MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9099, 6 July 1888, Page 6

MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

,'-''"" THE NEW ZEALAND COURT. In some Exhibition Notes" which are appearing in the Melbourne Argus, there occurs the following reference to the New Zealand ' court: —Sir James Hector, the Executive Commissioner for New Zealand, has enclosed his court, and has posted at the front of it the injunction, "No admittance except on business." There is very little to be seen from outside, but on entering one finds that rapid progress is being made with' the court. A very large amount of substantial work has been done ; md it is evident that Sir James Hector, with the assistance of bis active superintendent, Mr. Callis, will be. able to complete all his arrangements by the date of opening. The floor of the court stands 17 feet from the ground. It had, therefore, to be strengthened for some of the heavier exhibits. This was a cause of delay and annoyance, but now all preliminary difficulties have been settled. Excellent offices have been provided, and the court has been enclosed on two sides by a partition, and the decorations are shortly to be commenced. It was intended that the fernery should be placed in an open space between the annexes and the main building, but Sir Jame3 Hector has now decided to place it in his court. He will use the carved ' front of a Maori store-house as a centre. He proposes to ' construct under the arch of it a picturesque grotto, with water, and to distribute around it th<3 fine collection of ferns which he has already received from New Zealand. There are to be sundry trophies in the court. Tall wooden frameworks are now being put together to carry the trophies of wool and grain. These rise to a height of over 30ft. The wool trophy will consist of a pyramid of wool in red, blue, and white, surmounted by a stuffed Romney Marsh ram, and bearing on its front ! a table of statistics. At the bottom of the ! grain trophy there will be bins of grain; above these will come statistics, then sheaves of wheat, barley, and oats, and on the top a representation of flour. Tho design of the flax trophy has not yet been determined. The massive trophy of the Midland Railway Company is in course of erection. . It consists of an arch formed of two huge logs as supports, mounted with iron cages containing coal and coke, and a framework of polished sections of timber, with logs cut and polished on the top ar- . ranged around. The whole of the material used in the trophy was obtained from the Midland Railway Company's estate in New Zealand. There are to be a number of fine models in the court, which are the work of Sir James Hector, including large topographical and geological models in relief of New Zealand. The arrangement of the court is admirable, and Sir James Hector .' and Mr. Callis have evidently profited by their previous experience of exhibitions. The design of the art section is unique. lb is divided into a series of saloons, with the partitions placed at angles, and it gives much more wall space than could otherwise - be obtained.