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REPORT.

I. NEW ZEALAND CENTENNIAL, 1940. A. General Organization. (1) National Centennial Celebration. On 20th April, 1940, a national celebration was held at Akaroa to commemorate the visit on 28th May, 1840, of Major Bunbury of H.M.S. " Herald " to secure signatures to the Treaty of Waitangi, the first exercise of British sovereignty in the South Island by Captain Stanley of 11.M.5. " Britomart " on 10th August, 1840, and the arrival of the French settlers on 13th August, 1840. The celebration took the form of a re-enactment of the first exercises of sovereignty and the arrival of the settlers. (2) National Centennial Exhibition of New Zealand Art. During the year this Exhibition, which from the standpoint of the country's cultural activities and a? a visual historical record proved to be one of the most important and educative of the National Centennial observances, was shown at Dunedin, Invercargill, Christchurch, Timaru, Auckland, Whangarei, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier, Masterton, Nelson, and AVellington, all the sessions being well attended by the art-loving public. The thanks of the Government are due to the art galleries, museums, and private owners of works whose co-operation made the assembling of the works possible. (3) Centennial Memorials. Notwithstanding the intervention of the war, which caused a number of Centennial Committees to abandon their Centennial memorial projects, the final list of memorials which were approved by the National Centennial Council as at 31st March, 1941, and which have been or are to be erected shows a total of 225. These are classified as follows :— Tree-planting, parks, play areas .. .. .. .. .. .. 59 Plunket and rest rooms . . . . .. .. . . 31 Historical publications .. .. .. .. .. 27 Public halls .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Swimming baths and pools .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 Maori meeting-houses .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 Memorial gates .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 Beacons, cairns, obelisks .. .. .. .. .. 5 Motor camps .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Community centres .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Miscellaneous (libraries, rest-rooms, &c., scholarships, tennis-courts, &c.) .. 40 Of this number, 95 have been completed and officially opened. 225 (4) Centennial War Canoe. The large Maori war canoe which was paddled by one hundred men during the national Waitangi Centennial celebrations in February of last year has been handed by the Ngapuhi, Te Rarawa, Aupouri, Ngatikahu, and Ngatiwatua tribes of the North Auckland Peninsula to the Waitangi National Trust Board for custody and control. It is to be placed in a building to be erected by the Government close to the National Maori Centennial memorial carved meeting-house on the Waitangi Estate. (5) Centennial Tree-planting. As one method of effectively marking the Centennial of New Zealand, local bodies and other institutions and persons were encouraged to plant trees, and the success of this effort during the years 1939-40 is evidenced by the fact that some 220,000 trees were planted for this purpose. In addition, large numbers of trees were planted by educational institutions, beautifying societies, and other public-spirited organizations and by many thousands of private citizens. (6) Centennial Subsidy. The Centennial subsidy was granted on a basis of £1 for £3 in respect of amounts raised locally, and the total amount paid over as at 31st March, 1941, was £83,039 os. 6d. (1939—40, £32,637 lis. Id. ; 1940-41, £50,401 9s. sd. : total, £83,039 os. 6d.). It will be evident, therefore, that approximately £332,156 is being expended on projects to commemorate the National Centennial. (7) New Zealand Centennial News. The fifteenth and final number of the Centennial News was published on 6th February, 1941. The series provides a valuable addition to the country's historical records and will be invaluable to those whose responsibility it will be to organize our sesqui-centennial observances. B. National Centennial Historical Committee. The chief work of the historical section of the Centennial Branch has been that associated with the publication of the two series of Centennial historical surveys.

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