Horowhenua Walk of Fame: More locals honoured

The recipients of Horowhenua Walk of Fame 2023 plaques.

Horowhenua’s Walk of Fame now has 31 plaques, placed in front of businesses on Oxford Street in Levin. Last Sunday plaques were added for: Ernest Lancaster, Harriet Bowen, Leslie Adkin, Collis and Helen Blake, Dr Elizabeth Bryson, Bill and Carol Doreen, Laurie Roberts, Wayne Buckingham, Ken Dawick, James and Richard Prouse, and Terry McCashin.

McCashin was a rugby rep, became AB 674, was a publican who had a brewing business and produced the country’s first craft beer.

The Prouse brothers ran sawmills, Dawick was an RNZAF pilot during the Battle of Britain.

Wayne Buckingham was a hockey rep and built a career in hospitality in Australia, Singapore, Bangkok, and the USA.

Laurie Roberts made a name for himself in track cycling and built the cycle track the Levin Domain.

Bill Doreen was a world-renowned lilly breeder, Dr Elizabeth Bryson came to NZ as no one in the UK was prepared to employ her as a medical doctor. She graduated from St Andrew’s University in Scotland. She married a local doctor and, after a few years in Levin, they moved on.

Image 1 of 11: Murray Doreen with the plaque for his parents: Bill and Carol Doreen. Horowhenua Walk of Fame 2023

Leslie Adkin was a local farmer, whose passion for photography generated a 7500-photo collection preserved at te Papa. He also wrote a history of Horowhenua.

Harriet Bowen was a postmistress in Horowhenua and Whanganui and one of the first women to pass the civil service senior exam. She was the first president of the Red Cross in Levin and the first woman to be elected to the borough council.

Ernest Lancaster was one of the early settlers, a dairy farmer, chair of the first cooperative dairy company, the first president of the local tramping club, and was among the first Europeans to cross the Tararua Ranges.

Collis Blake was a farmer and a fierce opponent of Rogernomics, actively helping to save farms from going under. Successful as a farmer, he and his wife Helen were able to contribute much to the community and were the driving force behind Adventure Park.

Wayne Buckingham came over from Australia to receive his plaque in person and reminisced about being in the very same Horowhenua College hall in 1973 for his graduation. Other plaques were received by family members or friends.

For more information on each person visit https://www.hh.org.nz/walk-of-fame.