THE EXHIBITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1939, Page 3

THE EXHIBITION

HUGE BUILDINGS WELL UNDER WAY TRANSFORMATION OF 55 ACRE AREA. PLAYLAND & OTHER FEATURES. ‘•ln about 16 weeks the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition will open at Wellington, and for many of those con • nected with the work in its final stages, those weeks will seem like days,” said Mr C. P. Hainsworth, General Manager of the Exhibition, in an interview. He stressed the need for a general appreciation of the nearness of the opening of the Exhibition, and a visit to the grounds at Rongotai confirmed the im pression that the final stage of con struction and completion in the huge buildings was indeed well under way. The exhibit buildings themselves, vast halls with a total floor area of approximately 392.000 square feet, have been completed, but inside the buildings there is a roar of activity as the exhibit stands themselves are erected. Outside the main buildings the layingout of the grounds, the erection of special pavilions, the construction of “Playland,” and the completion of other structures goes on with rapid changes from day to day. Over the whole 55 acres of the Exhibition grounds there is a bustle and stir as hundreds of workmen apply themselves to many and varied tasks. COMPLETE TOWNSHIP. “Apart from sleeping accommodation, the Exhibition and its grounds will be a complete township, with all the facilities for the everyday activities of a community,” said Mr Hainsworth. “On November 8, when the Gover-nor-General, Lord Galway, will open the Exhibition, there will spring into life a vast organisation that will serve as a centre for instruction and entertainment for all the people of New Zealand, and for overseas visitors, for .more than six months. A police station, a fire brigade station, an ambulance service, customs and postal and telegraph facilities, and many other organ isations to cater for the needs of every section of the community in all circumstances, will be available. “The largest display unit,” said Mr Hainsworth, “will be the Government Court where twenty-six State Departments will be represented in a building with a floor space of 100,000 square feet.’ Here visitors will see the working and administration of their country as a whole brought into one compact but vast exhibit. Another special feature depicting the life of the country as a whole, will be the Dominion Court, where every province is represented. Here fascinating models will portray typical scenes from the town and coun • try life from all parts of the. Dominion.”

OVERSEAS REPRESENTATION. Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Fiji will be represented by special displays at the Exhibition. Great Britain and Australia are erecting their own pavilions. Already the massive simplicity of the British Pavilion, and the striking and dramatic lines of the Australian buildings can be seen in the preliminary structures. Canada is arranging a national display that will occupy a floor space of approximately 11,000 square feet in the main exhibit building, and Fiji will be represented in a colourful and interesting exhibit in the Motors and Transportation Buildings. . , . , , “A separate building is being erected for the Port of* London Authority, in which will be incorporated dioramas depicting the Port of London through the ages, during its history of not less than 2,000 years.

PROVISIONS FOR CHILDREN. “Fittingly enough, the preparations for the entertainment and care of Young New Zealand have been thorough. A creche, under the care of an experienced matron, will be operated by the New Zealand Red Cross Society, and a special building housing a modern kindergarten will be controlled by the Wellington Free Kindergarten Association. The Plunket Society are erecting a special pavilion also, and there they will have a comprehen ■ sive display of their activities. In “Playland,” the Amusement Park that covers about 10 acres of ground within the Exhibition, a special area, about one acre, has been set aside for equip • ment suitable for children. A miniature railway, with a track 3,000 feet long, and a paddling pool, are among the features in this section of the Exhibition. “Adult entertainment is well assured in Playland where there is as great variety of amusement devices as ever staged anywhere in the world. The giant Cyclone Roller-Coaster is the largest ever erected in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Mr Hainsworth.

GENERAL FEATURES. “An undertaking of this kind would be incomplete without a section devoted to the interests of women, and a fairly large area has been set aside where all branches of women’s work will be displayed. Fine arts, arts and crafts, domestic science, nursing and child welfare, a country women’s sec tion, and—probably most interesting of all —a loans section, will be included. “Lectures and demonstrations of in terest to women will be held in the Conference Hall, where many and varied subjects will be discussed by expert speakers from all parts of New Zealand. “Lighting will be a special feature, and the out-door effect of the Exhibi tion Buildings at night, a mass of colour reflected in the artistic pools, and the brilliance of the illuminated fountain will all combine to make an effect of rare beauty. “Music will be provided daily by the band of his Majesty’s Welsh Guards. A cabaret, specially constructed along modern lines, and with an expert dance band, will be another entertainment feature of the Exhibition. “A car park, with a capacity for 1.000 cars, will be included in the Exhibition grounds. “To assist those who cannot make their own plans, accommodation may be arranged through the official Accommodation Bureau.” In his review of the progress made with the preparations for the Exhibi tion, Mr Hainsworth stressed the fact that all the facilities were being planned and executed with a view to catering for visitors from all parts of New Zealand and overseas.