Festivals - New Zealand - Southland Region

Date: 1928

By: Southland times (Newspaper)

Reference: Eph-B-FESTIVAL-Southland-1928-01

Description: Programme booklet with cover illustration of a clown playing a guitar, by Alan Raphael. Contains a message form the mayor John Miller, and the Prime Minister J G Coates; a short account of the tradition of May Fair Week and its first celebration in Southland in the previous year, 1927. Contains a three-page history of Southland and a three-page description of Invercargill. There is a photograph of two men dressed as the May Fair Mayor and Mayoressuding a procession, illuminations, children's sports, "A night in Venice", the Grand Pageant of Southland, poultry show, axemen's carnival, grand military tattoo, procession of illuminated and decorated lorries and cars, and grand fancy dress masked balls in various halls. On the sixth day there was a children's pet parade, children's costume parade, and dancing in costume. The final pages bescribe Gore, Nightcaps, Riverton, Otautau and Lumsden. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Booklet of 52 pages, each 245 x 185 mm.

Date: 1953 - 1976

By: Southland Competitions Society

Reference: Eph-A-FESTIVAL-Invercargill-1950/1979

Description: Includes: 1953: Southland Competitions Society. Sixth annual festival, 21-28 August 1953. Official programme 1976: Invercargill Arts Festival, 28 May - 13 June 1976. Preliminary guide & membership application Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 1923 - 1924

By: Invercargill Competitions Society

Reference: Eph-A-FESTIVAL-Invercargill-1923/1924

Description: Includes: Invercargill Competitions Society. Musical and elocutionary competitions; thirteenth annual festival. Municipal Theatre and Victoria Hall, 13-24 August 1923. Official programme Invercargill Competitions Society. Musical and elocutionary competitions; fourteenth annual festival. Municipal Theatre and Victoria Hall, 11-22 August 1924. Official programme Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Booklets, hardbound, 205 mm.

Date: 1946 - 1949

By: Southland Competitions Society; White, Harold Temple, 1881-1972

Reference: Eph-A-FESTIVAL-Invercargill-1940s

Description: Includes: 1946: Southland Patriotic Competitions Festival; vocal, instrumental, elocution, debates and speeches, dancing. Civic Theatre, Victoria Concert Chamber, U.F.S. Hall, 8-17 May 1946. Official programme 1949: Southland Competitions Society. Second annual festival; vocal, instrumental, debates and speeches, elocution, dancing. Civic Theatre, Victoria Concert Chamber, YMCA Hall, 5-16 May 1949. Official programme Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Booklets, hardbound, 212 mm.

Date: 1961

Reference: Eph-B-FESTIVAL-B-1961-01

Description: Programme for events including arts & crafts display, "Miss Balclutha" contest, children's fancy dress, procession, marching girls, golf tournament, bowls competition, darts tournament, gun club shoot, power boats on the Clutha River. Gala day was 11 November and includied dancing and aerobatic displays, wood chopping, model aeroplanes, fire brigade display, fencing display, Murihiku Maori Concert Party, Vespa Club display, bonfire and fireworks. Quantity: 1 b&w photo-mechanical print(s). Physical Description: Offset lithographs in booklet, each page 265 x 215 mm.

Date: 1929

By: Southland May Fair Committee; Southland news (Newspaper)

Reference: Eph-A-FESTIVAL-Southland-1929-01

Description: A programme for a festival week in Invercargill. The chairman of the organising committee was Mr Bill Stevenson and there is a caricature of him on page 5, as "King Bill of Mayfair", by B A Mahoney, who has also contributed caricatures of other individuals. The events of the fair included an opening procession of cars, cycles and home-made bands. At the showgrounds entertainment was provided by the Scottish Pipe Band, The Australian Blondin, Invercargill Orphans' Club. The second and third days included children's sports in Dee and Tay Streets (tricycle races, scooter race, skipping, tyre hoop race, roller skate race, mothers' push chair race, decorated parasols, boys' mechanical motor car race). There was also a Bouncing Baby Show, a basketball tournament, Grand Concert by Southland Commercial Travellers, and a gigantic Fancy Dress Ball at Zealandia Hall. The final day included an axemen's carnival, another fancy dress ball, impromptu items and band music. The booklet contains many advertisements for local businesses. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Booklet of 48 pages, each 220 x 140 mm. Provenance: Purchased at Plumbly's auction, 4 December 2008.