YOUTH HOSTEL OPENED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31234, 5 December 1966, Page 18

YOUTH HOSTEL OPENED

“This would be the finest hostel with the loveliest grounds in New Zealand,” said Mr A. H. Reed, the publisher and walker, when he opened the Cora Wilding youth hostel in Evelyn Cousins avenue on Saturday. Mr Reed, the oldest member of the Youth Hostels’ Association, said it was most appropriate that the finest New Zealand hostel was in Christchurch, the birthplace of youth hostel activities in this country. The 28-bed hostel is a large two-storeyed house, leased from the reserves department of the City Council. The Mayor (Mr G. Manning) congratulated the association on the establishment of the hostel, and said the council

was pleased to lend the building.

Mr H. J. Walker, member of Parliament for St. Albans, said there was nothing better to help international understanding than youth hostel activity which was “diplomacy at the man-in-the-street level.” There were now 50 hostels in New Zealand, and 10,200 members of the association, said Mr J. A. McKie, the national president. It was expected that overnight stays in hostels would top 50,000 in the next year, and 10 per cent of these would be in Canterbury. The building had been renovated mainly by voluntary labour, said the president, of the North Canterbury branch (Mr A. Rutland). A total of 151 members had worked on the hostel since 1964. Between December, 1965, when it was first used, until November this year, 6000 bed-nights had been recorded. This showed the need for hostels

in cities as well as in country areas, Mr Rutland said. Mr Rutland paid tribute to the secretary of the branch (Miss G. Rogers) and to Mr C. Fleck, the building convener. Miss Wilding, who was instrumental in establishing the first New Zealand hostel at Banks Peninsula in 1933, un-

veiled a photograph and commemorative clock in memory of the world founder of the association, Richard Schurrman of Germany. The clock forms the centrepiece of the hostel’s common room. Above: Mr Reed with Mr Rutland (left) Miss Wilding and Mr McKie.