More Info →Page 32 - Levin 75th Jubilee Supplement

Description

Battle for identity:

An eight year battle for identity culminated in the Horowhenua winning recognition as a seperate region of local government in April, 1980.

Contains:

Levin Borough Council's Mayor, Mr L. B. Roberts
Horowhenua County Council's chairman, Mr J. S. Blenkhorn

Interlude:

Interlude (Inc) is a theatre arts organisation presenting a variety of preformances at the Avonvalley Theatre, Ihakara, Levin.

Contains:

Interlude:

Avonvalley Theatre
Tom Wardle
Pauline Cattell
Shakespeare
Bruce Mason

FOR 40 years, part of Levin's justifiable civic pride in the grand municipal buildings the town built with courage and foresight in 1926 was the magnificent furnishings in the coun­cil chambers.

"It is safe to say that few councils in the Dominion possess a finer or more commodious room in which to deliberate," enth­used a report of the day.

A key to its style was the dais, council table, and chairs especially designed for the council by the building's architect, Mr Bennie.

"These pieces of furni­ture give some idea of the wonderful beauty of NZ Rimu when used with un­derstanding and taste," commented an observer. Behind the dais rose-a carved screen ornamented with Ionic columns, and the mayoral desk and chair were, matched with the screen.

Unfortunately, when the borough council built new chambers in the place of the old library demolished on the north-west corner of Bath and Oxford Streets, new furnishings were used too.

The grand old mayoral seat was found on the rub­bish tip by a member of Levin's Buffalo Lodge, and rescued for use by the head of the lodge. Today the chair retains its pride of place in the lodge's meet­ing place, the Labour Party Hall in Cambridge Street.

Identification

Date

March 1981