ON NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 128, 1 June 1936, Page 12

ON NEW ZEALAND.

LECTURES BY ENGLISHMAN. CLIMBS IN- THE ALPS. An Englishman lecturing on New Zealand to New Zealanders is rather strange but nevertheless true, for that is the position of Mr. Alan C. Browne, F.R.G.S., A.R.C.A.. who in the opinion of Sir. Thomas Wilford. former High Commissioner for New Zealand, has done more to advertise this country abroad than any other individual man. Mr. Browne, who is well known in England as an artist and a mountain climber, has visited New Zealand twice, the first occasion being in 1920. He had read much about the scenic beauties of the Dominion and has heard glowing accounts from various friends who had spent holidays in this country. At first he worked on sheep stations and as an alpine guide, but from 1927 to 1931 he set himself to work up a lecture on New Zealand and to paint lantern slides for exhibition in Great Britain. He returned to England in 1931 and from then to 1935 went on an extensive lecture tour of the country. He returned to New Zealand last year and after lecturing over a wide area in the South Island is now visiting tli2 North Island, where he hopes to collect the material for lectures on the thermal regions and the Maoris. When Mr. Browne was in Wellington in March he had the honour of delivering a lecture at. Parliament House for the benefit of the members and the Legislative Council. He has climbed in many parts of the Southern Alps and has spent much time in the painting of lantern slides from his own photographs, a number of his paintings having been on exhibition at the rooms of the Royal Geographical Society in London for three months. Mr. Browne is staying With friends in Auckland.