“Kia ora everyone, I’m sorry that I can’t be with you today for this special occasion. When the Moon Tree was planted at Blacks School in October 1969, I was 11 years old standing among my classmates, excited by the idea that humans had just walked on the moon for the first time (or maybe excited by the fact that it was almost playtime). Like many children of that era, it felt as though the impossible had suddenly become possible. I was fortunate to be there when the tree was planted and to play a small part in marking that remarkable moment in history. Growing up in Ophir and attending Blacks School helped shape who I am. The school was small, life was free of care and the community was brilliant — we were resilience, curious, and learned the importance of community and of looking after one another. Those values were deeply rooted in the people and landscape of Ophir. What makes this tree special is not simply that it commemorates the Apollo 11 moon landing. It is that, more than fifty years later, it still stands as a living connection between generations. Children who play beneath its branches today are connected to those of us who planted it as schoolchildren all those years ago. The tree has witnessed the closing of Blacks School and the continuation of learning and community through the Playcentre that now occupies the site. As you/we celebrate the unveiling of this interpretive panel, I hope it reminds us that history is not only found in books and museums. Sometimes it is found in places, in memories, in communities, and in trees that quietly grow alongside us. Thank you to everyone who has worked to preserve this story and celebrate this piece of Ophir’s heritage. I am proud of my Blacks School and Ophir roots and honoured to have been part of this small but enduring chapter in our community’s history. Ngā mihi nui, Still just a boy from Ophir!”