DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19215, 2 January 1926, Page 10

DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

A MEMORABLE NEW YEAR. GREAT FIREWORKS DISPLAY. CROWD; OF NEARLY 51,000. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, Friday. The New Year's Eve festivities at the exhibition surpassed all expectations. An enormous crowd began to pour in early in the evening, the turnstiles registering the amazing attendance of 50,971 for the day, establishing a new Dominion record. The huge crowd gathered on the sports ground watched the magnificent fireworks display, in which there were eight setpieces, including a wonderful representation of the Battle of Jutland, featuring the contest of dreadnoughts. At 11.45 the,'pipers'of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Band headed a big procession round the grand court. Suddenly the orange and red lights of the big dome faded. The lights on the band rotunda followed them a minute later, and then the dazzling entrance gates disappeared and the Chinese lanterns and fancy lamps of the grand court also ceased, plunging everything in darkness. As the old year was dying the bells began to sound, and then as the last stroke of 12 was heard all the thousands of lamps in the grand court blazed simultaneously. The, new year was born and the band led tbewowd in Auld Lang Syne." Fifty thousand people will never forget New Year's Eve at the great exhibition.' Mr. Edward Lomas, who was engaged in connection with the fireworks display, sustained a fractured leg through a rocket explosion. Ho was removed to the hospital, where the leg was amputated. PONSONBY BOYS' BAND. CONCERTS AT EXHIBITION. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNrTDIN, Thursday. On its arrival to-morrow tho Ponsonby Band will march via High and Princes Streets to the Moray Place School, where the members are to'be billeted, and after lunch will proceed to the exhibition, where it is billed to play at 7.30. The boys will be shown round the buildings and side shows on Saturdav and will give two further performances, one at 3 and the other, which will take the form of a grand concert, at eight. Arrangements have been made to entertain the visitors ori Sunday morning.In the afternoon they will play "at, 3 o'clock at. St. Glair and again at Custom House Square. The band will leave for the West Coast on Monday morning, and after a series "of concerts at Hokitika, Greymouth, Reefton, Westport and other centres, will return to Auckland, via Wellington.