TO ADVANCE DUNEDIN

Evening Star, Issue 22458, 1 October 1936, Page 10

TO ADVANCE DUNEDIN

THE HUNDRED THOUSAND CLUB FIRST BIG SHOT FIRED For the last few months a team_ of enthusiasts has met regularly to design and promote a great forward movement in Dunedin. In the early days of settlement in New Zealand this city and the Otago province occupied a foremost place in the economic and commercial life of the country. The great boom on the goldfields gradually spent itself, but left in its wake a body of very industrious and enterprising men, who, having seen the great commercial development which began in Melbourne with the mining boom in Victoria, were determined to secure for themselves and their business a place in the progress of this new land. ' As a result of their activities Dunedin was not only the centre of vigorous trade interests, but spread its commerce to the other parts of New Zealand. Many of the firms that, were established soon became Dominion concerns, and in several instances, notably the Union Steam Ship Company and the New Zealand Shipping Company, became world-wide in their field of operations. In the process of time the rapid development of North Island lands led to great increases of population in that area. One by one many of the great companies founded in Dunedin found it imperative to move their head offices to the more populous centres of _ the north, and Dunedin was caught in a backwash.

While Auckland has well over 200,000 people resident in her metropolitan area, and Wellington and Christchurch nearly 150,000 each, Dunedin has not yet touched the 100,000 mark. These facts were conveyed to a reporter by the mayor (Rev. E. T. Cox) in a statement made this morning, and he said that they all recognised that to-day one of the big industries qf the future was the tourist traffic, and to get a share of that traffic and make Dunedin the centre of interest and enjoyment at holiday periods for New Zealanders there had been called into being the Hundred Thousand Club. “ This organisation has in mind meeting the needs of the new type of holidaymaker,” said Mr Cox, “ the one who likes a dressed-up holiday and to see other people in their best clothes. These people have said good-bye to the ‘ book in a nook ’ type of holiday, and look for entertainment morning, noon, and night.” As a vantage ground for such a holiday resort, he continued, Dunedin provides special facilities. Its beaches within a few minutes’ tram ride or motor drive of the _ city centre are amongst the finest in the Southern Hemisphere, and provide a fitting jump-ing-off ground for day pleasures, while the parks and gardens and sports grounds are so central and easy of access that visitors can get the maximum of interest with an economy of travel.

In the evening the places of amusement will provide adequately for those who desire indoor entertainment, and. in addition to the ordinary variety of pleasure, Sir Benjamin Fuller is allocating for the Christmas season a very fine musical company, opening on Boxing Night. “ We are thus assured that New Zealand visitors to Dunedin will find that this is no dull place next Christmas,” declared the Mayor. “ Ordinarily we lose from two to three people at holiday time for every one that comes to Dunedin, and although we do not expect to retain our own people who love to travel, we are out to capture those who are leaving other centres.” He said that for the day’s amusements they purposed issuing challenges to other South Island centres to make invasions upon Dunedin with every available summer sport, and hoped that in the case of Christchurch, Timaru, and Invercargill these invasions would last for several days. The Ideal Homes _ Exhibition (at Littlebourne House) is the first of a series of big efforts to bring interest and amusement to the people. Designed on a much more modest scale after the fashion of the Ideal Homes Exhibition at Olympia, its purpose is to show how the maximum of comfort and artistic beauty can be obtained at a modest cost. No doubt after six years of depression most homes need replenishing, and_ if this exhibition causes a run in this direction, the mayor said it would greatly improve the general trading of the city. For those who desire amusement the grounds, being brilliantly lit by coloured lights, will present a fairyland appearance, and will show the citizens what a great asset the people have in the gift of Littlebourn© House to the city. Games and sideshows will provide for those who are fond of such frivolities. “We hope that every person in Dunedin who is not incapacitated by physical infirmity will visit this show, if only to see the beauty of the grounds, said the mayor, and he announced that the exhibition would open on Saturday afternoon, October 10, at 2.30.