Woodville Celebrates Earlier Local Body

Cars gave way to Clydesdales, mechanised milking to deft fingers and separators, corporate clothing to crinoline and cheesecakes to churned butter for a Woodville weekend pioneer-style.

Central to the festivities was the formation of the town’s first local body the Woodville Town Board established in 1885.

Organisers were the Woodville Pioneer 2010 committee which included Athol Sowry, great-grandson of inaugural town board chairman and first mayor Joseph Sowry.
A series of pioneer activities over the weekend, a parade, peddler’s market, music and an outdoor church service were enthusiastically supported by “hundreds” Tararua i-Site manager Carole Wilton said.

Bystanders, many wearing pioneer dress lined the streets for the parade led by winners of the entry with the Most Effort, the Riley family.

A float depicting members of the first town board was manned by Tararua district councillor Claire Matthews, former mayor Ralph Mountford, and former and current chairs of Woodville Districts Vision Ray Allott and Allan Broom.

Winner of the Most Authentic entry was Cameron Horne of Timeless Horse Treks.