DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S VISIT

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 14

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S VISIT

Busy Final Day Spent In Christchurch DEPARTURE FOR CHATHAM ISLANDS The Duke of Edinburgh left the mainland of New Zealand in the Royal yacht Britannia at 11 o’clock last evening for the Chatham Islands. His packed, seven-day tour ended with one of his busiest but most interesting days. For the first time His Royal Highness visited a New Zealand dairy farm and for the first time he saw a display of agricultural aviation. These two typical aspects of life in the Dominion brought forth the obvious interest that has gained respect for the Duke from all sections of the community. In a long day, he also made a ceremonial drive through the city when Christchurch crowds were much more restrained in their reception than they had been the previous evening; received a presentation yacht; visited the New Zealand Antarctic expedition ship, H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour; attended a civic luncheon; and held an informal dinner party aboard the Britannia.

Christchurch provided weather that was not at all in keeping with what the Duke might have come to expect from his visit in January, 1954. The day began overcast and with a fresh easterly wind, but it later deteriorated into driving rain. It might have prevented residents from appearing in full force but not once did it affect the enthusiasm of the Duke. He remained without coat or hat until the rain at the aviation display. At 10.15 a.m. the Duke descended the gangway of the Britannia to receive an X-class yacht from the Nlew Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation and the New Zealand Yachting Federation —a yacht designed by Mr Graham Mander, brother of Mr Peter Mander, who won a gold medal for New Zealand at the Olympic Games.

The Duke spent more than an hour inspecting every part of the Endeavour, speaking with members of the expedition and Sir Edmund Hillary before he left Lyttelton for his afternoon in and around Christchurch. Yesterday’s ceremonial drive bore little resemblance to the spectacular, overwhelming progress of that of 1954 but the reception, although not as expressive, was a warm one.

Sole toast scheduled for the civic luncheon was that to the Queen but the informality of the occasion was heightened by a spontaneous exchange of proposals of health by the Duke and the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) First of the two most outstanding events in the Duke’s programme for the day was his visit to the Belfast dairy farm of Mr C. J. McFadden, where he asked numerous questions and showed intense interest in every phase of dairying as he walked about the 220-acre property. Milking shed, herd and irrigation pumping station all brought knowledgeable comments from the Duke. _

However, the highlight, perhaps of his whole New Zealand visit was the display of agricultural aviation from the air strip on the Hoon Hay farm of Mr E. G. Robertson. Ten planes of eight different types from various parts of the Dominion took off and landed in quick succession after dropping their loads on a nearby hill. Bad weather might have detracted from this part of the tour but it did not deter the pilots or the Duke, and he was later made a life member of the Aviation Industry Association.

When the Duke of Edinburgh returned over the hills to Lyttelton, he had covered more than 40 miles on his last day on the mainland.