DUNEDIN EXHIBITION

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12391, 10 March 1926, Page 6

DUNEDIN EXHIBITION

TWO MILLION MARK REACHED INTERESTING COMP ARISONS. (By Telegraph—Special to “Times.”) DUNEDIN, March 9. The achievement of a grand attendance of 2,000,000 in 16 weeks constitutes a new Dominion record. As a matter of fsct, the best prey ious record was passed actually on Saturday, but two millions is a definite easily remembered landmark. The figures supplied by the publicity officer (Mr I. G. Macinnes) afford an interesting comparison between the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in Dunedin in 1889-90, the Christchurch Exhibition of 1900-7, and the present one The New Zealand and -South Seas Exhibition of ISS9-90 was opened on No* vember 26th and closed 20. V weeks later on April 19th with a total attendance of 625,243, which the official history states was 18,000 in excess of the European population of New Zealand. The record for the largest single day's attendance was 18,434 on the closing day. The Christchurch Exhibition, 16 years later, was opened on November Ist, and closed 23£ weeks later on April loth, with a grand attendance of 1,967,632. Tlie daily avemge attendance was 13,644, and the record for a single day 46,852 on the closing day. The present Exhibition, IS years after Christchurch, was opened on November 17th, and passed the Christchurch total attendance on March 6th with one day of the sixteenth week to spare, and eight weeks ahead of it before the closing day. The daily aver ago to date is touching 21,000; and the record for a single day is 50,971. The population af New Zealand in 1889 was about 643,248; in 1906 it was 889,000, and in 1926 1,382.000, but Christchurch was nearly as big a city in 1906 as Dunedin is today. and the attendance figures must be viewed very largely in the light of the populations of tho Exhibition cities, as it is from the home city after all that the great bulk of tho attendance is drawn. THE GOLD WATCH LADY WINS AGAIN. Per Presq Association. DUNEDIN, March 8. The two millionth visitor to the Exhibition passed through the turnstiles about 6.30 this evening. A crowd of several thousands congregated inside the gates, and were greeted with loud yells by a well-known side showman in tho amusement park, and others equally famous in other spheres as they hurried through the lane maintained by the police. Tho outside queue : extended far up tho street, yet at least one small boy, who ’must have ducked under those in front of him, had six tries for the gqld watch, which the directors had purchased for tho lucky visitor. The first given to the millionth visitor was claimed by a lady from Invercargill, and the second was presented about 6.50 this evening to Mrs Morrison. Hampton House, L© Grens terrace, Timani, wife of Commander G. W. Morrison, late of tho Royal Navy. It was Mrs Morrison’s third visit to tho Exhibition.