Free Entry

Posted October 2008

Going, going, gone!

Sid and Colleen Going enter as the first free Kiwis.

 

The admission charge for the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, first applied in 1937, was "going, going, gone" on 1st October 2008.  Just after 8am, Northland-born rugby great, Sid Going MBE and his wife Colleen were piped through the doors, becoming the first Kiwis to enter the historic Birthplace of New Zealand under the new free-to-residents initiative by the Waitangi National Trust.

Sid had just turned six when the trust board found it necessary to increase the original adult entry fee to the princely sum of 1/6d.  One of three celebrated rugby brothers, by the time Sid had begun his extraordinary 29-test match All Black career, the Treaty Grounds charge had turned decimal to become 15 cents.  Since then it has increased periodically in line with costs and development needs.

 

Back at the beginning, says CEO Jeanette Richardson, the first Waitangi National Trust board faced the challenge of rescuing the historic, gifted Treaty House from a dilapidated state.  “Today we celebrate a beautifully preserved and restored Treaty House, a magnificently carved whare runanga, the world’s largest Maori waka, and grounds alive with nearly a quarter of a million visitors annually. 

“The financial guidance of trust boards since 1932 and, more recently, the expertise of a dedicated executive team, have brought us to this point where from today we can welcome home our own people free of charge.  We thank those who have paid to enter over the decades, and whose money has been used wisely and carefully to develop and preserve the great gift of the Bledisloes.”

 

New Zealand residents who have not visited for many years will find quite a different level of offerings at Waitangi. Now a large team of professional guides, mostly descended from Treaty signatories, takes small groups around the grounds, giving accurate information on life at the time of the first signing, and often telling personal family stories about Waitangi.

Some 23 shows and tours scheduled on most days appeal to keen gardeners, history buffs, cultural performance fans and nature lovers.  “It’s fair to say there is more magic for visitors at Waitangi now than ever before,” says Jeanette Richardson.

 

The celebrations began with karakia led by kaumatua Wiremu Wiremu, and after speeches from iwi and other local and national dignitaries, concluded with breakfast for invited guests in the new treetops boardroom.

 

 

Need to know more? Email Michael Hooper