Country girl's tour of United Kingdom

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32860, 8 March 1972, Page 6

Country girl's tour of United Kingdom

Miss Shirley Johnston (Ashburton), winner of a Federation of Country Girl’s Clubs exchange tour of the United Kingdom, will leave New Zealand on Saturday to spend six months in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. She will stay with host families in the four* countries.

Her tour will include visits to agricultural shows and industry. She will talk to farming groups, schools, and service clubs. Her travel to Britain by sea is sponsored by Dalgety New Zealand, Ltd. The New Zealand Federation of Country Girls’ Clubs began exchange programmes with various Australian states in 1952, and now sends two members to Australia each year and one to the United States.

This, however, is the first time in seven years that a member has been sponsored to the United Kingdom — and the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the tour has special meaning to Miss Johnston. Her father was born there, and she intends to spend some time with his relatives, who are farming near Ballymena. Miss Johnston’s parents farm 153 acres at Willowby, near Ashburton, where they run 600 Romney breeding ewes and have about 70 acres in wheat, oats, and barley. Miss Johnston enjoys helping on the farm when she is not engaged in floral art work.

Soon after leaving school, Miss Johnston took up occu-pational-therapy work in Ashburton, but after eight months began a new career in commercial floristry in Ashburton. She has since passed het. junior and senior examinations and has now been in this field about four years.

Miss Johnston’s activities are not confined to floral art and farming. She has been an active member of the Ashburton Country Girls’ Club fot the last six years and has held all offices within the club. At present, she is vicechairman for the district and is on the national executive for the Christchurch area. “PASTORAL QUEEN” FINALIST The Country Girls’ Club offers opportunities to become involved in many different activities, and Miss Johnston has taken advantage of them. She has taken part in debating and public speaking, was winner of the Country Girls’ Club national radio leadership competition, and plays hockey with the Ashburton branch club. She has also been a member of the Willowby Miniature Rifle Shooting Club. In addition, Miss Johnston reached the final of the 1971 “Pastoral Queen” contest. Since her selection as the United Kingdom exchange visitor, Miss Johnston has made a concentrated study of life in New Zealand, because the Country Girls’ Club

requires her to be able to speak knowledgeably on such topics as New Zealand agriculture; New Zealand Government and official policy; imports, exports, and balance of trade; local-body legislation; secondary industries; and Maori-pakeha relations. On completion of her tour in November, Miss Johnston hopes to spend a few weeks with her relations in Ireland, and intends to return to New Zealand via South Africa.