Transcripts of Radio Sound Files

Radio sound file 1: Tour of the Exhibition

a) Introduction

'And tonight we bring you a glimpse, in the form of an imaginary tour from the Exhibition buildings, of what will be presented to the public of New Zealand, and to visitors from overseas in November of this year.

'First of all, let us make our way out of the city, to Lyall Bay, where we enter the modernistic main gates to the Exhibition grounds, in Kingsford Smith Street. Once inside the main gate, a magnificent vista confronts us. We are now on the main avenue which stretches for some 600 yards right up to the foot of the huge tower, which you can see from as far away as Lower Hutt and beyond.

'The tower is 155 feet high. At its base the first of three huge pools commences. Each of the reflection pools measures 40 feet by 250 feet, and they grace the length of the main avenue, half-way along its length. Between each pool an ornamental fountain is being constructed, it measures some 120 feet in diameter – but more of this anon.

'I can see, just over there, the manager of the Exhibition, Mr Hainsworth, who will no doubt be able to tell us everything we need to know about the general layout of the Exhibition.

'By the way, I suppose you already know that it covers some 50 acres of ground, and that the buildings alone occupy 15 to 20 acres.

'This avenue on which we are now standing will, when it's completed, be laid in red sandstone, which, with the contrasting green lawns – acres of them – should prove very effective.

'And now to Mr Hainsworth….'

END

b) Interview with Charles Hainsworth, manager of the Exhibition.

'Good evening sir.'

'Good evening.'

'We are going to call on yourself once again Mr Hainsworth, to take us round the Exhibition, now that it is, I suppose, more than half-way finished.'

'Er yes, now where would you like to commence?'

'Well, right here will do Mr Hainsworth – this set of buildings on the right-hand side, what's that?'

'The building on the right is the Administrative Block.'

'Oh yes.'

'On the left, a corresponding block is set apart for general services, such as police, ambulance, fire brigade, customs, et cetera et cetera. Those are the two at the main entrance to Kingsford Smith Street, one on each side.'

'Yes, and that building on the left?'

'The building on the left is the one that is now being constructed for the British Government.'

'Oh yes.'

'The total area of that building is approximately 23,000 square feet in extent.'

'23,000 square feet! … I'll just say that slowly listeners, 23,000 square feet. It looks as if it is going to be made in steel?'

'The structure is steel principally, the framework is steel'

'And the one on the right is …?'

'The one on the right is set apart for the Australian Government, and they're erecting a building one portion of which will be two storeys in height.'

'Oh yes.'

'And, er, both of them, quite distinctive in design, but approximately the same area, 23,000 square feet.'

'From where we stand, listeners, at the entrance, just inside the gates, two roadways make a sweep to the left and to the right, forming a semi-circle, to meet again further up the avenue to make a complete circle, is that right?'

'That's right, yes.'

'And those buildings you've been describing are not yet finished. They are respectively, as you heard Mr Hainsworth say, the British Government Court, and the Australian Court. Now from here the design of the Exhibition is pretty well apparent, and it should be particularly attractive to every visitor, don't you think so Mr …'

'Oh yes, it should from every point of view. The general layout has been designed to ensure that there is no waste space anywhere, and that the large crowds that are expected will be able to move about quite freely.'

'Oh yes. Well how do you consider that the design of the main buildings and the general standard compare with other exhibitions with which you've been associated?'

'Well I … this I might say, is my 51st exhibition…'

'51st!'

'Which is a fairly long record. I would consider that the layout on this occasion is a most attractive one, and yet very practicable from every point of view.'

'Yes.'

'The buildings are modernistic in character, but not too extravagant in that respect.'

'No.'

'The greatest credit is reflected on the architect for the Exhibition, Mr Edmund Anscombe and his associates, in this respect.'

'Oh yes. At this stage listeners I'd like to explain, to those of you who are not familiar with the layout of the Exhibition, that the buildings enclose a regular cross, formed by the main avenue and the space from one band shell to another, running directly north and south, for about 300 yards. The centre cross is formed by two-thirds of the main avenue, and the other avenue running north and south, either end of which is a band shell.'

END

c) Interview with W. T. Trethewey, Exhibition Sculptor

'Well I see on the door that it says "No admission except by special permission", but I think we've got special permission tonight Mr Trethewey?'

'Yes, yes.'

'I hope you don't mind?'

'Oh no, not at all.'

'And we've heard a lot about your, er, work and we've seen a lot about it in the newspapers. We'd just like you to tell our listeners what's going on in this room, um, for example, how many groups of statuary are you making?'

'Well at the present time we're engaged on three.'

'Uh huh.'

'There are two groups, as you walk up the main entrance steps, at either side of the main entrance, there are going to be two groups, one for the pioneer women and one for pioneer men of New Zealand.'

'Those are the two now finished?'

'Yes, they are finished.'

'Ah yes. They depict, as you might have seen listeners, on the one hand a man and a young boy isn't it?'

'That is so, yes.'

'And the other a women and two girls? A women and her two children?'

'That's right.'

'And they're to be placed at the base of the …'

'Of the main tower.'

'Yes, and that particularly, er, big group you are working on now, the one with clay and things on it?'

'Oh that is the, that depicts the coming of Kupe and Mana.'

'The original navigator to New Zealand?'

'Yes.'

'It is a particularly attractive figure – I shouldn't say attractive – it is really beautiful. You should see it for yourselves, listeners, you will do in due course. It depicts a group of three figures. What's the third figure?'

'The first figure is Kupe, and standing on his left is Mana, his wife, and the third figure is the Tohunga ...'

'Oh yes.'

'Who brought them out here.'

'He's standing on the prow of his canoe isn't he?'

'That is so.'

'At present Kupe is some 16 feet high, a particularly impressive group of statuary, and the spear reaches to a height of …?'

'22 feet.'

'22 feet, yes. It will be placed on a 10 foot base to make it 32 feet high when it's complete.'

'That small, um, bronze statuette is the one from which you work, isn't it?'

'Yes, that is so. The first thing we do is make what we call a preliminary sketch model.'

'Yes.'

'From the sketch model we enlarge the enlarged group, it's the first thing we do.'

'For the basis of the large group, for example, you'd have to use wooden frames?'

'Yes, we build up the frame with what we call an armature. And then with this armature of wood and iron, lead pipes et cetera, we spread a layer of scrim, and on top of this scrim we place clay.'

'Yes.'

'We build the clay all over until we obtain the figure we require, and then from that we have to make a mould in plaster of Paris. And from the mould, we cast the original.'

'Yes. What is the height of the two groups, Pioneer Men and Pioneer Women?'

'The two are 8 foot six.'

'8 foot six, that's what you call um …?'

'Heroic.'

'Heroic, yes. And Mr Trethewey, the other groups that you're doing?'

'Well over the entrance doorway there is a very large panel, depicting the progress of New Zealand since 1840 to 1940.'

'That's the one they're finishing now, just over there?'

'Yes. The first portion shows the arrival of Captain Cook, and the coming of Christianity with Marsden, and then the pioneers.'

'That's all drawn out on paper?'

'Placed out on paper first, and then we're carving it in plaster of Paris.'

'Oh, you're carving it directly?'

'Yes, carving it direct.'

'Oh and that's what your doing over there?'

'That is so.'

'A method that has never been used in New Zealand before. You can imagine what a big task it is listeners, when I tell you that this frieze in bass-relief is 100 feet long by 8 feet high, and is to be carved into plaster of Paris?'

'Plaster of Paris, yes.'

'There's literally hundreds of figures in it.'

'Yes there are.'

'They've all got to be hand drawn first?'

'Oh yes, yes. Each figure is around about 7 foot six in height.'

'Where is the group, Kupe and Mana, to be placed?'

'The group Kupe and Mana is to be placed at the main entrance gates. As you go in the main entrance gates, the first thing that meets your eye, actually, is the very large lagoon, or reflecting pools you spoke of a while ago. At the head of this pool is going to be placed this group, looking along the water.'

'I see, what gave you the idea for that, Mr Trethewey?'

'Well, there's been quite a lot of talk about the Pakeha pioneers and it just occurred to me that a group to the Maori, the original Maori pioneers of New Zealand, would be quite appropriate.'

'I see, it is too. It's an amazing good piece of statuary – as far as I can see, it's the best group there. I may be biased. Well thank you very much. Our listeners are particularly interested, I know, in the statuary work that is being done, and we're very glad to have been able to get Mr Trethewey to open the door to us tonight.'

END

Radio sound file 2: speech at the Exhibition in late November 1939 made by the Prime Minister, Mr Michael Joseph Savage.

[Spoken very slowly and with a shaky voice.]

'Good afternoon everybody.

'I've been having a delightful time, witnessing a smiling crowd of thousands of people – I don't know how many thousands. Mr Sullivan has suggested 50,000; well I wish it were 150,000, because this is one of the opportunities of a lifetime. It doesn't come very often in one's life to have the privilege of going through the wonderful show that this is. It reflects great credit on those that have been responsible for it.

'Some of the thoughts that went through my mind, were something like this: I thought of the early stages, when perhaps four or five or half a dozen men, or men and women, assembled round a table with conflicting ideas about what an exhibition should be. That's gone though various stages since then, and today one has had the privilege of viewing – very hurriedly I'll admit – some of their wonderful work.

'And it has been wonderful work, and it is only those who have gone through the Exhibition who will be able to appreciate the nature of the work. We have history in a nutshell. One would do a lot of reading before one could take in the development of shipping and transport generally which can be seen in this great assemblage of historical events. It would be impossible almost to read the matter that would be necessary to bring one in touch with the developments in the various phases of our industrial and general economic life. However I'm with the Mayor when he suggests every child in New Zealand seeing the Exhibition'.

END

Radio sound file 3: extracts from speech by Lord Galway, Governor General of New Zealand, at the Opening of the Exhibition.

[Spoken in a posh upper-class English accent. ]

a) Introduction

{Applause}

'Mr Sullivan, Mr Mayor, ladies and gentlemen. It is indeed a very great privilege for me to have been invited to come here today with the purpose of opening this Centennial Exhibition. That the importance of the occasion is amply realised is demonstrated by this vast assembly which I see before me. Naturally, at a time like this, our thoughts go back to the commencement of the era covered by the Exhibition.'

END

b) Best British Stock

'Most fortunately for New Zealand, most of the immigrants who arrived in the country were men and women of good physique, character and foresight. People of the best British colonising type. We cannot help thinking of their courage and determination on the long and hazardous voyage from the Mother Country, endless discomfort, and no real knowledge as to how they would find things upon their arrival.'

END

c) About the exhibition

'The promoters of this New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, and those responsible for the exhibits, may well feel proud of their efforts. Discouraged as they must have been by the outbreak of war, and by the effect that might possibly have on the enterprise, they have nevertheless been responsible for this splendid structure that you see here today, and for the display that has been unparalleled to date in the history of the country. I congratulate the organisers most warmly on their courage and enterprise on holding it under these conditions. They deserve every success at the hands of all good citizens.

Particularly when I mention the name of his worship the mayor Mr Hislop, who, as chairman of directors, has had to give, and cheerfully gave, his wholehearted and undivided attention to this vast enterprise. And to Mrs Hislop for her untiring energy in connection with the women's section.

'[To the] directors, engineers, artists and craftsmen, and those many others too numerous to mention, I would say very well done indeed. This Exhibition supports many and various attractions – for amusement, as well as education – it depicts all branches of our national life, and should inspire all good citizens with the confidence of its success.

'To the people of New Zealand I should say that the Exhibition presents the opportunity of a lifetime to acquire valuable knowledge in relation to their country. All who possibly can should visit it, and parents in particular should do their utmost to ensure that their children have every opportunity of seeing all the exhibits. It is a duty they owe to themselves and to their children, as well as to their country.'

END

d) More on the Exhibition

'Today the opening of this Exhibition marks the eve of New Zealand's arrival at maturity. The Exhibition represents a clear, unified and comprehensive picture of a century of modern progress and civilisation. So far as has been possible, the past has been depicted so as to give an understanding of the present as we find it today, and by means of this evolution outline, will, it is hoped, give some idea of the possible future.

Apart from its educative value, this Exhibition will serve as a happy meeting ground for people from town and country, for friends from far and near, the producer and consumer, and of providing to each an opportunity of an enlightened recognition of their identity and interests, and mutual interdependence. It will give us an excellent opportunity of meeting people from overseas and at the same time give those people an opportunity of learning something of our conditions of life and of appreciating our various problems.

I hope that all who visit this Exhibition, will make a careful study of everything that is on view. If they do they cannot not fail to leave it feeling proud of their Centennial Exhibition, and of those who were responsible for it. And at the same time bear in mind the part that they themselves will play in their country's future, convinced that only by close co-operation, a collaboration between all interests: between primary producers and secondary producers, between employers and employees, between master and man, and by mutual harmony and sympathetic outlook, can they hope to enhance the credit of New Zealand in the eyes of the world and to achieve that happiness and contentment in life, which we all seek.

END