Notes for Women

Southland Times, Issue 24838, 2 September 1942, Page 3

Notes for Women

Mrs R. M. Asher, Dunedin, is the guest of Mrs H. H. Campbell, Baird street. Mrs E. V. Gray, who has been the guest of Mrs W. R. Rea, Pomona street, returned to Dunedin yesterday. . Miss Elaine Hulse, L.R.S.M., won the pianoforte scholarship of five guineas held at the Dunedin competitions last week. Mrs J. J. Lawson, Tuatapere, has returned from Roxburgh, where she was a successful competitor at the golf tournament. Mrs Mark Stevens and her two daughters, Christchurch, are the guests of Mrs R. Gardiner, Nelson street. Mrs Cyril de Renzi, Christchurch, who has been staying with Mrs W. Cowie, Newcastle street, left yesterday on her return n °Mr'and Mrs A. M. Wilson, Christchurch, who have been the guests of Mrs M. A. McKenzie, Tweed street, are at present visiting Bluff. Mrs S. W. Jones, Holy wood Terrace, Mrs J. C. Kirkland, Kelvin street, and Mrs J. H. Roderique, Fox street, are spending a holiday at Mokomoko. There were 10 tables at play at the open night of the Bridge Circle of the Southland Women’s Club on Monday. The prize winners were Mrs C. Gerrard. Misses Q. Batchelor and M. Mclntyre. The novelty prize was won by Mrs J. Blue. Hospital work and its contribution to the war effort was the subject of a talk given by Miss D. I. Buchanan, matron of Kew Hospital, at the social afternoon of the Southland Women’s Club. Miss Buchanan traced the development of nursing from earlier times and discussed what the profession was doing to meet the demands of war-time. Mrs J. D. Gilmour, president of the club, introduced Miss Buchanan and Mrs C. E. Watts thanked her for her enlightening address. Mrs E. K. Mills and Mrs F. W. McCullough were the soloists. Grandmothers of New Zealand servicemen overseas were entertained by the women’s section of the Gore Returned Services Association at a social in the Gore R.S.A. lounge yesterday afternoon. There was a big attendance and Mrs T. L. Macdonald was chairman. A motion of sympathy with the Royal family in the death of the Duke of Kent was carried. An address on Fiji was given by Lieutenant R. Adams and a musical programme was given by grandmothers from the Onuka branch of the Women’s Institute. The hostesses for the afternoon were Mesdames W. H. Sadlier, W. Salton, J. McCubbin, W. Keown and S. Smith. Three excellent one-act plays were presented to a large audience at the Southland Women’s Club last night by members of the Play-Reading Circle. Those present were welcomed by Mrs A. M. Macdonald. Following are the plays and the casts:— The Scarecrow,” by J. A. Ferguson (policeman, Mrs T. F. Gllkison; old woman, Miss M. Tring Crofts; young woman, Mrs N. Sansom); “The Lovely Miracle,” by Philip Johnson (mother, Mrs C. E. Watts; daughter, Mrs N. Sansom; neighbour, Mrs T. FGllkison; young man. Miss D. Washer); "Mirror to Elizabeth,” by T. B. Morris (Elizabeth Trehtham, Miss H. Wyatt; Elizabeth Throckmorton, Miss L. Robertson; Penelope Wyndham, Mrs N. Sansom; Mary Howard, Mrs H. Royds; Kate Carey, Mrs C. E. Watts; Mary Radcliffe, Mrs T. F. Gilklson; Elizabeth, Miss M. Tring Crofts; page, Miss D. Washer); chorus, Mrs H. Parker. TALENTED SCULPTOR Miss Molly Macalister’s Work At work in a studio fitted out in the basement of the Otago Museum is Miss Molly Macalister. talented young Invercargill sculptor, says The Evening Star. She is at present engaged in the modelling of animals for the museum's agricultural exhibit, which came from the Glasgow Exhibition through the efforts of Lord Bledisloe. It consisted ■of models of British thoroughbred stock, but did not contain those of New Zealand stud stock, the completion of the exhibit in this respect being the work at present occupying Miss Macalister’s attention. This section will comprise two Cyldesdales and four different breeds of sheep. Miss Macalister, a daughter of Mr and Mrs S. M. Macalister, Dalrymple street, Invercargill, had three years at the Canterbury College School of Art, where she took sculpture under Mr F. A. Shurrock, regarded as New Zealand’s most able sculptor. She began with clay modelling and carving from stone, and was fortunate in being able to gain further experience as an assistant to Mr Shurrock in the sculpture work he did for the education court at the Wellington Exhibition. , There followed a year spent in the teachl ing of art at St. John’s Girls’ School, Invercargill, and Miss Macalister and another young Invercargill girl, Miss Monica Ford, did nursery rhyme and Walt Disney murals respectively for the Roxburgh health camp. They were responsible for the sand-blasted glass partitions depicting nursery rhymes in the children’s ward of the Gore Hospital. In the Maori section of the Fels Wing at the Otago Museum stands an imposing exhibit—the head of a Maori chief—completed only recently. This was modelled by the young Invercargill sculptor, whose work already is indicative of *a very bright future. Such work as the modelling of a Clydesdale takes about a fortnight to complete, but the Maori chief was a job extending over two months and a-half. Plans are in hand for a magnificent diorama for which Miss Macalister made a special trip to Manapouri to study the beech forest for the location .of the rare New Zealand parrot. This exhibit will consist of a bush scene typical of the Manapouri district, where the parrots were to be seen in their natural homes in the roots of trees. This will be the final diorama, completing the splendid display of New Zealand birds—moas, keas and kakapo—the first two of which are already displayed in the Museum.

Miss Macalister has also done a number of works in oil, pencil, and lino cuts, these revealing her versatility as an artist.