Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Whanganui Midweek

Obituary: Peter Robert Johnston - ‘We are indebted to these honourable people of yesteryear’

Whanganui Midweek
17 Apr, 2024 09:34 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Peter Johnson contributed greatly to sport and history of Whanganui over many years.

Peter Johnson contributed greatly to sport and history of Whanganui over many years.

2/2/1936 - 27/3/2024

On behalf of his four sisters: Anne, Barbara, Kathy and Julie, with assistance from Peter Head

Peter left school at 15, and joined the post office as a telegraph boy.

He rose to become head draftsman, at the Post and Telegraph head office in Wellington, on his retirement.

Peter was a keen sportsman and enthusiastic rugby player, coach, referee, and administrator.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He not only played for Kaierau and Whanganui, but was active in club rugby in Invercargill where he coached and refereed, and also for many years in Christchurch when on transfer for the Post Office.

When he retired in Wellington, he moved back to his home town Whanganui and worked in the rugby headquarters, here in Whanganui. He also worked on the tram restoration and walking tours of the city.

Peter was a researcher, historian and writer and collated many reunion books for school, sports and other activities he was involved in. His particular interest was family history and the two world wars.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He collated a database of soldiers featured on war memorials from the wider Whanganui and Waimarino districts. He researched and compiled family records of the pioneer families from which he was descended.

He was proud of his Swedish and Shetland heritage.

Ever a leader from a very young age, Peter was active in rugby, softball, swimming and lawn bowls, participating on committees and taking leadership roles in youth development.

For example, as a teenager, he was captain of the Gonville swimming club, where he organised and participated in swimming carnivals.

Peter Head, a life member of Kaierau Rugby Club, has described in his newsletter, that his involvement with Peter “was that of spending many hours researching and collating information for the production of the 1991 centennial booklet, which is still talked about as a masterpiece.

“This was a huge undertaking with many hours researching and finding old club photos. We worked alongside Noel Mahoney who was the editor of the booklet and Alan Lockett who was the club’s archivist.

“The Kaierau Rugby Club would not be the club it is today if it wasn’t for the absolute dedication of Peter and his era of workers to the club. We are indebted to these honourable people of yesteryear.”

Surely a tribute to his enthusiasm, hard work and dedication.

Peter leaves a daughter, Heather Kubiak (Whanganui) and his son Paul Johnston, in Perth Australia.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Midweek

Whanganui Midweek

Midweek mayoral musings: Gallery reopening ‘one of those great days’ - Mayor Andrew Tripe

17 Dec 04:00 PM
Whanganui Midweek

Iconic plant of the Whanganui sand country

16 Dec 08:34 PM
Whanganui Midweek

Philippa Baker-Hogan: Championing the benefits of an active community

15 Dec 09:06 PM

‘No regrets’ for Rotorua Retiree

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Midweek

Midweek mayoral musings: Gallery reopening ‘one of those great days’ - Mayor Andrew Tripe

Midweek mayoral musings: Gallery reopening ‘one of those great days’ - Mayor Andrew Tripe

17 Dec 04:00 PM

Midweek mayoral musings from Mayor Andrew Tripe

Iconic plant of the Whanganui sand country

Iconic plant of the Whanganui sand country

16 Dec 08:34 PM
Philippa Baker-Hogan: Championing the benefits of an active community

Philippa Baker-Hogan: Championing the benefits of an active community

15 Dec 09:06 PM
Reminders of past litter our bush - Making Tracks with Scroggin

Reminders of past litter our bush - Making Tracks with Scroggin

15 Dec 07:05 AM
Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design
sponsored

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP