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VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

N.Z. VISITOR'S VIEWS. GROWTH OF THE CITIES. Mr. E. Cholerton, managing director of Messrs l/roc-tor's litd., opticians, Christchurch, recently returned after a month's tour oi Australia, bringing back some pleasant memories of the hospitality shown to New Zealanders over in the Island Continent. Sydney. New Zealanders are liked and looked upon as younger brothers over here, and I came across several Maorilanders holding responsible positions in large firms, both m Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney, since my last trip a lew years ago, has grown immensely, and one of the first questions asked on disembarking was: "And what do you think of our Bridge?" The superstructure is certainly immense—built more for the future than the present generation—and is something to be proud of. They should be so, seeing that it is costing £ISOO a day in interest alone, apart from the principal and upkeep. Taronga Park, Australia's wonderful zoo, is also being improved rapidly, having added a large aquarium and a "flower clock" to its attractions. The latter "cuckoos" the quarters, halves, three-quarters and full hours from a neighbouring tree. . Sydneyites impressed one as being full of vigour and of a very optimistic tone of mind. They considered that the business depression was over and was rapidly on the upward grade with them. Fruit is very cheap. Up the Paramatta, one can purchase right off the trees, oranges at Is and 2s per sugar sack, and on the carts in Sydney they can be purchased at 12 to 40 for Is. Pine apples can be obtained at from 6d to Is for the best, and other fruits are equally cheap. The Commonwealth's Saving Bank of Australia building is also- well worth a visit —a palace of about ten storeys, imposing outside, but a wonderful palace inside. It cost about £3,000,000 and is looked upon as the grandest building in the Southern Hemisphere. The New South Wales Tourist Bureau claims that it can send visitors to a different beauty spot once a day for six months. Canberra. Canberra impressed me as a miniature city of beautiful buildings and streets, but almost deserted —a city for the future and not for the present generation. Melbourne. Melbourne, the Anglicised city of Australia, is very different from Sydney—wider streets, but' not such imposing buildings. The departmental store of Meyers, in Bourke-Lonsdale streets, was well worth visiting with its 3000 employees in the store and 1-500 more at its factories in Ballarat. Mcßobertson's factories, of chocolate fame, were also visited. There they make over two thousand different sorts of confectionery. Mildura. Mildura, up in the north-west of Victoria, has grown amazingly in recent years, and is now one of the centres, if not the centre, of the dried fruit industry in Australia. The system adopted there of grading is so stringent that they claim—and I think it can be substantiated—that their dried fruits are the finest quality in the world. They certainly seem to have more flavour than those grown in U.S.A. Adelaide. Adelaide, with its well-set-out streets and beautiful public gardens, its numerous statuary and great number of churches, impressed one greatly by its beauty. The way it housed some of its animals in its zoo leaves a lot to be desired, although it has some magnificent animals. Its people look happy and prosperous. Renmark. Renmark, near Adelaide, where some of the best oranges in Australia are grown, is a rapidlygrowing district, and extremely picturesque. The approach (by rail from Melbourne) to Adelaide is very beautiful. The Railways. The railways in Australia mostly being of a much wider gauge than iu New Zealand tends to give greater comfort in travelling. At the same time, through some cause, one does not gL't the cinders, etc., from the engines in the carriages over there as we do in New Zealand. "Long distance" trains are still pulled by steam engines, whilst "suburbans" are mostly electrically propelled; also on some short lines there are some carriages driven by internal combustion engines. The Flinders Street railway station, in Melbourne, with its fourteen or more platforms, handles more passengers daily than any other railway station in the world, about 485,000 people passing through its gates daily. About 5000 "trains (electric) leave its platforms daily 30 seconds are usually allowed of a tiain to stop at the platforms. "Optometrists." Optically, we must admit that Australia is ahead of New Zealand. They have training colleges for the young would-be opticians, as well as staffs of teachers of a very high standard. As there are post-graduate courses for the advanced optometrists (as opticians are called over there) the standard of optical learning and examinations—well, our beloved little country (New Zealand) has a lot (if she wishes) to learn from Australia. Original research work is being carried on that certainly is and will be of very great help to optometrists.

Whilst in Melbourne, Mr. Cholerton attended the 21st anniversary of the Victorian Optical Association (being a member thereof), Avhen a lecture by Dr. Ingram (lecturer to the Alfred Hospital) was given at the Association's rooms. Another evening a banquet was held. A theatre and sapper party followed the next evening, the whole series of meetings proving highly educational and enjoyable. The president and his officers deserve great credit for putting through one of the most successful sets of anniversary meetings that Australia has ever witnessed.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OPUNT19320830.2.25

Bibliographic details

Opunake Times, 30 August 1932, Page 3

Word Count
893

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA Opunake Times, 30 August 1932, Page 3

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA Opunake Times, 30 August 1932, Page 3

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