Walk of Champions

Petone is known as “The Cradle of Champions”

A phrase first coined by Sir Thomas Wilford, MP for Hutt (1889-1929). To explain the story of the greatness of New Zealand on the fields of sport by Petone citizens – a remarkable achievement that Petone possesses – you need to know why sport has been an important part of Petone life since 1870.

The start of industralised NZ began in Petone in the 1870s with the railway workshops. After that, companies began to buy cheap land on which to build their factories, so young men and women began to travel by train to Petone by rail, mainly from Wellington. Soon these workers found that it was possible for the first time in their lives to buy a small section and build a home on the 100 acre (40-hectare) block of land that had been allocated to early immigrants. Development was swift and Petone’s population grew rapidly. Most were young families who worked in the factories.

With huge growth in population came the need for leisure activities, therefore, sport became an important element of Petone life. Team sports especially flourished with each industry having their own teams, for example, workers at the Railway Workshops played rugby in their lunch hour, first founding a rugby club in 1884!

Jump forward to 1992 and the Walk of Champions arose through a discussion Roy Hewson (former Deputy Mayor of Petone & former Petone Ward Councillor of Lower Hutt City) had with two local retailers at the time – former All Blacks Captain, Andy Leslie (owner of Scott & Leslie Menswear), and Kevin Rayner (owner of Rayner Hardware). It was believed the sporting prowess in Petone should be recognised by laying a brass plaque in the footpath to commemorate each New Zealand champion or NZ representative (Roy had been inspired by a recent trip to the Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame”). The Jackson Street Programme then picked up the idea and it is still running to this day laying plaques annually. Roy Hewson organised the plaques every year on behalf of the JSP until 2016, he then stayed on as an adviser to the JSP staff until he passed away in 2018.

The criteria for having a plaque:

represented New Zealand while playing for a Petone sports-club
became a New Zealand national champion while playing for a Petone sports-club
represented New Zealand or became a New Zealand national champion while living in Petone but playing a sport not catered for in Petone, for example netball, softball
retired from national and international sport

{Note 2: does not include age-limited representatives}

To date, we have laid 148 plaques honouring 190 sportspeople (dated: February 2025)

Plaques along Jackson Street

South side of street
Victoria Street to Fitzherbert Street
140 -144 A.Lambourn…………… Rugby
140-144 J.P.Dougan………………. Rugby
140-144 J.A.Blair…………………. Football/Athletics
146 ……. R.W.Blair………………… Cricket
148……. Patricia Valk…………….. Table Tennis
150……. Hugh Jones………………. Weightlifting
Fitzherbert Street to Sydney Street
158-162 Glad Carrick-Weatherley…Target shooting
168……. Rita McMurray………… Hockey
174……. I.R.Carter; Muller; Booth Greenstreet; Burton…Rowing
Sydney Street to Nelson Street
180……. Jean Coulson……………. Bowls
186-190 Joan Porter………………. Bowls
198……. A.R.Leslie………………… Rugby/Softball
218……. Ross Filipo……………….. Rugby
218……. Iain O’Brien……………… Cricket
Nelson Street to Richmond Street
204……. Ken Gray…………………. Rugby
204……. Bob Arthur………………. Smallbore Rifle Shooting
210……. Peter Wear……………… Rowing
212……. Bruce Jones……………… Rowing
220……. Andy Baron……………… Football
220……. James Bannatyne……… Football
224……. Leigh Kelly……………….. Indoor Cricket
Richmond to Bay Street
226……. T.Nunns…………………… Softball
226……. Mark Brown…………….. Golf
228……. Peter McIndoe…………. Skating
230……. Alma Coulson…………… Basketball/Softball
234……. W.P.Pringle……………… Rugby
234……. Nancy Curtis…………….. Tennis
236……. Malcolm Leadbetter…. Athletics
238……. W.S.McKenzie………….. Rugby
240……. Pat Abbott……………….. Rowing
242……. Ross Collinge……………. Rowing
Bay Street to Beach Street
250……. Harvey Kreyl……………. League
250……. Vern Lister………………. Swimming
258……. Andy Leslie Snr…………. Soccer
258……. Bob Scott…………………. Rugby
262……. Marilyn Smith………….. Golf
264……. Dave Boswell…………… Boxing
266……. Bill Massey………………. Softball
268……. Stan Brice………………… Cricket
Beach Street to Queen Street
270……. Grant Turner……………. Football
272……. Tom Te Puni…………….. Maori Rugby
272……. Jill Westenra……………. Multisport
272……. A Ivancic/M Phillipson. Football
274……. Stew Demster………….. Cricket
274b….. George Maber…………. Rugby
274c…… Mat Love…………………. Maori Rugby
274c…… Tui Love…………………… Maori Rugby
278……. NZ Moffatt Cup 1941… Yachting
278……. NZ Moffat Cup 1945….. Yachting
282……. Joan Brown……………… Table Tennis
282……. Cheryl Fleet……………… Basketball
Queen Street to Buick Street
284……. Kristen Phillips…………. Table Tennis
288……. Bevan Turksma………… Water Skiing
292……. Neil Lyster……………….. Cycling
292……. Florence Tamehana….. Rugby
294……. Hoani Tui…………………. Maori Rugby
296……. Roy White……………….. Rugby
298……. Alf Cleverley…………….. Boxing
Buick Street to Bolton Street
300……. Michael Watt…………… Smallbore Rifle Shooting
300……. Mark Erwin……………… Rowing
304……. Riki Flutey……………….. Maori Rugby
304……. Paul Howell……………… Maori Rugby League
306……. Anthony Farmer………. Maori Rugby League
306……. Petone Rowing Eight…. Rowing
316……. Naera Parata…………… Maori Rugby
316……. Rochelle Martin……….. Rugby
324……. Jack McCarten…………. Rowing
Bolton Street to Tory Street
328……. Nancy Brown……………. Smallbore Rifle Shooting
328……. John Howat……………… Rapid Fire Pistol Shooting
330……. Dan Stirling……………… Muay Thai Kick Boxing
330-323 Thelma Kench………….. Athletics
336……. Viv Haar………………….. Rowing
360……. Judith A. Bruce…………. Judo
NORth side of street
Petone Avenue to Victoria Street
71 Matthew Lane Golf
Victoria Street to Fitzherbert Street
75-81…. Don McIntosh………….. Rugby
75-81…. Kara Puketapu………….. Maori Rugby
75-81… Ben Koopu……………….. Maori Rugby
87 ……… William Cate……………. Cricket
91……… Leslie Thomas………….. Rugby
Fitzherbert Street to Sydney Street
119……. Martin Stirling………….. Sumo Wrestling
125……. J Ryan & E Ryan………… Rugby
131……. Hugh Poole………………. Yachting
Nelson Street to Scholes Lane
151……. Bunk Pollock…………….. Rugby
153……. Maxine Goldie…………. Table Tennis
157……. Bumper Wright………… Rugby League
Scholes Lane to Richmond Street
169……. Simon Mannix………….. Rugby
173……. Billy Miles……………….. Water Polo
Richmond to Britannia Street
175……. Peter Mellors…………… Rugby League
…………. Thomas Cross…………… Rugby
185……. Dick Joyce……………….. Rowing
185a….. Stuart Watkins…………. Indoor Cricket
187……. A & W Ballinger……….. Shooting
193……. Jimmy Campbell………. Football
195……. Dave McKissock……….. Football
199……. Ian Boserio………………. Rowing
201……. Billy Harrison…………… Football
203……. Albert House……………. Rugby League
Britannia Street to Elizabeth Street
205……. Barry Pickering………… Football
207……. Axel Dickinson………….. Rowing
209……. Erin-Monique O’Brien.. Rowing
211……. JJ Ryan…………………….. Football
215-217 Geoff Skipper…………… Rugby
219……. Tana Umaga……………. Rugby
221……. Wendi Henderson…….. Football
223……. Maureen Jacobson……. Football
225-227 Don Jowat……………….. Athletics
229……. Mike Clamp…………….. Rugby
229……. Geoff Benge…………….. Rowing
Elizabeth Street to Buick Street
233-235 Mark, Ginger & Doc Nicholls…Rugby
233-235 Dulcie Nicholls…………. Tennis
237……. Muriel Howe……………. Netball
239……. Nolan Tupae ……………. Rugby League
241……. Jim Barber………………. Rugby League
243……. Clayton/Rigby/Bosell/Pope/Burns…Rowing
247……. Hunter & Lowry………… Bowls
251……. Allan Hewson…………… Rugby
253……. Sydney Haines………….. Football
255-257 Billy Kyle…………………. Athletics
261……. Ron Ulmer……………….. Cycling
263……. Bob Nicholls…………….. Shooting
263……. Jason O’Halloran………. Rugby
Buick Street to Kensington Avenue
265……. Frank Walker…………… Maori Rugby
265……. Tera Arthur……………… Maori Rugby
281……. Jack Seymour…………… Maori Rugby
283……. Tony Evans………………. Football
291……. Des Lock………………….. Rowing
295……. Richard Cleland………… Spear Fishing
295……. Hans Vlaar………………. Canoeing
Kensington Avenue to Cuba Street
297……. William Reedy………….. Rugby
299……. Bob Quickenden……….. Football
301……. Jock Newell……………… Football
301……. Francis Phelan………….. Football
303……. Pauline O’Sullivan…….. Football
303……. Cinnamon Chaney…….. Football
303……. Lynne Warring…………. Football
303……. Sacha Haskell…………… Football
305……. Danielle Taylor…………. Football
311……. Joneson & Sellars……… Rowing
311……. Laurence Hullena……… Rugby
313……. Charles Finlayson……… Cricket
313……. Murray Dunne…………. Table Tennis
313……. Mark Noble……………… Chess
313……. Hone Ridley……………… Table Tennis
337……. Ian Stevens………………. Rugby
337……. Bob Jones………………… Softball
337……. Thomas Katene………… Rugby