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Lady Currie ; Sir J. Angus Gillan, Representative of the British Council in Australia ; Sir Alexander Mackenzie Livingstone and Lady Livingstone ; Senator M. J. van Breda, South Africa ; Mr. G. S. Garfield Todd, M.P., Southern Rhodesia, and Mrs. Todd ; Hon. E. C. Isaac, M.P., Victoria, and Mrs. Isaac ; and Admiral Pizey, Member of the United Kingdom High Commissioner's staff, Canberra, and Mrs. Pizey. Leading churchmen who visited this country were Dr. J. Hutchison Cockburn, Director of the Reconstruction Department of the World Council of Churches, and General Albert Orsborn, C.8.E., head of the Salvation Army, and Mrs. Orsborn. Among the leading press personalities were Mr. Gavin Astor, of The Times, London ; Mr. F. A. E. Ellis, Paris representative of the London Daily Mail; and Mr. Peter Hennessy, cameraman for " This Modern Age," J. Arthur Rank Production. Other distinguished visitors were Dr. Gaha, former M.L.C. for Tasmania, and also leader of the Opposition in Parliament of Tasmania, and Mrs. Gaha ; Dr. Ronald Jarman, a prominent London Anaesthetist; Miss Marjorie Lawrence, Australian singer and her husband Dr. T. King ; Mr. J. Forrester-Paton, Chairman of the World's Alliance of the Y.M.C.A., and Mrs. Paton, a World President of the W.C.T.U.; Dr. D. J. Patton, an American geographer ; Mr. Maurice Pate, Executive Director, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund ; Mr. Maurice Passmore, Chairman, Seed Committee, National Farmers' Union, England ; Mr. E. J. Riches, Economic Adviser, International Labour Office, Geneva; Mr. P. S. McGovern, Federal Commissioner of Taxation, Australia ; Mr. L. Farrer-Brown, Secretary, Nuffield Foundation, and Mrs. Farrer-Brown ; Dr. E. L. Palmer, of Cornell University ; and Mr. Lan Rettie, " Otaki " Shield Winner, 1949. Important missions and delegations that came during the year were the United Kingdom Mission to inspect dockyard and docking facilities, the members of which were Rear-Admiral (E) L. A. Taylor, C.8.E., and Mr. L. E. Hoggan ; Air Vice-Marshal R. L. R. Atcherley, C.8.E., A.F.C., Air Commodore R. G. Bowditch, and Air Commodore M. K. Janjua, Pakistan Air Force delegates; the United Kingdom Planning Mission ; and the Australian Trade Delegation. One of the major activities of the Branch arose out of the British Empire Games which were held at Auckland. Mr. A. E. Porritt, C.8.E., F.R.C.S., Chairman of the British Empire Games Federation, and Mrs. Porritt, and Captain K. S. Duncan, M.C., Hon. Secretary of the Federation, were the principal guests. At the conclusion of the Games, tours through the North and South Islands were arranged for the Rhodesian, Ceylonese, Nigerian, Fijian, English, Scottish, Welsh, and Canadian teams. In addition, Mr. H. J. Oaten, representative of the Evening News, London, was granted the usual facilities. A preview of the British Empire Games film was held in Wellington. State Functions In addition to functions tendered to some of the visitors mentioned above, State luncheons were held in honour of His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Lancial, Minister of France in New Zealand ; His Excellency Mr. Alexander Alexandrev, Minister of the U.S.S.R. in New Zealand ; His Excellency Mr. C. R. Price, C.M.G., High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand ; and Mr. C. W. Strath, Economic Planning Mission, England. Appropriate functions of farewell were tendered to Sir Patrick Duff, K.C.8., K.C.V.0., and Lady Duff; and Mr. R. Boulter, C.M.G., Economic Adviser and Senior Trade Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand. Morning-tea receptions were held in honour of Sir William Halcrow and Mr. J. P. Thomas ; Sir Stanley Unwin ; and Dr. J. L. Savage, U.S.A., a world authority on hydroelectric schemes.

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