Last year PM-elect Christopher Luxon described local personality Rev Dr Richard Waugh as “Quite possibly the most interesting man in New Zealand”. Richard and his wife Jane are soon retiring to Christchurch to be closer to family. It will be east Auckland’s loss. At the Times’ invitation Waugh reflects on his 29 years of local church and community service. This is part I
By Richard Waugh
Why is east Auckland such a good place to live? It’s historical heritage? The surrounding ambience of sea and rivers with attractive beaches and maritime views? Our cultural mix of aspiring migrants making for a diverse and exciting environment, including many good restaurants? Maybe because we have some of the best schools and churches in New Zealand? Or the myriad of excellent clubs for every interest, plentiful community amenities and very good sports grounds?
The reality is all these factors come into play for a large and growing community that is a great place to live. That has certainly been our family’s experience.
‘East Auckland’ wasn’t a commonly used term 30 years ago. It was Howick and Pakuranga – and with plans advancing for a new Botany Downs. Flat Bush was only rural. I remember friends driving Jane and me down Chapel Road where there was a large hole in the ground for the foundations of Botany’s new Warehouse store. We went past the wide-open paddocks and strawberry fields and were told, “One day there will be thousands of houses here!”.
Editor Nick Krause has asked me to recount some of my church and community experiences so I will share some reflections and conclude with a challenge.
I remember our memorable welcome service at Pakuranga’s Trinity Church. Former Mayor Assid Corban and others came from Henderson to “hand me over” as I had been very involved in community and civic affairs in West Auckland. My wife Jane’s Aunty Barbara Haszard, was also present, chair of the Howick Community Board.
I soon detected a lingering advocacy for a separate Eastern City that was rather anti-Manukau City Council, which seemed short sighted to me. In early 1995, I made a presentation to the Howick Community Board about the forthcoming Howick 150th anniversary, as I had chaired and helped organise the successful Henderson 150th celebrations. Some local political tension was apparent, but we pressed ahead and I became one of the trustees for the Howick 150th.
1997 was a successful year with a wide range of community events. My contribution included organising the civic church service held at Howick Recreation Centre and introducing a combined churches Floral Festival which creatively depicted aspects of local life and history, which continued to be held over subsequent years.
With my Howick 150th involvement and then helping to establish a new Howick-Pakuranga Ministers Association, I met many people and fully entered into local life. Councillor Neil Morrison approached me to join a team standing for the Pakuranga Community Board. He was persuasive and an excellent councillor whom I enjoyed working alongside. I did two terms’ service before commencing my doctoral studies, which included a year away for our family in the USA.
Regarding local politics, in more recent years I gave my support to Simeon Brown and Christopher Luxon. They have such positive family values, keen intellects are compassionate and strong proponents of economic growth and personal responsibility. We are certainly among the most fortunate electorates in the country to have such high-calibre parliamentary representation.
A story about Mr Luxon. Last year he accepted the role of being guest MC at the Auckland book launch of my latest book; this one about classic Jaguar cars. The book cover features a red car, an XK150. A friend commented, “But that cover is not a good colour for Mr Luxon”. So, I asked the book designer to produce a one-off copy with the colour of the cover car changed to blue! In my final thank-you, in front of a crowd of about 150 people, I apologised to Mr Luxon for the red book cover, which caused much laughter. Then I presented the new one-off book with the cover car now in blue. This action was again met with much hilarity – and by Mr Luxon himself who has a good sense of humour.
On the church front, at Trinity Church I got involved with others establishing a new Early Childhood Centre and organising general and local body election forum meetings for the public. Later we continued the forums for many years at Botany. By the late 1990s, the Trinity congregation was large and diverse with multiple services. However theological machinations within the national Methodist church led me and most of the congregation to start a new church plant in 2000.
We had a vision for an evangelical multi-cultural church as part of the new Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand denomination. First services were held in the hall at Bucklands Beach Primary School and then from early 2003 we were the first community tenant at Botany Downs Secondary College. With much fundraising and voluntary effort, we eventually purchased and renovated 219 Burswood Drive, Botany.
Jane’s work as a registered architect was helpful and it was a real thrill in August 2008 to open the new East City Wesleyan Church and Community Centre. Today the church continues to grow and serve the community so well. The building is owned by the congregation and is now debt-free.
Over the years from my pastoral work as a church minister I have always been involved in the wider church scene. Especially ministers’ associations as Christians working together in unity is so important. A highlight was convening the combined churches Easter Day Sunrise Service on Howick’s Stockade Hill from 1996 to 2022. We had some amazing services and memorable sunrises, as well as heartfelt prayers for our community. Long may it continue.
I also helped start the Auckland City Prayer Breakfast with large annual events at the Mt Eden Stadium. One regret is that the idea of a big public Christmas event in Lloyd Elsmore Park, organised by the local churches, never got off the ground. Maybe sometime in the future?
With me growing up in an aviation family, and with my academic training, I got involved in research, writing and publishing many books about New Zealand civil aviation topics. From 1998, I was also appointed an honorary aviation chaplain. The work has made for many remarkable opportunities to serve beyond the local church, including the Kaimai air accident memorial and anniversary services, and initiating the Erebus National Memorial project -which the Government soon endorsed. Both these tragic air accidents had all sorts of links to people in east Auckland.
- The second and final part of Rev Dr Richard Waugh’s farewell notes will feature next week
