Kete New Plymouth

This plaque, located near the windwand on the coastal walkway, was unveiled on 6 August 2015. It was unveiled by then mayor, Andrew Judd, and paid for by the Taranaki branch of the Founders Society.

The plaque commemorates the Plymouth Company ships that arrived in New Plymouth between 1841 and 1843. While the first two ships anchored off Motorua, the next four ships unloaded passengers and cargo at the mouth of the Huatoki Stream.

Reginald “Randy” Pike was born on 5 April 1876 in Norwich. He immigrated to Hamilton in the 1890s, where he managed a branch of Grey and Menzies, the beverage makers who went on to invent Lemon & Paeroa. Well known in the Waikato for his sporting prowess, Pike enlisted to fight in the Boer War in 1902 with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Wounded and sent to England, he was the only Kiwi patient at the Royal Victoria Hospital during a visit by Queen Alexandra, earning him a personal interview.

Reginald

Nestled on the overgrown northern slopes of the Ngāmotu Domain is the now neglected and vandalised Honeyfield Seat. The plaque reads "Presented by Mr and Mrs W. Honeyfield 9th December1925". 

The domain was officially opened by the Mayor, Mr F.E.Wilson, on 28 November 1925. Although there was no mention of the Honeyfield Seat in the opening day report an earlier article (TH 26 November 1925) indicated that the seat had been erected. The 9 December 1925 date on the plaque may

Marco School, near Whangamomona, opened in 1898 with 37 pupils. Before the school’s location was decided, a survey of the area was done by Lewis Sladden. To him went the honour of naming the road the school is on. His choice had an unusual inspiration.

Lewis Coster Sladden (1867-1939) was born in Christchurch. He was educated in England from the age of 15 and on his return to New Zealand joined the Land and Survey Department in Christchurch. Later he came to Taranaki and worked as a surveyor.

Encouraged by favourable government policies in the 1890s, land in eastern Taranaki

Most of Stratford’s streets are named after characters from the works of Shakespeare. Antonio Street also acknowledges, in a small way, the name of the prominent citizen who once owned land in the area.

Florence Anthony Tyrer was the headmaster of Stratford’s primary and high schools for a period of thirty years from the early 1890s. He was highly regarded in the community, seen as a good influence on the young people of the town.

As well as his successful teaching career, Tyrer also carefully invested his