FREE EVENT: Sir Richard Hadlee launches his new book, 'The Skippers Diary'
Tuesday 10th October, 12 noon, Hokitika's Regent Theatre
Sir Richard Hadlee’s father, Walter, captained the New Zealand Cricket Team on the 1949 Tour of England. This was the New Zealand team that prompted the rest of the cricketing world to sit up and take notice; enjoying great success, and promoting several players to world-class status.
A campaign that began with a five-week-long sea voyage and lasted a total of eight months, it was played out in war-torn Britain at a time when rationing was still in effect and buildings still lay in ruins, and is brought to life once more in this compelling story, based on the meticulous day-by-day diary entries Walter maintained throughout the trip.
The tour synopsis? It makes for compelling reading. Walter’s side played 32 first-class games, winning 13, drawing 18 and losing just once. Eight of the touring party – Martin Donnelly, Bert Sutcliffe, Merv Wallace, Verdun Scott, Walter, John Reid, Geoff Rabone and Brun Smith, exceeded 1000 runs in first-class matches, at that stage a record for touring teams in England.
Sutcliffe’s aggregate of 2627 was second only to Don Bradman’s 1930 record of 2960. On 26 occasions, New Zealand scored more than 300 in an innings; in ten of those, they exceeded 400.
Since 2014, Sir Richard has worked on developing his father’s journal into a publishable format, embracing the many considered and insightful observations detailed by the man best remembered as the grandfather of New Zealand cricket.
The Skipper’s Diary brings to life again, not just the rich tapestry of post-war cricket in England, but also the adventure and experiences of a journey that included a match in occupied Germany, and a 36-day return voyage - taking the squad through the Panama Canal, into the Pacific Ocean and home via Pitcairn Island.
In The Skipper’s Diary, read about Walter’s thoughts on team selection, from the controversy at home over the omission of Otago’s George Mills, to the early tour concerns over the form of Bert Sutcliffe, and the decision to replace the well-performed Brun Smith with youngster John Reid for the third Test at Old Trafford.
Enjoy Walter’s accounts of meeting with royalty, the speeches he wrote for various VIP functions, and his post-tour reflections on each of the squad members. A man of detail, Walter also offers a sample of costs and expenditure of the time, and reveals the tour contract – signed by all team members before departure.
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Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
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43% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
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56.3% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Successful pest control effort to seek charity status
By local democracy reporting:
West Coast Regional councillors have agreed in principle to hand over the management of its successful Predator Free Te Kinga project to a charitable trust.
Over the past four years the council has led the pest control mission over 17,000 hectares of public and private land around the mountain, funded by a $4.4m Provincial Growth Fund grant in 2020.
The project has had strong buy-in from local farmers.
And the council’s Resource Management committee heard on Tuesday that the project involving Lake Brunner landowners, DOC and local schools is nearing its goal of eliminating possums from Mount Te Kinga.
The last one should be gone by early next year, the council’s environmental science manager Shanti Morgan told the meeting.
The network of self-setting traps, bait stations and cameras managed by the council company Vector Control Services had proved highly effective and native species were returning including kaka, fernbirds, New Zealand falcon.
A bittern and a lone female great spotted kiwi had also been sighted, Morgan said.
But plenty of other pests remained in the area including rats, stoats, feral cats and deer.
A 1080 aerial drop planned for the mountain soon should bring a high rate of kill, she said.
But Predator Free 2050 had confirmed it had no funding for the future maintenance of the Te Kinga project, and the remaining $1.6 million PGF money had to be spent by July next year.
“We need to expand the funding options, and be part of a charitable entity,” Morgan said.
As a non-council enterprise, the Te Kinga project would be eligible for funding from charities and philanthropic sources, and could still contract the council’s business arm, Vector Control Servies to manage the pest control.
Councillor Peter Ewen said he was sceptical that the Predator Free 2050 goal could be achieved and asked if the lone kiwi on Te Kinga should be moved before the 1080 drop.
Morgan referred the councillor to the 1080 investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright in 2011 which had found the biodiversity benefits of 1080 far outweighed any risks.
“I am confident we can make Te Kinga predator free by 2050,” Ms Morgan said.
The two iwi reps on the committee weighed in with differing perspectives.
Makaawhio representative Jackie Douglas said the iwi was not keen on 1080 but cooperated reluctantly with its use.
Te Waewae chairperson Francois Tumahai said his iwi fully supported the use of 1080 and the setting up of a trust to continue the Te Kinga project after 2025.
The committee voted to approve in principle the setting up of the charitable entity.
*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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