CANTERBURY TRAVEL CLUB

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 2

CANTERBURY TRAVEL CLUB

EVENING RECEPTION “The Travel Club in Christchurch was founded only a few months ago, and it has been a great success; its progress has been most gratifying and now we want to enrol more men as members.” With these remarks, the Mayor, Mr J. W. Beanland, president of the Canterbury Travel Club prefaced his speech of welcome to the 250 guests who, last night; attended the club’s evening reception, neld in the large tea room at Ballantynes. Mr and Mrs Beanland were host and hostess at the party and extended special greetings to five visitors—Mr and Mrs Strickland, of Cambrdge, England, who have been spending a few months in the South Island, Mrs E. Seward, of London, Mr David S. Walker, and Mr Stribling, of the United States. Mr Walker gave an interesting description of Salt Lake City, which was founded nearly 90 years ago by Brigham Young, and which now has a population of 200,000. A most cosmopolitan city, with great mineral wealth in its vicinity. Salt Lake City has become one of the industrial centres of the United States, and an important radio centre. Culturally it ranks high and its educational institutions, include three universities, and three junior colleges. Mr Walker described Salt Lake, the waters of which contain 27 per cent, of mineral matter, the far-famed temple and the tabernacle, with its excellent acoustic properties. Mrs E. Seward, of London, described what she had seen at Fairbridge Farm Schools. These schools, she explained, were founded by Kingsley Fairbridge, who was the son of a surveyor in Southern Rhodesia, and who spent much of his lonely childhood in dreaming of a future when the vast spaces of Rhodesia would be less lonely and would be settled by men and women from the overcrowded areas of the older countries. When he grew up, he went to England, enlisted the sympathy of influential Empire builders, and worked out a scheme for establishing schools in the Dominions, in which the pick of the children in rescue homes in England might be tiained and given a chance in life. His own country would not fall in with his plan, but in 1909 he had the pleasure of taking eight boyS to a farm near Perth, Western Australia, where they were well received, and he was given much encouragement and financial help. Mrs Seward recently visited this school, where there are now 350 children, brought out to the school at the age of nine years and trained in farm work in all its branches, and in domestic work. Already 1000 boys and girls from the school arc working in Western Australia, and there are always employers waiting to employ the pupils they reach the age of 15J years At the present time, a similar school is being opened in Victoria, and steps are being taken to found a third school in New South Wales. Kingsley Fairbridge did not live to see the extension of his life work. He died at the age of 39 years, and is buried in the grounds of the school he foundea near Perth. Between the addresses songs were sung by Miss Muriel Hartle, and Mr W. Toomey, for whom Miss D. Witbrock and Mrs Toomey played the accompaniments. After supper an interesting travel film, including fine aerial pictures ot the Southern Alps, were shown by Mr G. Edmonds. Mr J. G. D. Ward, the chairman, on behalf of the Travel Club, and the guests, thanked the singers, speakers, and Mr Edmonds for the pleasant programme they had provided. VISITORS TO CHRISTCHURCH New City Hotel: Dr. and Mrs W. E. Adams and Miss J. Vyner (Dunedin). Mr and Mrs A. L. Pethybridge and Mr and Mrs J. G. Simpson (Tlmaru), Miss N. S. Bragg (Stewart Island). Hotel Federal: Mrs S. M. Reynolds, Misses V. McMillan and Wilson, and Mrs G. Wilson (Dunedin), Miss D. Miller (Oamaru), and Mr and Mrs B. Vinsen (Wellington). .Warner’s Hotel; Mr and Mrs H. R. Pearson (Christchurch). Clarendon Hotel: Mr George E. Thompson and Mrs Thompson (Dunedin). United Service Hotel: Mr and Mrs Arthur Green (London).