150TH ANNIVERSARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 100, 29 April 1936, Page 10

150 TH ANNIVERSARY

SYDNEY IN 1938

BIG EVENTS PLANNED

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, April 23,

The organisation of Australia's 150 th anniversary celebrations, to take place in Sydney from January, 1938, onwards, has reached an advanced preliminary stage. It is now clear that the three main events will be the anniversary regatta, a yearly event built up into, the centre-piece of a great sea-pageant, the Empire Games, which will be held between February 5 and 12, attracting athletes from all the British countries, and a gigantic trade fair, culminating in the famed Royal Easter Show, with increased attractions and special features. These three main events will be linked up and will overlap to some extent in point of time. Round them will be-built the whole structure of sesqui-centennial commemoration. The trade fair will be an all-Austra-lian exhibition of manufactures, industries, and handcrafts. Such an exhibition will be held in Moore Park, with the co-operation of the Royal Agricultural Society, which conducts the annual Easter Show. The Government will erect an anniversary pavilion in the showground for this exhibition, and present it to the society. The anniversary regatta has been, for mora than, a century, one of the greatest spectacles that Sydney Harbour has to offer. It has been held every January 26 for all those years in fair weather or foul. Practically every yacht and sailing boat within reach of Sydney competes in the races on that day. It has grown into a fixture which laces the blue of the harbour's waters with flowing sails and speeding craft. The competitors number hundreds. Special features will be introduced for the 1938 regatta. One suggestion is that the best eight-oar crews from the United States, Canada, Britain, Holland, and other countries should be invited to Sydney to compete with Australia's best. The regatta will become an international'aquatic carnival, and to help to give that flavour proposals will be made for visits by warships of many nations. The idea that the super-liner Queen Mary should vigit Sydney will not be overlooked. It is possible that Alan Villiers will bring the Joseph Conrad, the last British square-rigger afloat. But this committee in charge of the 150 th anniversary arrangements has as its principal ambition the acceptance by King Edward of an invitation to visit Australia at that time. He has said that he intends to visit Australia. If he is able to make the visit in 1938, that will set the coping stone to the celebrations structure. If he cannot come, another member of the British Royal family is expected to make the journey.