CENTENNIAL DATES FIXED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 10

CENTENNIAL DATES FIXED

Period Of Celebration

JANUARY 1, 1940, TO NOVEMBER 16 .

National Council Decision

The period of celebrations foi New Zealand’s centennial, . apart from the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington, will commence on January 1, 1940, and close on November 16 in the same year, according to a decision by the National Centennial Council at its meeting in Wellington yesterday. Dates were recommended to the Government for adoption as national centennial dates. In the following list the name in parenthesis indicates the provincial authority responsible for organizing the particular celebraSunday, January 7, 1940: National Thanksgiving Day. January 22, 1940: Landing of first settlers of the New Zealand Company at I’etone. (Wellington.) January 29 and 30, 1940: Celebration of Hobson’s arrival in New Zealand (Auckland). February 6, 1940: Waitangi. May 21, 1940: Proclamation of Sovereignty over South Island at Cloudyßay. (Marlborough.) June 5, 1940: Proclamation of Sovereignty over Stewart Island. (Southland.) . August 11, 1940: First exercise of Sovereignty over South Island at Akaroa. (Cantebrury.) October 9. 1940: Celebration of Cook’s first landing in New Zealand at Gisborne. (East Coast.) November 16. 1940: 100th anniversary of separation of New Zealand from New South Wales. —A national holiday to conclude centennial celebrations. (National Centennial Council.) National Thanksgiving Day. The recommendation for the holding of a national thanksgiving day on January 7, 1940, is subject to approval by the churches of all denominations.

’Consideration is to be given later to a date for celebrating Abel Tasman’s discovery of New Zealand.