December 2025 Newsletter #20

• Sir Keith Park Memorial Inaugurated with aplomb
• Excellent TVNZ 1 and newspaper coverage of the event
• $16,000 still required to meet outstanding financial obligations
• Plan to publish two Children’s Books featuring Sir Keith Park

• Joanne’s new photo book covering the development of the statue available
• Battle of Britain 2026 – thoughts
• Annual General Meeting feedback

The Battle of Britain Commemorations and the Inauguration of the Memorial to Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park went off very well on Sunday 14th September, despite a bitterly cold westerly wind.

Through the efforts of William Earl (a member of SKPMA Inc.), we managed to get excellent coverage on TV1 News that same evening. This was followed by equally great coverage in The Mercury Bay Informer and Valley Profile newspapers.

Although the statue is there, and the Memorial has been completed and inaugurated, we still need about $16,000 to meet outstanding financial obligations. This needs to be addressed and settled before 31st March 2026.

Further funds will be required going into the future for maintenance, insurance and security – as well as for new initiatives to keep spreading the word about Sir Keith auspicious legacy – an inspiration to all young New Zealanders.

Please – donate now !!! Bank details on website.

Every donation – however large or small – will promptly receive a receipt, and remember that SKPMA Inc. is a registered charity so such donations will be tax deductible.

Discussions have started to write and publish two Children’s Books featuring Sir Keith Park. One will target the primary school age group, the second will target the secondary school age children. These will be based on work already undertaken by Sally Muir and Michelle Mulholland, in a format similar to the series “Little People, Big Dreams”. That series covers a wide range of prominent individuals and is available widely throughout New Zealand.

More information will follow with the next newsletter in the New Year.

I continue to be available to address any and all appropriate forums as a means of spreading the word about Sir Keith and his legacy. Similarly, the Children’s Books will offer a pathway to the parents of such children when they are sharing these books.

We had coverage of the Battle of Britain Commemorations and the Inauguration in the latest edition of the KiwiFlyer Magazine (Issue 111, 2025 #7, page 6), exposing our project and efforts to a significant national group of readers in the aviation sector – perhaps even international!

There is also a full colour page feature about our project in The Mercury Bay Informer Summer Magazine.
I have engagements scheduled already next year at The Wellington Club and Rebus Mt Hobson. If any of our readers can make introductions or have suggestions as to possible forums that would be interested in learning about our hero, please let me know.

Fraser Boddy is in discussion with our management contact at the Vero Centre, in order to have a suitable quotation about Sir Keith posted on the northern wall of the foyer. This wall space will become available early next year when the big wheel now occupying the foyer is removed, going to a new home down-country.

Joanne has just released a new coffee table photo book about the statue of Sir Keith. This version covers the full statue project from start to finish, and includes photo coverage of the unveiling of the full-sized clay model in her Helensville Studio, and the 2025 Battle of Britain Commemorations and the Inauguration.

Copies are available through me at $70.00 plus P&P each.

Next year’s event will of necessity be a much less grand affair. It is scheduled for 11:00am Sunday 13th September at the Thames Airfield.

A key feature in the planning will be the unveiling of a memorial tablet with the names of those New Zealanders who flew in the Battle of Britain, and have been recognised with the Battle of Britain Clasp as one of The Few.

Such a list of names must be accepted as the best possible view, as reported numbers of New Zealanders in the range variously between 127 and 145!

The SKPMA Inc. Annual Gene ral Meeting was held on Sunday 23rd November at the Hauraki Aero Club. Key points are:

• Officers and Committee members remain unchanged until at least next year
• New Constitution for SKPMA Inc. approved by the meeting and will now be submitted, as required, to the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 for approval
• $16,000 required to meet outstanding financial obligations before 31st March 2026
• Subscriptions to SKPMA Inc. are to remain at $60.00 per annum for this year
• Discussions initiated to explore succession planning for the president, and the governance of SKPMA Inc. possibly transioning, to NZWarbirds in two to three years.

Remember the Thames Wings and Wheels event at the Thames Airfield

Saturday 24th January 2026

Gates open: 10AM – 3PM

Come and enjoy a fun family day out!

Te Kowhai Airfield has embarked on a major development project, to create the Te Kowhai Air Park. A summary from current media coverage is attached.

Check out their website at: tekowhaiairpark.co.nz.

This is the sort of potential waiting to be unlocked at the Thames Airfield. If the Thames-Coromandel District Council (as the owner of the asset) does not have the funding or the appetite to undertake such a project, it is hoped that Council may at least enable and support a third party so to do.