OFFICIALLY WELCOMED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1940, Page 6

OFFICIALLY WELCOMED

BRITISH AND AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES ARRIVAL BY AOTEAROA. LORD WILLINGDON & SENATOR McBRIDE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Bringing to New Zealand the Marquess of Willingdon to represent his Majestys Government in the United Kingdom at the Centennial celebrations, the Tasman Empire Airways flying-boat Ao-te-aroa, commanded by Captain J. W. Burgess, arrived at Wellington yesterday after a trip of 10 hours 10 minutes from Sydney. Lord Willingdon was accompanied by Lady Willingdon and Lord Errington, his private secretary. Other passengers by the Ao-te-aroa were Senator P. A. M. Mcßride, who is to represent the Australian Government at the New Zealand Centennial celebrations, Mrs Mcßride, Mr Williams, the Senator’s private secretary, the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, and Mrs Jones, and Mr F. B. Dwyer, of the Army Department. The fact that the Ao-te-aroa was to arrive at Wellington was not made public till yesteday afternoon. As a result the crowd that gathered at Evans Bay was not as large as would otherwise have been the case. There were, however, several thousand people around the foreshore and many cars were parked on vantage points on the hills. The afternoon was gloriously fine and hot, with a light southerly breeze.

A barge was moored to the Patent Slip jetty at Evans Bay and it was there that the passengers by the flying boat landed. A short address of welcome was delivered by the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, Mr A. M. Elliott, to which Lord Willingdon and Senator Mcßride replied. Afterward members of the party went to the‘Hotel Waterloo, where they will reside during their stay in Wellington.