Harvey Hutchinson parachutes into Katikati District High School in June 1962.
Harvey Hutchinson parachutes into Katikati District High School in June 1962.
Sixty years ago this month, Katikati kids looked to the skies and were amazed and enthralled to see a man parachuting into the school grounds.
That sky-man was ex-student and one of New Zealand's parachuting champions, Harvey Hutchinson, ''dropping in'' to see the students and to thank the local community by giving them a taste of his beloved sport.
Photos were published in the Bay of Plenty Times on June 16, 1962.
The people of Katikati had helped raise money to get Harvey overseas for the world championships.
Harvey heading for a jump with Tauranga Parachute Club in 1961.
Wife Ann says Harvey parachuted into Katikati District High School (now Katikati College) grounds to "show the residents what he was all about and as a big thank you"'.
"He was thrilled that there were so many people there to watch, knowing that many people, especially children, had never experienced anything like it.
"The school kids loved the display and mobbed him when he landed.'"
Harvey gets mobbed by the children on his parachute into the school grounds.
Sue Baker Wilson was one of those children and can be seen beaming in photos from the day.
"My hero had just jumped in the school grounds. That little girl knew in that moment that Katikati was much 'bigger' than I might have previously realised."
Perfect landing... believed to be the photo from the jump into the school grounds.
He attended the World Meet in 1962 in the United States after just two years of jumping experience. Harvey says he was "beyond grateful" for Katikati raising money because he had none.
His next stint on the international front was Leipzig, East Germany, in 1966.
Harvey lived in Crossley St all his life until moving away to learn boilermaking and compulsory military service.
When he first started skydiving in the 1960s, he was the only Māori.
He used to fly Tiger Moths and after seeing an Auckland club aerobatic display, decided he needed to give skydiving a go.
Harvey delivers sandbag bomb on target during Tauranga Aero Club competitions.
Harvey later moved to Rotorua and started up a parachute centre, and started another club after moving to Australia in 1969.
Harvey instructs Ken McClean at the Tauranga Gliding Champs.
Harvey is now 87 and lives in Mackay, Queensland.
He no longer jumps, but every few months he still flies to a skydiving centre to assist in ground landing photography.
