DAVID UNWIN/STUFF/Stuff
Henry Sedcole s great-grandson Ian Bailey is cutting up Pahīatua’s original Sedcole Flagpole to be distributed as heirlooms among family.
Pahīatua will soon have its historic centrepiece restored, with a replica of the Sedcole Flagpole going up as the damaged original is returned to the descendents of the man who donated it to the town. The wooden flagpole was Pahīatua’s first public structure, erected by town co-founder Henry Sedcole as a community focal point for gatherings and discussions in 1900. It was taken down for restoration in 2015 after it became structurally unsound. The flagpole proved beyond repair and a replica to carry the original plaque and mark the historic location was planned to go up during Pahīatua’s town upgrade.