New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition
New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition | |
---|---|
Overview | |
BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
Name | New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition |
Area | 6.5 ha |
Visitors | 3,200,498 |
Location | |
Country | New Zealand |
City | Dunedin |
Venue | Logan Park |
Timeline | |
Opening | 17 November 1925 |
Closure | 1 May 1926 |
The New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Dunedin, New Zealand from 17 November 1925 until 1 May 1926,[1][2] which celebrated that country and the South Seas. It was the third such exhibition held in Dunedin, with earlier exhibitions in 1865 and 1889.[3] The exhibition had over 3 million visitors. It had added a new 'Special Exhibits' section focusing on art and craftwork made by women.[4] It was a breakthrough that lifted the profile of women's art and craftwork.[4]
Description
The exhibition was held on
The exhibition grounds and buildings included an amusement park with a quarter-mile scenic railway loop, restaurant, and tearooms, along with displays from both New Zealand provinces and overseas countries, with "courts" set up by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Fiji.[3] The exhibition was opened by the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, in November 1925, and remained open until the middle of the following year. Although the country's population at the time was only 1,250,000, a total of more than 3,000,000 visitors paid for admission to the exhibition.[5] Even in its closing stages, the exhibition was most popular; the final day's attendance was a record 83,935.[3]
The exhibition was commemorated in a set of three stamps issued by the New Zealand Post Office, designed by H Linley Richardson.[5] The set was one of New Zealand's first commemorative stamp issued, and also one of very few from the country to be printed on coloured paper.
Former art gallery
Little now remains of the exhibition venue and structure other than Logan Park and
Some sections of some of the exhibitions buildings were sold to members of the public and moved to other sites, most notably a small domed structure now part of an art gallery at
The former gallery building is the only remaining structure from any of the International Fairs held in New Zealand in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and one of only some eight left from this era of world fairs worldwide. The building was designed by Edmund Anscombe, a driving force behind the staging of an exhibition in Dunedin, who was appointed official architect to the exhibition in 1924. The building has a Heritage New Zealand Category I classification.[7]
Former aquarium
When proposals for an aquarium were unable to be funded by the Acclimatisation Society or the City Corporation, George Howes (entomologist) and others registered a private company, Aquarium Ltd., "To carry on the' business of an aquarium at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin."[8] Aquarium Ltd. wound up at the end of the exhibition, the aquarium building was taken on by the city.[9][10] It was then purchased by the Otago Lawn Tennis Association.[11] The aquarium tanks were relocated to the Dunedin Botanic Garden, along with the fernery from the exhibition, where they were used for housing fish until 1933.[12][13]
References
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3416-9.
- ^ a b "NZ History online NZ and South Seas International Exhibition opens NZHistory.net.nz, New Zealand history online". Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d nzhistory Exhibition opening
- ^ OCLC 1118996645.
- ^ a b New Zealand Post Stamps: Dunedin Exhibition
- ^ "Sargood Contribution to Art in Dunedin", Sargood Bequest.
- ^ a b "New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
- ^ "Otago Daily Times". 17 March 1925. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Evening Star". 17 June 1926. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Otago Daily Times". 13 March 1926. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Evening Star". 23 July 1927. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Evening Star". 6 November 1926. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Evening Star". 28 November 1933. Retrieved 5 March 2019.