Much more than fun at Industries Fair

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 14

Much more than fun at Industries Fair

The New Zealand Industries Bair, which for many years has been a Christchurch attraction during the August school holidays, has a much more important role than just providing entertainment for the thousands of visitors who flock to Addington. The fair is the “shop window” to display the latest products of our manufacturing industries. The fair, although under other names, goes back a long time. This year the Canterbury Manufacturers’

Association, which runs the fair, is celebrating its centenary. One hundred years ago a group of Christchurch businessmen got together and established the “Association for the Fostering and Encouragement of Native Industries and Productions.” They lost little time in mounting an exhibition to show 1 the early settlers what the factories of the day were making. Manufacturing in earlier days did not have the recognition and importance it has today. People’s thinking about manufacturing

was even coloured by the general use of the term “secondary industry” to describe oqr factories — “primary industry” of course being farming. The Manufacturers’ Association (it took on that name in 1926) had to battle for recognition that our factories could make good-quality products that stood up to competition from overseas, and it also had to see that its members really stuck by the slogan “Well-made New Zealand.” It had many battles and met many difficulties. Just how much it has succeeded can by gauged by the fact that industry earns more than $lOOO million a year by sending manufactured goods overseas, saves us from spending many more millions overseas for goods we need but would have to import if we could not make them ourselves, and provides work for about 300,000 people.

Trade fairs and exhibitions have had an import-

ant part to play in telling our own people what our manufacturers are producing and how they have developed new techniques and skills. Back before the Second World War what was to become known as the Industries Fair was then called the Winter Show. While the importance of manufacturing was gaining recognition those shows still had sections devoted to farm produce, and even the fact - that it was held in a wool store emphasised a rural industry importance. But year by year the Manufacturers’ Association’s Industries Fair began to be truly a showplace for the factories’ products, just as it is today. It had several homes, including King Edward Barracks and an old disused brewery, now demolished, in Ferry Rd before moving some years ago into a permanent home in the fair buildings at the Addington Showgrounds.