N.Z. Image Of ‘Freezing Weather, Earthquakes’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32077, 27 August 1969, Page 2

N.Z. Image Of ‘Freezing Weather, Earthquakes’

Most Sydneysiders think New Zealand is “freezing cold, shaken by earthquakes, or so poor they cannot understand why the country had not joined with Australia years ago.”

This is the view of New Zealand most frequently encountered by Mrs Pat St John since she and her husband left Christchurch to establish Atlantic and Pacific .Travel in Sydney. “I was in a chemist shop buying cosmetics, and a 16-year-old giri served me. When she toid me the product was I $1.75 and I said it was only I $1.25 in New Zealand she I said: *oh, but they are going I broke’," Mrs St John said in I Christchurch yesterday. I In her attempts to enlighten | Sydney residents on living I conditions in New Zealand, Mrs St John feels she has become “a crashing bore.” Now

her friends constantly tease her on the subject. In Melbourne and Adelaide she found the people more interested in others. Few people in Sydney, in common with most big cities, were concerned with the people across the street, let alone across the sea, she said. Not Interested “I find most are not really interested in New Zealand at all,” she said. “They have little idea of the trade that goes on now. I believe New Zealand could feed Australia. The fresh strawberries you see are always from New Zealand, our potatoes are much better, and with some exceptions the fish is certainly superior." Australians were generally tolerant towards New Zealand, but did not consider the welfare state something to be emulated. “They think we are more or less bankrupt, and the welfare state ia the reason why,” she said. Mrs St John considers the average New Zealander much better informed and. more travelled than the average Australian. She had not found much interest to politics. New Zealanders had much more concern for humanitarian affaire. Endless Arguments “I get into endless arguments on New Zealand and the fact that I think Australia should have more social welfare programmes,” she Mid, Mrs St John has joined a Sydney organisation called the Pink Ladies. She spends an afternoon and evening a week at the Crown Street Women’s Hospital feeding and tending illegitimate babies, who sometimes spend six weeks or longer at the hospital. “You don’t see the socialminded charity workers m Sydney,” she said. “Working for charity is the way to establish yourself in society—once you have money. Most of this work is fund raising for efforts which I think should be on a Government level, and the women are very far removed from the actual Mrs St John said site had seen more poverty-to Sydney than to any other British country she had visited. “There are always people with nowhere to sleep, and quite young men going for charity meals,” she said. “Mori: Australians seem to think these people are just ‘bums,’ but they are not A lot of the men have been ill, and off work for some weeks, and then all payments just stop.” Mfs St John said New Zealanders had a bad image in Sydney. She would advise those planning to live there for a while to save plenty of money before leaving New Zealand so they would be able to meet debts, and also to have a clear idea of the high cost of living. It was difficult for visitors

> to Australia to Improve New Zeeland’s image there because i few Australians were inters ested, and most young New - Zealanders were these to have i a good time. • Mrs St John feels the major i responsibility rests with the i Government. “I’m not sure how successful the trade missions are.” she said “Australian businessmen are terribly \ tough and ruthless.” Closely Linked She sees New Zealand's • future closely linked to Aust- , rails. “I believe Australia and i New Zealand together should • become a force in Asia and

i the Pacific—a force to be resl pected by the Americans,” she I said. “But this must be done i without New Zealand losing ; its progressive methods of 1 government and becoming . Just a pathetic little country t patronised by Australia.” ’ New Zealand could learn from Australia’s example of ‘ entry for migrants. "They are the people who have made ■ Australia,” she said. “You get ’ service with a smile from - Greeks and Italians, and they ! are happy to serve you at any ' time. We certainly could benefit from more people like ‘that.”

Mr and Mrs St John have bought a terraced house in ■Paddington, which they are having renovated. Mr St John finds working in Sydney very stimulating, and they agree that intelligent, open, unpretentious Australians are among the most pleasant people they have met anywhere.