CIVIC "AT HOME."

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 190, 13 August 1925, Page 9

CIVIC "AT HOME."

GAY THRONG AT TOWN HALL. WONDERFUL DECOKaTIONS. Nothing could have been in stronger contrast than the cold storm through which the guests had to travel and the interior of the Tow.i Hall, where last night the City Council's "At Home" to Admiral Robison and officers took place. It was one of the coldest, wettest, and most boisterous nights we have had this winter, but even that did not deter over fifteen hundred people assembling to do honour to our guests. Lavish use of typical New Zealand greenery, such as the lovely nikau, tree-ferns, and the lacelike lycopodiurn practically obliterated the architectural lines of the building, an 1 transformed the scene into something suggestive of the tropics. Coloured lights uisposcd about the temporary shrubberies completed the illusion. Our climate and our flora seemed bo diametrically opposed, that it must have made the guests wonder what sort of a place they had reached. Scores of whole nikaus were ranged round the galleries at intervals, hiding the pillars. From the two electroliers in the high ceiling festoons of lycopodium radiated, and the ends were caught up to the gallery balustrade. More festoons of the graceful creeper were used freely in various parts of the building, and the effect was very graceful. It was on the stage, however, that the greatest transformation had taken place. Tho platform and the choir seats were entirely hidden behind nikaus, tree ferns, cabbage trees, and other greenery. Down the centre, from the organ platform, an artificial waterfall splashed down over what looked like very real rockery, the water emptying into an arum lily-fringod rock pool on the stage, the pool being surrounded by a veritable carpet of orchids growing in pots, the spaces between the pots being hidden with moss. Kows of flax led up diagonally from the front of the stage to the back, while some quite nice crotons and poinsettias gave a dash of colour here and there, and, while they were not quite so gorgeous as one sees in the tropics, these essentially warm-weather plants were wonderfully well-grown for a climate that could turn on such a storm as that of last night. In addition to all this wealth of decoration there was still one other effective touch, iind that was the tall mirrors that stood against the walls of the ground floor at intervals, these being flanked by growing creepers trained up trellis-work to represent the frame. By the time the principal guest of the evening, Admiral Robison, was escorted into the hall by the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. A. Warnock), there was a largo gatherng of prominent people, and the scene was decidedly brilliant. Next came Whnirnl Bostwick and Lady Parr, Sir James Parr and Mrs. Robison, Mr. Walter V. Boyle (American Consul) and Mrs. Warnock, and members of the City Council. After tho "National Anthem." the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung with enthusiasm, the City Organist (Mr. T. Maughan Barnett) presiding at tho nrgan. The Municipal Band provided in excellent programme of music, and Mr. Barry Coney's singing of Hill's two Maori songs was" specially appreciated by ■he visitors. The ground floor of the hall iva« furnished as a drawing-room, and here the "itizPiis and their guests got to know one another, and later supper was served. V very successful gathering was con--Wed with a little impromptu dance, which appealed specially to tho naval men.