NEW VERSAILLES RISES FROM SWAMP

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2298, 17 November 1925, Page 7

NEW VERSAILLES RISES FROM SWAMP

PAGEANT OF EMPIRE AT DUNEDIN EXHIBITION Beautiful Buildings, Wonderful Displays OPENING DAY TO-DAY OF GREAT YEN TURE [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, Last Night. That ephemeral City of Pageants which has arisen on the northern shore of the upper waters of Otago Harbour, housing the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition of 1925/26' (to give it its official title) will throw open its gates to the world to-morrow. The promoters had hoped that unlike the majority of such enterprises, it would have been completely ready by the date set for the inaugural ceremonies. Though those responsible for the erection of the main buildings and' the preparation of the ground have done their part well, the tide of circumstances has been too much for many of those entrusted with the arrangement of the various courts. One of the chief set-backs has been the series of industrial troubles, especially in the transport services which at ■ a crucial moment seriously delayed the delivery tff exhibits from oversea. In spite of this, good displays have already been prepared by those who took time by the forelock, while others, if incomplete, now bid fair to be in full feather In a very little while. Indeed, it is likely the delay may be a blessing in disguise, as the finished product may. as the result of more leisurely work, be better than that originally planned. Crystallised Ideas. The Exhibition is unlike most ventures of it s kind. It does not mark any special event in history, but is e outcome of ideas gathered by Otago men returning from travels abroad, that this City and Province, aim through them the whole Dominion, needed something in the nature of a boosting. The ideas became concrete proposals, which wore taken dp wholeheartedly by citizens of Dunodin and an Exhibition Company was formed to carry . the enterprise through, under the chairmanship of Mr. J. Sutherland Ross. This was early in 1923. To-day wc see the almost perfected fruit of that enterprise. It represents a direct outlay of £IOO,OOO which ha s produced aii exposition amazing in its scope and the detail of its representation of the things included in that scope, which is practicably world-wide, it is certainly, more than Empire-wide, though' naturally the Empire plays a vastly preponderating part in the finished wonder show. < Most other districts in New Zealand have taken a share in the promotion of this enterprise, though the North Island seems to have been ratlin backward'in Its realisation of the Exhibition’s importance; Canada will perhaps take pride of place in the visitors’ eyes by its wonderfully attractive display, but the British Government’s Court and Hall of Empire present a remarkably complete a history of the Empire’s history development and potentialities, while the Australian Court, though incomplete, will prove one most attractive in the eyes of visitors. Planned With Consummate Success.

Never before in the history of such an undertaking* in the southern hemisphere has so vast a scheme been carried through with such consummate success. The beauty of the various courts and of the grounds about them will strike the visitor as something altogether unexpected in this far southern land, arid the gorgeousness of the exotic colour schemes in parts of the show will surprise many. The whole Exhibition,, as viewed from outside, has been so designed as to produce a simple, - yet graceful, picture. The delicate rones of the colour scheme arc very pleasing to the eye. The architect, Mr. E Anscombe, of Dunedin, was responsible fpr this by utilising grey-brown colouring on the outer walls of a patent material ..producing the appearance at a distance of stone, picked out with darker markings. He has steered clear of what has become a hackneyed “white city” idea and the sheer simplicity of the artistic beauty of the finished buildings Is the first thing to strike visitors. Tho Exhibition stands on ground reclaimed from that shallow arm of r the harbour formerly known aa Lake Logan, which at low water wag mostly mud flats inhabited by gulls seeking precious meals from the flotsam and jetsam left by the receding tide. This has been filled in with sand dredges from the harbour bottom, -producing an area of sixty-five acrog of ground, which, when the Exhibition closes six months hence, will be a valuable addition to the City’s assets. Veritable Versailles.

There are seven huge buildings, tho floor space of which is measured in acres, with a central open space called the Grand Court, three hundred yards long and half that width stretching from the mam entrance, the gates of which are a handsome tripartite structure surmounted by Pagodas. The handsome, domed Festival Hall, wherein 2500 people piay be seated for the various musical feasts prepared for the currency of the Exhibition. In the midst of the Grand Court are beautifully laidout flower beds, an artificial lake formed of broken red tiles giving a rich tone to the picture lined otherwise In greens, greys and browns. Inside the main entrance and stretching across the whole frontage more than a quarter of a mile in length, grounds have been tastefully laid out tod though the weather last spring

was not so kindly as Is usually expected at that season, the growth is already quite good and the result here and all around where landscape effects have been required has redounded greatly to the credit of Mr. D. Tannock, the City Council’s superintendent of reserves, whoso services have been placed at the disposal of the Exhibition authorities. Some Great Features.

On entering the main gates already mentioned, the visitor has before hi m (ho vista of the Grand Court and beyond that, tho majestic domed Festival Hall with its pipe organ and spacious auditorium, that will bo the centre of attractions for music lovers. On the visitor's right hand will be seen a large building housing the Hall of Empire, the British Government’s and -industrial 'courts, , Behind this are two more buildings containing machinery and provincial courts. On the beholder’s immediate,. left Is a pavilion®containing tho administrative quarters, -.the Canadian and Australian courts. Further to tho left is the greatest building of all —about four and a-half acres in extent and here will be found the most ambitious motor show ever attempted south of the line. This pavilion also houses a wonderful-series of displays put in by the Education Department, including' the work of school children from schools, large and small, in all parts of tho Dominion. Behind this is the Now Zealand pavilion and another large building devoted to the industrial court.

Beside the Now Zealand pavilion is a space which will be especially Interesting to rural visitors. This is devoted to experimental plots conducted by the Department of Agriculture, showing the results of the scientific treatment of soils fdr the different forms of crops and grasses. - Art and Amusement. Near the Festival Hall is an art gallery, a permanent brick structure, which contains very valuable collections, pictures and objects of art from all parts. of the Empire, including many of the most prized pictures lent from an English collection. Round about the rear of the building are grouped a great variety of amusement -attractions, chief of which is the great scenic railway. These attractions have been chosen wisely and only such as could satisfy the rigid requirements of the promoters have place in this amusement zone. They had to possess educational and aesthetic value as well as freshness and good taste. The trite, the coarse, the tawdry find no place here. Even in the section specially devoted to children, there is plenty of novelty, though of course some old favourite amusements are included. Flanking the* amusement zone is the games area of twenty-five acres, where all sorts of athletic sports will be staged during the course of the Exhibition, as well as demonstrations, such as the New Zealand championship contest fire brigade tests and other functions of a peripatetic character. For such as these, all roads this year"'load to Dunedin and its great Exhibition. Of course, enterprises such as this owe much to their success to man’s inventiveness and his discoveries in the realm of science and electricity play the greatest part in producing mechanical effects. To electricity the whole Exhibition is indebted for the wonderful picture it presents at night when the whole scene is virtually one from wonderland. The invention of electric apparatus has made long 'stride since the last previous exhibition in New Zealand and new methods of Illumination are beyond belief until seen by any who have not been fortunate enough to visit big expositions at Homo or in America during the past decade. Flood lights send a soft effulgence over the buildings, while entrance gates, pagodas and the dome of the Festival Hall arc lighted In a wreath of wonderfully blended colours scintillating - amidst the soberer lights round about. PROGRAMME FOR OPENING BAY. GOVERNOR-GENERAE TO PERFORM CEREMONY. DUNEDIN, East Night. Weather prospects for the Exhibition opening to.morrow are among the leading topics discussed to-nighr. flustering cold week-enjfi .not conducive to easiness of mind among those responsible for the great show’s success. Cold, biting wind, with passing showers and sleety blasts made things decidedly unpleasant, though even this state of affairs was preferable to the precedent howling gale and blinding dust storing. Today, however, has been fine, though the breeze still held some asperity in Its nip; but as the day wore on, the air grew more genial ,and to-night the local weather wiseacres are so full of optimism they are ready to prophesy a fair day to.morrow. To-day will live long in the memories of those engaged In various courts of the great show,, as it was one blind rush from early morn, and pro. bably a rush that won’t end till the official opening time to-morrow after, noon. Though f/jw of the courts are quite finished, the majority havo made wonderful progress since Saturday, and promise to bo presentable by to-morrow.

The Exhibition will open its gates to’the public at noon, and at. 2.50 p.m the Governor. General arrives. He will be welcomed by Mr J, Sutherland Ross, President, of the Exhibition After the inspection of the Guard or Honour by his Excellency, the formal service of inauguration will proceed, beginning with the singing of “God Defend New Zealand,” by the Ex. hibition choir of four hundred voices. Then will follow prayer by his Lordship, the Bishop of Dunedin (Dr, Richards), and after that scripture reading by Rev. E. N. Merrington (Presbyterian). The Old Hundredth will be then sung by the whole assemblage, led by the choir and accompanied by six bands. Speeches by the President (Mr Ross) and the Governor. General will follow, and at the conclusion of the latter, his Ex, cellency .will declare the Exhibition opened. The Prime Minister and the Mayor of .Dunedin (Mr H. L. Tapley, MJP.),

will then address the assemblage. Two selections by the Argyl and Sutherland Highlanders’ band will follow. NORTHERN PROVINCES BELATED MUCH WORK YET BEFORE ORGANISERS. DUNEDIN, Last Night While the Dominion’s national progress is typified in the splendid interior of the New Zealand Government’s pavilion, an effective display is made by the respective provinces. In the provincial courts the display is in the nature of an analysis of the origin of . the country’s resources and among the organisers the 'keenest competition exists in design and arrangement of the courts. Each staff has been restricted according to the grants allotted to it, but the enterprise has had fruitful results in -the majority of cases. Various influences have told against the progress of the North Island courts. Representation was secured by the provinces of Auckland, Taranaki and Wellington, and though elaborate foundations have been laid in Auckland and Wellington courts, beyond that, signs of progress are scant The courts will certainly be behind not only the South Island courts, but also those of Australia and Canada, in that they are not in readiness for inspection this week. Thus other courts, with their competitive displays, have the lead over the Northern provinces that mattes any laxity that may have contributed to the situation" regrettable from the viewpoint of the North Island, What progress has heenmade indicates, however, that, if belated, the .Auckland and Wellington courts wili be numbered among the ornate features of the Exhibition. Scene? that have been painted In the Wellington court are outstandingly good. A careful and interesting selection of subjects has been made and they include panoramic views both of the larger towns and the province and of typical scenes In the interior. A number of fine stag’s heads has arrived, presumably to advertise attractions of Tongarlro National Park. The scenes in the Auckland court, as far as they have gone, deal with the totlrist resorts of Auckland province. The interior of the court closely resembles that of the British Court In its scheme of Imitation concrete pillars. They add to the dignity of the spacious area and will prove a dignified setting for the province’s exhibits, when they arrive.