WILD AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 13 May 1911, Page 9

WILD AUSTRALIA

NOVELTY FOR LONDON SIGHTSEERS. Australia is to he the siihject of an cv hibttion at the forthcoming Festival of Empire, at the Crystal Palace, to which thp foothall ground will he adapted. This show will he known as "Wild Australia," and, as its name implies, it will lie illustrative of life iu the Australian hush. There will he various competitions, not the least interesting of which will he an inter-regimental rough-riding contest. Wild Australian ponies, not "trick" ponies, will he used, and each regiment will have a team of three representatives. A trophy, value 100 guineas, will he presented to the regiment which in the opinion of the judges displays the greatest skill, while £2O will he awarded to each memher of the winning team.

Thero will also lie buck-jumping by "bushmen." who will catch, saddle, and ride their mounts; bareback bullock riding by Australian girls, bucking muleriding by the Australian boys, lassothrowing bv Au-tralian experts, throwing and tying bullocks by Australian stockmen and American cowbovs, whose styles arc quae different; rifle-shooting by professional kangaroo shots, horse-taming by one of the foremo-t Australian lady tamers, as well as boomerang and spearthrowing. A -ketch illustrating the methods of "holding up" coaches will be among the performances to be enacted by '•bushmen.'' tine performer, by the manipulation of two stock whips, will produce the music of "Pop goes the Weasel'': he will also crack four stock whip* simultaneously. holdiiiL' two in each hand. Valuable iiri/.es will be offered to any member of the audience who succeeds in emulating certain feats of the professional riders. Xo similar show on such a scale lias ever been held in An-lralia. though smaller ones have been very successful. This is the first occasion on which an attempt of such magnitude has been made lo portray wild Australian life in England. The imlv exhibition to which it. can be likened' is that which was broiiL'ht over to England some years ago b v "IbitValo P.i 11." illustrative of Western America. The Wild Australian Show, which includes some valuable horses, one "Polls."' a noted trick animal, being valued at £1.(111(1, is now on its way to England, and it is expected to arrive this month. The Australian fiovernment is- taking a great interest in the production of the "Wild Australia Show, and has exnressed the hope that the exhibition will be a faithful reproduction of Australian "bush" )if«.