Did you know some of the signatories to the incorporation certificate signed in October 1925 included names like Luckens and Spargo, some of the early settlers of Massey, roads and parks in Massey being named after them for their contribution to Massey.
If you visit the hall you can sight the incorporation certificate which hangs on one of the walls in the Den. The certificate includes 15 names of local residents in 1925, the required number of people needed to form an incorporated society. You may recognise a name, perhaps a relative?
The Massey & Birdwood Settlers Association first met in a classroom of the then Massey Birdwood Primary School.
Birdwood Primary School came into being in 1980 and is now situated in Glen Road and Massey Primary remains on the site of the Massey Birdwood Primary School adjacent to the Massey Birdwood Domain and of course the Massey Birdwood Settlers community Hall. The Massey Birdwood Domain is more commonly known these days as the Massey Domain, on land owned by the Conservation Department. Glen Road is in the Birdwood part of the area known as Massey Birdwood.
In 1954 a gazette notice gave the Massey & Birdwood Settlers Association permission to own and manage a hall for the community on the Massey Birdwood Domain which was built and open by 1956 and its first regular hirer’s were the Massey Indoor Bowling Club who still hire the hall to this day. One of the members of the Bowling Club was Eric Nash, husband of Gwen Nash a former Waitakere City Councillor.
The Massey Primary School which housed the Association in 1925 still retains the links as the Massey Primary School runs its Housie evenings on a Friday in the hall and raise much needed funds for the school from the evenings.
The Association, which is a resident and ratepayers group continues to inform the community and advocate on behalf of ratepayers and citizens for resources for Massey, from the Council and Government to this day. They use the money it raises from the hall hire to keep the hall to a high standard for the use of many community groups, at an effective minimal rent. Educating and informing Massey residents on what is happening in the community and why and how and for preparing annual plan submissions and similar reports called for by Council and Government on proposals that are likely to affect the community.
A number of the Associations members have served the community as elected members including Warren Flaunty who is a current Henderson Massey Local Board member, Allen Davies and John Riddell (both past Chairman of the Massey Community Board). All three served a term or terms on the Waitakere City Council, Allen and Warren both served terms on the Waitemata District Council back in the 1970’s.
The strength of the Association and and its elected members over recent times has seen the build of the roundabouts on Don Buck Road, on the corners of Red Hills Road, Triangle and Royal Roads. The Association in conjunction with the then Massey Lions Club also built the first playground on Triangle Park.
However the Association was probably at its strongest in the early 1980’s when it had over 600 paid up members. Massey residents joined in their droves in order to prevent the establishment of a land fill tip, in Sunnyvale Road off Red Hills Road. The Association was successful in its fight to prevent the establishment of the tip.
Public transport has always been a problem for Massey residents, executive member Allen Davies recently presented a submission on proposals to provide more bus services. Back in 1943 Massey residents, unlike today, were vocal in their advocacy for more bus sevices. In 1943 the Air Force began providing its own transport service, and the ABC withdrew its service altogether for a time, but later re-introduced a skeleton service. For a short period the Air Force buses carried civilians. The poor service caused dissatisfaction among the settlers, and two packed public meetings, under the auspices of the Massey – Birdwood Settlers Association, were held about this time. The result in short, was Whenuapai Bus Company was incorporated as a public limited company on 6 November 1944.
The Association contributed to the establishment of the first library hosting the Massey Library in the Hall, and the Citizen Advice Bureau was housed in the hall before moving to Westgate. At one time the Massey Community Board held its meetings in the “Den” and the local Barnardos branch met in the hall as well.
This website, the Associations newsletters, and the facebook page are ways the Association continues to assist the community. A defibrillator is housed in the hall in case it is needed for Community use, the Doctors surgery, Kindy and Police all having access to the Hall in case the unit is required in an emergency. Local schools also have access to the hall should a major disaster make their school uninhabitable. The Riverpark Action Group and Woodside Community Garden are provided with a donation in return for delivering newsletters, thus a local community enterprise benefits as well from the Associations work in the community.
Donations have been made to the Red Cross to help with the Christchurch earthquake on behalf Massey residents. Donations have been made to the Tag Out Trust for its work in taking out the tags on public property and the Association has sponsored a trolley in the annual Rotary Trolley Derby as a way of helping youth in the area.
It is not just the members who have been elected to public office that are continuing the trend of the early pioneers like Luckens and Spargo. Brian and June Lay first moved to Massey in the 1960’s and have contributed to the area through their work in Lions and the Association. Ian Miller is former Journalist and local businessman who is active in researching much history in the area. Ershad Ali is a doctor of economics and local JP. Ershad is the first member of the many ethnic communities that are settling in Massey to join the Association, and is current vice President. Kay Wilson is a local Real Estate agent and along with her partner Ray is also bringing a fresh face and ideas to the Association. Members Bruce and Fran Hartnel fought hard and long with the support of the Association to resolve the opening of Westgate Drive recently. The Association have also been working hard to resolve parking issues in City View Heights.
The Association encourages residents to join its ranks for the princely sum of $1 and contribute to the ongoing development and well being of Massey, ensuring the voice of Massey residents is heard by the authorities now and in the future through strength in numbers. Check out the joining form by clicking on Join top right of the screen.