It was such a great childhood growing up in Devonport in the 1960s. Mt Victoria was our backyard, North Head was all covered in barbed wire and endless tunnels left over from WW2 and Duder’s Beach at the base of Church St was where I learned to sail, along with dozens of other kids who lived in the area. 

Our parents were both journalists, renting a house at 43a Church Street, where my father kept the most immaculate garden, full of vegetables, dahlias and native ferns. We lived next door to Dr Grant, the local GP whose surgery was in Devonport where Signal Hill, the new restaurant and bar, is. He’d sew me up after numerous accidents from biking, yachting, and rambling over the volcanic rocks along the Devonport waterfront. 

Ken Armstrong coached the local North Shore United Football team, down where the football fields were, where the Cricket Club has been since the 1860s. Crowds of thousands used to gather there when North Shore played Chatham Cup games. 

From my home in Church Street, during the winter, I’d head down to the North Shore Rugby Club to entertain myself and in the summer we’d sail in the mishmash of yachts that various families in the area owned. Family names, such as the Ferrymans, the Willises, the Parlanes, The Taylors, Wynyards, Presleys, and Baxters all lived within close proximity of the beach where the Church Street clock stands.

They were indeed halcyon days, as a kid growing up. Very little money in the family, but so much fun. At our home in Church St, we would sit and have dinner with Mum, at 5pm, all five kids at the table. Dad was rarely there as he was chief proof reader at the New Zealand Herald and worked a night shift. He would leave for work at 4pm in the afternoon and return home at approximately 2am in the morning, so growing up I would only see my Dad at the weekends.

On the wall above our kitchen table, there was a map of the world, approximately 4ft long and 3ft high. This map was used by Mum and all us kids as a contest to see if we knew where the countries were in the world. Mum used to quiz us with questions like “Where’s Rhodesia?’ “Where’s Siam” and “where is Ceylon”? I think these evenings of quizzes and seeing where these countries were gave me my desire to travel to see these places, which I did in my later years.

Devonport Primary School was a short walk from our backyard, over the stile at the southern base of Mt Victoria, and around and up the hill. I started school in the mid 1950s in the infant school taught by a Miss Bishop. The most exciting day of the year was when the “Fun Doctor” came to school. It always made me sad at that school, and it still does to this day, when you look at the huge bit of granite that lies within the school grounds with the names of the young men of Devonport who died during WW1. It must have been a huge toll on a young community losing that number of young people. 

From the grounds at Devonport School, we witnessed the arrival of several American fleets of ships, including aircraft carriers, with fleets of aircraft on board. Wonderment we’d never seen before and may never see again. 

One hundred years ago, from where the naval base is to North Head there were a series of wharves and boat-building facilities. Now there are two left: the main wharf at the base of Victoria Road and the wharf coming out from North Head. Recently we have lost both the small dinghy ramp wharf down at the bottom of Huia St and the wharf at the Devonport Yacht Club. This was demolished and we were left with a pathetic stub of what was once wonderful facility. 

Oh God, how badly we have been let down by our so-called leaders in this place. Leaders in both central and local government. Why I say that, is that everything that is left to run down is then summarily demolished.

Another good question is why the Council own houses along the waterfront opposite Torpedo Bay beach, three houses in total, and allowed to run down so badly, and have tenants living in them in this condition. Surely to God these should be sold to people who would appreciate them, and restore them?  Millions of dollars in real estate left in a rundown condition. I’ve heard through the grapevine it’s too much money to renovate them, so what are they going to do? Just let them gradually fall down?

Sorry, this hasn’t been too much of a grumble, rather more of a ramble. I’m actually over talking about:
1. Covid
2. Feasibility studies into Lake Road
3.  Feasibility studies on the cycle bridge
4.  Feasibility studies on a second harbour crossing
5.  The amount of high density housing being constructed on the North Shore with no consideration for infrastructure.

As I said, we have been badly let down by our leaders. Millions have been spent on all these studies and with nothing really to show for it. 

Anyway, roll on summer and let us hope we’re able to enjoy Christmas with family and friends.