Denzel aimed high to hit peak
When Denzel Robertson started Mt Albert Grammar School he was “a short, skinny, brown kid who had the same Sonny Bill haircut as every other Polynesian boy”.
Mall expansion edges closer
The plan to virtually double the size of St Lukes mall is grinding towards a start, though it may be 2019 before work finally begins. Mall company executives are still refining and adjusting the St Lukes masterplan and have been meeting with Auckland Council planners. But any announcement on the final form and a start…
Going, going… gone at Alberton
The romantics have their way: Alberton’s grand old redwood tree may indeed have been planted by Allan Kerr Taylor. Well, maybe. When the diseased trunk was lowered by chainsaws on Friday, arborists stepped in with some detective work to estimate how long it had graced Mt Albert. While Kerr Taylor’s fingerprints were not on the…
Maddy and Isaac – sport masters
The old phrase of being “Jack (or Jill) of all trades and master of none” doesn’t quite apply to Maddy Gordon, who has been named Victrix Ludorum (girls’ sporting champion) at Mt Albert Grammar School for 2017.
Mt Albert gem finds a new owner
One of Mt Albert’s most distinguished homes has sold under the hammer, bringing claps of joy from the woman who has lived there for the last 70 years. The Basil Hooper-designed home at 40 Kitenui Ave, known for decades as “the house on the corner”, sold at auction last night for $1.82m (against a 2014…
AT looks for prang alley answers
Mt Albert’s prime prang alley – the intersection of Asquith Ave and New North Rd – appears in line for a safety face-lift. The intersection, which featured on Mt Albert Inc this week and drew dozens of Facebook comments, is being investigated by Auckland Transport and changes seem almost certain. Richard Peck, from Kelly Workshop,…
Q and A: focus on Mary Inomata
Mary Inomata is one of Mt Albert’s great go-to people. She rolls up her sleeves and gets things done. Mary, a driving force in the Mt Albert Historical Society, married Hisashi in Fukuoka in 1963 and is the proud mum of Kane and Aimee (and grandson Gabriel). Her other baby is Toby, the family’s “spoilt…
$1.2m tag for room with a view
Retirement villages are a growth industry in New Zealand and Mt Albert has joined the list with a development to help satisfy the huge baby-boomer generation blip. The project at Everil Orr Retirement Village in Allendale Rd is a major work in progress on the local landscape and will soon welcome its first residents. But…
Last hurrah for old redwood
Alberton’s old redwood tree got the send-off it deserved this morning – with a descendant of the pioneering Kerr Taylor family in the centre of things. The tree was planted by the Kerr Taylor family perhaps 150 years ago, and is now a sad shadow of its earlier glory – shed of all its lower…
Opinion: a prang alley solution?
If panel beaters ever have doubts about their future prospects, they should wander down to the intersection of Asquith Ave and New North Rd. Their eyes would surely light up. It’s difficult to think of another Mt Albert junction that offers anywhere near the menace of this collision corner. Auckland Transport banned right-hand turns into…
Pio’s heartfelt words to students
Actor and comedian Pio Terei gave a personal insight into the grief of losing a child when he spoke to Mt Albert Grammar School students at a special assembly. Mr Terei was guest speaker at Friday’s service assembly where 54 students were honoured for their contribution to school life. Mr Terei, pictured (courtesy of MAGS)…
Farewell to Alberton redwood
A towering redwood tree planted by the Kerr Taylor family next to Alberton House around 150 years ago will be toppled because of safety concerns. The 40m tall tree (in the middle background of this picture), one of the oldest in Mt Albert, is in poor condition and there are fears it may fall and…