National travel award for Shantytown organiser

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32637, 19 June 1971, Page 3

National travel award for Shantytown organiser

(From Our Own Reporter)

WANGANUI, June 18.

Further recognition for his work in the establishment of Shantytown was accorded Mr A. L. Sutherland, of Greymouth, today, when he was presented with the 1971 Newman Award of the National Travel Association by the Minister of Tourism (Mr Walker).

Mr Sutherland, who was recently awarded an M.B.E. for his part in the project, told the Travel Association’s convention at Wanganui that the award belonged not just to him, but to the people of the West Coast.

Announcing the award, the association’s president (Mr H. R. Wigley) said it was presented annually to the individual whom the- association felt had made an outstanding contribution to the development of the New Zealand tourist industry. The Shantytown project at Rutherglen rapidly was becoming one of the West Coast’s leading tourist attractions and would assist materially the development of tourism in the area, Mr Wigley said.

The "big-hearted small people” who established such attractions as Shantytown were the basis of the tourist industry in New Zealand, and others in the industry were in their debt. “They are doing a terrific job,” Mr Wigley said.

New Plymouth Award The association’s Travel Enterprise Award, given each year to an organisation making an important contribution to the tourist industry, was presented by Mr Walker to thi Bowl of Brooklands Trust, of New Plymouth, for its

continued and successful sponsorship of the Festival of the Pines. In the absence of the trust’s chairman, the Mayor of New Plymouth (Mr D. B. Sutherland), it was accepted by the trust’s secretary (Mr B. P. Connell).

Mr Wigley said the festival had established itself as one of New Zealand’s outstanding tourist attractions. The travel convention, which was officially opened yesterday by the Mayor of Wanganui (Mr R. P. Andrews)

will continue until Sunday I evening. It is being attended i by more than 200 delegates l from all parts of New Zea-' land. ! Tomorrow will be free of 1

business sessions and delegates will be shown such attractions of the area as the Waipipi ironsands project, Massey University and the Mouta flood-control scheme.