Local legend has it that Robert and Charles, dressed in midshipman uniforms, often rowed Captain Macmillan from the jetty in front of Castle Grace up the harbour to the Uretara Landing. On arrival they would ship oars in the navy fashion while he stepped on the wharf. Charles Macmillan is one of Katikati’s most distinguished sons. He served on local bodies and as Mayor of Tauranga. He was elected to Parliament in 1923 and became Minister of Agriculture for three years from 1932. He was responsible for giving reserve status to the forested Kaimai Range behind Katikati. Artist Peter Nicholson, of Whitianga, paints landscapes and historical and maritime scenes, the latter the outcome of his love of the sea and ships and boats of every kind.
