CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23704, 11 January 1939, Page 7

CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION

GREAT PROVINCIAL COURT TEN THOUSAND TOY HOUSES MOUNTAINS. RIVERS, AND LAKES (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON. Jan. 10. Ten thousand toy houses have been built at Rongotai by a staff of skilled artists for the great provincial court, one of the most striking features of the Centennial Exhibition Fifty men are now at work on the court The framework of the big waterfall at the eastern end of the court, which is to be a working model of Wairua Falls. North Auckland, is to be finished on Friday. Next week will see the outlines of the lofty mountain ranges of the Southern Alps rising under a high roof. One of the first tasks will be to construct the blue dome of the sky. The work of lining the walls and ceiling of the huge hall is already in hand, and at the same time the floor-board-walks are being laid, Vast as is the work of modelling the mountains, rivers, and lakes of New Zealand on so large a scale in the 10 brief months before the Exhibition opens, it is nothing to the task of preparing in detail the miniature country sides that Will be super-imposed upon the gene r ni model. In the first place some 10,000 model houses will be needed for the score or so of towns end village* to be represented These models will vary from about an inch in height in the case of small sheds n nd bungalows to about six inches m the case of the gre*t citv building's of the main centres. The making of these house' has Just been begun and it win he expedited bv a division of labour expert, ioiner cutting out the blork«? of houses nnd roo*s * trainer modeller fitting them ’together and adding the chimneys, porches veranda railings, steps. gables and fences and an artist colouring m the windows •’nd roofs and gimn" the lit* 10 buildings their final touches. They are -otnarkable for their perfection and detail. There will also b° a tremendous amount of other modelling to be done, all man-made features of th° landscape to be accurately reproduced.