AUSTRALIAN GIRLS’ IMPRESSIONS OF NZ.

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28362, 22 August 1957, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN GIRLS’ IMPRESSIONS OF NZ.

New Zealand women seem to be less fashion conscious than those in Australia and the girls seemed more casual in their dress, according to two Australian girls who are at present on a working tour of this country. They are Miss Audrey Tinsey, a shorthandtypist, of Mossvale, and Miss Doreen Ayres, a school teacher, of Newcastle.

They arrived in Christchurch by air from Sydney on January 28 and went to Wanganui where Miss Ayres took up a position at the Aramoho School as an exchange teacher. They spent 14 weeks there and later came to Christchurch. Working conditions in New Zealand for shorthand-typists differed very little from those in Australia although there was a difference in the wages, Said Miss Tinsey. The average senior short-hand-typist in Australia received about £l3 a week, whereas in New Zealand the corresponding wage appeared to be about £ll. Even making an allowance for the difference in the monitary values and the slightly higher cost of living in Australia, Miss Tinsey thought that Australian girls were better off. Temporary Positions She experienced some difficulty in getting jobs in New Zealand when employers learned that she was seeking temporary positions. In Australia office girls received a fortnight’s paid holiday and a week’s sick leave which could be added to the holidays if it was not required for sickness. Teaching conditions in New Zealand were far better than those in Australia, mainly be-

cause the size of classes was smaller in New Zealand, said Miss Ayres. She thought that New Zealand children were better behaved in the classroom which was probably caused in part by the wonderful playgrounds and the swimming baths. All the schools she has taught in in New Zealand at Aramoho. Addington, and Burnside, have been comparatively new. New Zealand children began reading earlier and consequently were ahead of Australian children until about standard 3 when they drew level. Miss Ayres said. Teaching was also easier in New Zealand because there were few immigrants in the classes. In some Sydney schools up to onethird of the class consisted of new

Australians with a very limited knowledge of English. M The new Australians presented some .behaviour problems in class as the bad were very bad and the good were very good. Some of them attempted to conceal their knowledge of English until trapped into admitting that they knew some of the language. Picking up Language

“They quickly pick it up from the other children in the playground but unfortunately they always seem to learn the ‘great Australian adjectives’ first,” she said.

Both girls said they found New Zealanders were easy to work with and were very hospitable. “It seems that more entertaining is done in the home which is the centre of the social life in New Zealand,” said Miss Ayres. At Queen's Birthday week-end both girls attempted to hitch-hike to Queenstown but they did not realise it was so far from Christchurch and got only as far as Dunedin. When in the North Island they visited Rotorua. At the end of this week they intend to travel to Greymouth and then to hitch-hike to the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. They will, then return to Christchurch and* go to Queenstown and will then travel to Auckland where Miss' Ayres will take up a position at the end of the school holidays. They intend to return to Australia before Christmas.

They have been amazed at the great variety of scenery found in such a small country.