Aviation history on display

e Te Aroha Museum has a large display showing Te Aroha’s early aviation history.

It all started with the landing of an Avro 504K bi-plane on a farmer’s paddock at Waiorongomai on March 28, 1922. at afternoon, the Avro piloted by Captain A C Upham, landed in ‘Goodfellow’s Paddock’ at Waihou. Passenger ights had been advertised at £2 per passenger.

Such was the success of these ights that they were carried out on other occasions as well and the interest in ying soon gripped some of the locals and the Te Aroha Aero Club was formed by enthusiasts in December 1929.

Goodfellow’s Paddock was their landing ground and pageants were soon organised bringing several aeroplanes from other towns to participate. Big crowds of locals enjoyed the buzz of these new ying machines.

‘Southern Cross’

In March 1934, Te Aroha Aero Club organised a visit by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in his large three engine

Squadron of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force.

Full Air Force honours were accorded him at his funeral in Wellington. He is buried at the Karori Cemetery. ese three momentous occasions at Goodfellow’s e Te Aroha Aero Club fell on hard times as a result of the accident and interest declined. After WWII, the air eld at Waharoa became the air eld for the Piako District with Te Aroha, Morrinsville and Matamata aero clubs combining to form the Piako Aero Club. curriculum vitae

Paddock have been memorialised by the installation of a memorial plaque adjacent to the present day site. It can be found on Goodfellow Road just south east of Waihou Village. It was installed by the Te Aroha Museum and funded by private donations.

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Aug 5

Crop Swap Katikati, 9.30-10.30am, 45 Beach Rd, Katikati. Ph 07 549 2337.

Plant Sale, 10am-3pm, Hamilton Gardens.

Te Aka Mauri Family History Day, 10am-3.30pm, Rotorua Library, free. See tinyurl.com/yfzj7b45

Aug 6

E-waste Collection, 9-11am, 420 Albert Park Drive, Te Awamutu. See urbanminers.nz

Secrets & Surprises on Coromandel Islands, talk by Prof Dave Towns, 5pm, Peppers Restaurant, Coromandel Township, koha. See tinyurl. com/5n7frvs2

Trust Horizon, Light Up Whakatāne Festival, 6-9pm. See lightupwhakatane.com

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11.15am, $20. See tinyurl.com/2p8uhfdy

Aug 23

Plant Swap, 6.30-8pm, Papamoa Library, free but please book. See tinyurl.com/4curkc77

Aug 24

Takapoto Estate Garden Tour, 10am, Maungatautari, Waikato, $45 (includes morning tea). See www. takapoto.co.nz

Waikato Horticultural Society, 7.30pm, talk by John Reeve, Wintec classroom, Hamilton Gardens (Gate 2), visitors $5. Ph Carmel 07 855 3404.

Aug 31

Plant Swap, 6.30-8pm, Tauranga Main Library, Devonport Rd, free but please book. See tinyurl.com/bdzckda4

Sept 1-20 monoplane, the ‘Southern Cross’, which was on a tour of New Zealand and included four Te Aroha men as paying passengers. Whilst at Te Aroha, the ‘Southern Cross’ took passengers on ights to the height of Te Aroha Mountain with passengers getting a souvenir ticket like this one.

New Zealand’s famous aviatrix Jean Batten also landed at Goodfellow’s Paddock. is was on August 29, 1934.

Pilots at night she was honoured with a ‘Grand Aero Ball’ with 600 people in attendance. She had a connection to Te Aroha in that her grandparents lived here in the early 1900s.

It was very unfortunate that three months later on November 28, the Aero Club’s president, Mr Clarence Waite, was killed as a result of an accident during a mock dog ght with another plane piloted by Mr S J Blackmore.

Waite’s plane crashed to the ground killing him while Mr Blackmore was able to land receiving only slight injuries.

Clarence C Waite was 29 years old and held the rank of Flying O cer in the No 2 e Eastern Waikato Aero Club was formed in 1965 and operated from an airstrip on Mr Malcolm Campbell’s farm on the Paeroa - Tahuna Road (Swamp Road) at Elstow.

Riving Clubs

is club thrived and in 1975, due to an incident at Waharoa, the Piako and Eastern Waikato aero clubs combined.

e new entity continued as the Piako Aero Club and ew o the Elstow farm.

e fascinating ‘Skybus Saga’ in October 1980 involving the Piako Aero Club is also told.

e Museum’s large wall display includes Te Aroha’s whole aviation story including the RNZAF Corsair that crashed in the Kopuatai Swamp in September 1944 and the subsequent investigation.

is fuel cap can be seen at the museum, along with Nancy Hamerton’s ying helmet and goggles are of the period of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.

Family History Research Morning, 10am-noon, Public Library, ames, free.

Fibre Revival Exhibition, 10am-4pm, Tauranga Racecourse, $5 (students free).

Aug 13

Steam Day, 10am4pm, Settlers & Steam Museum, 43 Robinson Ave, Rotorua, $10, under 16 free. Ph 07 345 9525.

E-waste Collection, 9-11am, Cambridge High School. See urbanminers.nz

Aug 19

Family History After Hours, 4.30-8pm, Tauranga Main Library, Devonport Rd, free. See tinyurl.com/47h33k4r

Aug 20

Guided Tour of Hamilton Gardens,

Clandon Daffodils Tours, Gordonton. Minimum group size 10, $15/person, includes a bunch of da s, booking essential. See clandonda odils.co.nz

Sept 2

Crop Swap Katikati, 9.30-10.30am, 45 Beach Rd, Katikati. Ph 07 549 2337. Plant Sale, 10am-3pm, Hamilton Gardens.

Sept 3

The Battle of Te Ranga, 2-3pm talk by Dr Cli Simons, Brain-Watkins House Museum hall, 233 Cameron Rd, Tauranga, koha. See tinyurl.com/4jckv2ku

In Pursuit of Champions, talk by Keith Woodley, 5pm, Peppers Restaurant, Coromandel Township, koha. See tinyurl. com/5n7frvs2