THE CORONATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 121, 25 May 1939, Page 19

THE CORONATION

HUTT VALLEY CARNIVAL

ENDS

After a most successful season of six weeks, in which the Hutt Valley's quota for the Provincial Centennial Memorial on the Petone foreshore was raised and exceeded by a. substantial amount, the concluding ■ceremony, the crowning of the ,carnival queen, took place on Monday night at the Palace I Theatre, Petone. :

The colourful pageant opened with a procession of queen, princesses, attendant maids of honour, pages, and flower girls, who/accompanied by pipe music, passed around the theatre and assembled on the dais round the throne. A brilliant array of colour was, .presented by the rich hangings of the stage, by banners, and standards emblazoned in gold, and by the divers hues of the court groups, each of which were costumed in the harmoniously blended colour, scheme of their candidate. The queen, Miss Natalie Whiteman (representing Motor Industries) wore a picture gown of white taffeta threaded with gold under a long train of scarlet velvet bordered with pure white fur. The Princess Royal, Miss Mavis Taylor (Manufacturers' candidate) was also robed in white, the classical Greek lines, of her gown showing^ from beneath a cloak of Florentine pink, held at the throat by a cluster of roses. Mrs. Parata Olsen, who deputised for the Women's Organisations' candidate, Mrs. Richard Bradley, wore a close-fitting frock of cream lace with a train of gold and blue. Miss Ella Darby (Business and candidate) was robed in jadestone green with a contrasting train of deep maize. Scarlet, green, and white was the colour scheme chosen by the Sports representative, Miss Mavis Howe, while the Railways candidate, Miss Muriel Briggs, and the R.S.A. candidate, Miss Joan Cowie, were robed in spring green, primrose, and mauve, and in white and violet respectively.

j The ceremony was conducted by the "Lord High Chancellor," SergeantMajor King, and the Master of Ceremonies,- Mr. O. V. Kibblewhite, the crowned queen receiving sceptre and sword and hearing and responding to a loyal address from the Mayor of Petone, Mr. G. London. Others taking part in the ceremony were the "officer of the queen," Mrs. F. G. Bangay (Palmerston North) and the "mistress of the robes,' Miss Alice Crowther. Following the presentation of the princesses, the ceremony concluded with the conferring of honours on a number of citizens who had taken a prominent part in the contest. Grateful tribute was paid by the Central Queen Carnival Committee to all who had assisted in the contest.

A "coronation concert" formed the second half of the evening's entertainment, the well-chosen programme including items by L. Forsythe's Swing Band, Messrs. C. Burridge (ventriloquism), Hercumb (animal impersonations), McDonagh (songs), Miss Heather Wright (tap dances), and Fred Horn and party (Hill-Billy choruses).

' Votes in the contest were cast as follows:—Motor Industries, - 253,793; Manufacturers, 212,221; Women's Organisations, 86,930; Business and Professions, 84,084; Sports, 78,586; Rail? ways, 77,440; R.S.A., 37,452.