Porirua and proud of it
Porirua residents often shout from the rooftops about the good things going on in their city. Often, they feel the need to shout a bit louder or hold a demonstration of their passion for Porirua, especially when it seems the media is not on their side.
This is what occurred on April 11, 1981, at the ‘‘ Porirua and Proud of it’’ rally. More than 100 people marched five kilometres from Waitangirua Mall to the city centre, many carrying banners proclaiming their pride in the city.
‘‘My nana lives in Porirua and she is the best’’, ‘‘Everywhere has the good and the bad’’ and ‘‘Porirua and Proud of it’’ were just some of the slogans.
Porirua girls Alana MearsMitchell and Cinnamon Tararo were photographed by famed photographer Ans Westra outside the council buildings in Hagley St, where the rally was received by city councillors.
The negative stereotypes of Porirua came from its workingclass background and some bad publicity generated during the recent visit of Prince Charles, the rally organisers said.
Agnes Willoughby, Sharron Johns, Maureen Vicars and Tina Kunz co-ordinated the march.
They said the bad image of Porirua was media created and the city only made it into the news when something bad happened. Consequently, people believed it was an awful place.
Marchers received plenty of encouraging horn soundings during the march and Ministry of Transport officers cleared the way for them, the Evening Post reported.
Johns told Kapi- Mana News afterwards she was pleased it wasn’t just her and her three coorganisers that turned up.
She said the rally was spur of the moment, ‘‘but we certainly got our point across’’.