Te Awamutu Courier - Centenary Edition - April 18th, 2011

2 Te Awamutu Courier, Monday, April 18, 2011 Centennial Edition
8044651AA
MANAGER
Alan Price
EDITOR
Grant Johnston
EDITORIAL
Colin Thorsen
Dean Taylor
Cathy Asplin
ADVERTISING
Dorinda Courtney
Janet Uttinger
Courier
Te Awamutu
CLASSIFIEDS
Tania Cortesi-Western
Rhonda Bird
Anna-Marie Holmes
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rachelle Vincent
Kevin Quinn
Lori Finn
PRINTERS
APN Print Ellerslie
THE TEAM...
PHONE: 07 871 5151 FAX: 07 871 3675
336 Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu
Strawbridges – The tradition of service and
family involvement continues
This is where it all began – founder Dick Strawbridge
in his Kihikihi workshop, March 16th 1973.
appliances
319 ALEXANDRA ST, TE AWAMUTU. PHONE: 07 871 7090
STRAWBRIDGE
Te Awamutu Courier Centennial Edition
The Te Awamutu Courier
celebrates its 100th birthday
today and is proud to share it
with the community.
For all of those 100 years, the
Courier has been reliant on successful
partnerships with the wider
community and the business community.
An open invitation was issued
for businesses to share in our
Centennial Edition and in the
following pages, along with the
history of Te Awamutu Courier, its
Cover reflects newspaper
involvement in community
Newspaper delivery
‘boy’ Cliff Gordon
(right) delivers
replicas of the first edition
of the Waipa Post to a
massive crowd gathered
for the centennial float parade
along Alexandra
Street.
Wearing knickerbockers
and cloth cap, he is
riding a bike earlier used
for newspaper deliveries.
The float parade was
part of 100 year
celebrations for Te Awamutu
in 1984.
Other highlights in September
1984 included a
multi-cultural fair at Albert
Park, Bavarian fest, centennial
race meeting, train
trip, festival cricket match,
cycling criterium, early
settlers luncheon and
church service.
At the time Mr Gordon
worked for the Te Awamutu
Courier in the printing
hall and was one of
several staff members to
take part in the
community’s centennial
parade.
milestones and people, you will
also find articles about businesses
of long standing in our district.
These are the businesses that
elected to support the Centennial
Edition and to share with readers
the stories about their own histories.
The relationship between a
community newspaper and its
advertisers is one of codependence.
Advertisers value the readers
that the newspaper delivers and
Te Awamutu Courier
(FORMERLY THE WAIPA POST)
Tuesday, April 18, 1911 - Monday, April 18, 2011
Centennial Edition
Owned by Wayne and Catherine Strawbridge and son, Jason. They say they are truly
proud of the fact they were 100% born and bred in Te Awamutu.
The business started in 1948 as Waipa Radio and Electrical, owned by Richard and
Jessie Strawbridge (Wayne’s parents) and operated in Kihikihi.
Wayne worked with his father after school and during the school holidays.
Dick opened the shop in Te Awamutu in 1966.
the newspaper cannot survive
without advertisers.
But at the same time, to retain
integrity a newspaper must ensure
that in compiling its news, the
interests of readers and residents
are the highest priority.
The respect that advertisers in
general have had for this crucial
news principle in Te Awamutu over
the past 100 years has been a vital
ingredient in the success that Te
Awamutu Courier has enjoyed.
This Centennial Edition
contains articles about the
beginnings of Te Awamutu Courier
and its forerunner, The Waipa Post
in 1911 and about the important
development milestones that the
newspaper has undergone in
intervening years.
Also featuring strongly are the
‘lifeblood’ of Te Awamutu Courier
— the staff who have ensured over
10 decades that the newspaper
has ‘hit the streets’ and delivered
its promise to readers to be ‘‘your
community newspaper’’.
Chamber marks
100 years too
Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce is also
marking its centennial this year.
The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce was
started by an enterprising group of businessmen —
among them Te Awamutu Courier founder, Arthur (AG)
Warburton (see page 3).
The Chamber listed its objective as ‘The promotion
and advancement, by any legitimate means, of the
welfare of the town and district of Te Awamutu’.
The first item on the agenda for the embryonic
Chamber was the erection of a town clock.
Other items in that first year included extended
opening hours at the Post and Telegraph office, sending
deputations to Wellington to promote Te Awamutu as a
site for a freezing works, bid for rail infrastructure and
improved services, successfully sourcing a new site for
the school and seeking a source of roading metal for the
district.
With just 38 members in its first year, the Chamber
was overseen by a ’council’ of seven elected members,
President and Secretary.
Competition for these roles was fierce, with elections
for every position needed.
In 2011 the Chamber does have a few differences: it
still promotes and advances our community, although
the mission is to ’promote business vitality’ through
providing the best platform to ensure business success.
The Chamber has 150+ members (male and female
from all age groups) and enjoys the support of being part
of a nationwide (and international) network.
If you’d like more information about the Te Awamutu
Chamber of Commerce or its centenary events see:
www.teawamutuchamber.org.nz
Wayne and Malcolm Hopping purchased the business off his father. Wayne decided to
sell the business to Malcolm and have a change which only lasted three years and then
along with Catherine, purchased the business from his father in Kihikihi. They operated
that and then moved back to Te Awamutu.
Son Jason started working for them in 1993 and has come through all aspects of the
business and is now a shareholder.
As from today they are members of the largest independent appliance group in New
Zealand. They will be known as 100% Strawbridge Appliances and can compete with
all major chains.
A toast to the Te Awamutu Courier
“Congratulations on achieving your Centenary”