • Commercial • Farms
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Rewiring New Installations Solar Installations Automated Gates Ventilation Systems Stove & Hot Water Cylinder Repairs
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P: (09) 435 3183 l M: 021 717 797 l E: info@mrelectricity.co.nz
Available 24/7 – Northland Owned & Operated
KAMO
FEBRUARY 2016
Chasing the Rainbow
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
15
Robinson Asphalts, Kamo
From Kamo The Story of a Village
Gold –The Kamo Find A Rich Auriferous Country
This was the Northern Advocate on 2 November 1889, announcing the discovery of gold in Kamo. It came as no surprise to the local residents. Earlier in July the Northern Advocate had announced that a resident had “found some stone,
which on being subjected to the usual process, unmistakably contained gold.” For years Henry Robert Holman had fossicked about the Waipukatea Creek trying to find the reef from which gold-bearing stones had come. Others had also prospected in the creek, but none had gone far enough up it. This time Holman was lucky –the gold was there, but the quantity was unknown.
An image of Kamo Springs shortly after it opened in 1894. (Northern Advocate)
CONTRACTORS SINCE 1972 Proudly Supporting Kamo
WE TAKE ALL METALS
Turning vision into reality – we make it happen so people can have a positive sense of progress, place and pride. Robinson Asphalts are proud to have helped shape the infrastructure of Kamo over the last 44 years.
4 Hiko Road, Kamo, Whangarei 0112, Off Pipiwai Road (Behind substation) Kamo Phone 09 435 2488 | Fax 09 435 2349 | office@kamoscrapmetals.co.nz
www.robinsonasphalts.co.nz Ph 09 435 0188
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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
FEBRUARY 2016
Bush Road Medical Centre New Year’s Resolutions
B
ush Road Medical Centre welcome Dr Vanessa Vallely, Grace Couper, and Dr Chris Poplar, who has immigrated to New Zealand from England with his wife and children.
We hope that your New Year’s resolutions are well underway. If you have Gout getting your Uric Acid level under 0.36 would be a great resolution to strive for – our staff at Bush Road Medical Centre could assist you with this.
a least once every 5 years from the age of 35 years (from 45 years for all other males). For M–aori, Pacific and South Asian women from the age of 45 years (all other women from 55 years). This assessment does involve a blood test. If you need assistance and support with your New Year’s resolutions – our staff are here to provide help.
As few as 2 attacks of gout in a year indicates that you should be on long term gout medications. Gout is the second most common form of arthritis in New Zealand. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. For some people there is a genetic factor involved. Avoiding foods that produce high levels of uric acid, avoiding fizzy drinks and alcohol, if overweight - reducing weight and taking regular medication can reduce the frequency of gout flares. It is important to engage with your doctor so that you get appropriate advice and medication to avoid the complication associated with gout. While you are here you could also have a Free CVD Risk Assessment. All M–aori, Pacific and South Asian males over the age of 35 years should have one of these
Bush Road Medical Centre Wishes to Welcome Drs Chris Poplar, Grace Couper and Vanessa Vallely Drs Geoff Cunningham, Andrew Miller, Simon Wilkinson, Alistair Dunn, Denise Limby, Noriko Noda, Anna Zender, Lauren Roche and Jill Rocha will continue to serve the Whangarei Community in 2016.
New Patients Welcome | 6/1 Three Mile Bush Road, Kamo | Ph 09 435 0692 | www.bushroad.co.nz