Ngaio association celebrates century

The Ngaio Progressive Association, now the Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association, recently celebrated 100 years’ service to the community.

Despite inclement weather 45 people attended an afternoon tea at the Ngaio Town Hall to mark the occasion.

Although not 100 years of continuous service, President Ian Turk commented that enough people were motivated over the years that the association zoomed to life as the need arose.

Mary Munro, a former President, noted the input the association had in the building of the Cummings Park Library (named after an early President), and various sub-developments.

She also regaled the audience with stories about growing up in Ngaio 70 years ago, to emphasise the point that the association has long held the Ngaio values of community and environmentalism.

Mary and Les Stephens cut the cake (as the two earliest serving Presidents in attendance) while Viv Chapple, the event organiser, drew attention to the origins of the cake recipe, which was from a World War 1 fundraising cookbook published in Wellington in 1915.