HUGE PROGRAMME

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1933, Page 7

HUGE PROGRAMME

FOR MELBOURNE CENTENARY

MONEY FOR CELEBRATIONS

MELBOURNE, December 24.

Although the receipts of the Melbourne- Centenary Appeal Fund are approaching the £20,000 which was the primary objective of the organisers, the appeal will remain open with the object of increasing the fund to £50,000. In appealing to the public for subscriptions, the organiser of the appeal, Mr O. B. Nicholson, said that an effort was being made to bring thousands of visitors to Victoria from overseas and many more thousands from other States.

“The potential spending power of these tourists,” Mr Nicholson, continued, “is worth consideration as even 50,000 visitors to Melbourne would involve a. considerable amount of construction for extra accommodation, giving employment to carpenters', plumbers, painters and others, while the provision of extra sleeping and living accommodation for housemaids and waitresses, in addition to the extra consumption of foodstuffs, and other commodities, will considerably increase the revenue of the- city and give employment to many citizens. To attract these people, a large amount must be spent on judicious publicity.

The Great Air Race.

“Sir MacPherson Robertson’s generous donation of £15,000 has made possible the greatest air race in 'history—a race that is a wonderful advertisement not only for the centenary, but for Australia. But an air race covering- 12,000 miles naturally requires a. great deal of organising,—ground work policing of route and arrangements for landings. The expense naturally will be heavy, but essential and' justifiable. “It is proposed to invito world celebrities to Australia. This will entail some expendture, but it will be negligible beside the service such personages will render Australia by telling on their return home of its accomplishments and its , potentialities. Once visitors have been induced to come here‘s a variety of entertainment. muo* be provided for them. Exhibitions, pageantry, tattoos, and ether entertainments are being arranged on an ambitious scale in keeping with the occasion. Efforts are also being made to induce some of the world’s most famous athletes to take part in the centenary sporting fixtures.”

Invitations to Celebrities.

It has been resolved by the Centenary Council that £SOBO be handed over to the celebrities committee, which proposes to invite TO “celebrities” to visit Australia during the celebrations,. It was estimated that £soQrtWU’ld..provide for the fare and accommodation of a man and his wife, as-special concessions in fares had been offered by shipping companies. It has also been decided to suggest to the Federal and State Parliaments that they should invite, celebrities as guests during the celebrations,

Arrangements, for the invitation of the ten distinguished persons to visit Melbourne as guest of the Centenary Council are proceeding, but their names will not be announced until they.,have accented the invitutons.” The secretary of the council, said recently that no invitations had yet been extended by the council, nor .had any list of persons to be invited been, completed. Names of many famous persons, he said were being considered.