1948: City of Timaru
November 11, 2023
By AHNZ
75 years ago, today in history, 11 November, 1948, Timaru was gazetted as a city. New Zealand’s 10th. The population had reached 20,000.
The people of Timaru could now call themselves “citizens” rather than “burgesses.”
The entity ceased to exist in 1989 due to The Great Amalgamation. Instead, Timaru District Council gobbled it up along with Temuka, Geraldine, and Strathallan.
“Timaru was proclaimed a borough on 13 July 1868 and became a city on 11 November 1948. ” – An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, A. H. McLintock (1966)
“”A very doubtful distinction for a town, which was fast losing its rural character,” was how one citizen put it.”- Will Now Truly Be “City Fathers”: Change In Status For Council, Powers And Duties, Timaru Herald (1948,) Timaru District Libraries Online Heritage Collection
“Twenty-five years ago this month Timaru was proclaimed a city — the tenth New Zealand and fifth South Island centre to achieve this status.” – Timaru Reached City Status 25 Years Ago, Timaru Herald (1973), ibid
“The Latin motto was adopted in 1948 on the attainment of city status. It may be freely translated as “No Reward Without Effort.”” – South Canterbury NZGenWeb Project, Rootsweb
“The literal translation of Palma non sine pulvere means palms (as in the tree) not without dust, but it’s not as simple as that. In this case palm is a long held symbol of victory, peace, going back to ancient times when athletes were awarded palm leaves. The dust in this case is an allusion to hard work, as in you’ve been toiling hard and you’ve got dust on your hands.” – Timaru District Council, Facebook (2019)
The Timaru motto adopted for the occasion of becoming a city translates to “No Reward Without Effort.” It’s an interesting sentiment to reflect on in the 2020s as the new generation come of age who often signal that they do not share it…
“Guns are so tacky. Can you imagine?…Let’s just chat.” – Gen Z talks military Draft
“The 9 to 5 schedule in general is CRAZY.” – Gen Z TikTok Girl Can’t Handle Working A 9-5 Job
“My generation is frustrated. We don’t want to work anymore.” – Gen Z girl doesn’t want to work anymore
Generation Z in Timaru, and the rest of the world, need to be productive in order to be rewarded. Or, someone else has to do it on their behalf so that they can forever be children. This isn’t a function of our Capitalist social system but of life itself. The new city of Timaru in 1948 understood this perfectly well having only recently emerged from the dust and toil of WW2. They may have even been making a subtle point that the success and beauty of Timaru had been well-earned by their worthy selves. Who do the new generation suppose is going to provide for them if they do not? Would they trade off our nation and their freedom if some invading nation promised them no work? Are they already surrendering New Zealand jobs and houses and cities to immigrants who ARE willing to work hard to earn them? How many times do we need to re-learn the Timaru motto? Palma non sine pulvere; No reward without effort.
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Image ref. Weathered Timaru crest found on a Timaru mural; AHNZ Archives (2023)
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