Sounds Historical for Sunday 12 July 2015
8:09 Today in New Zealand History 4’52”
British Troops invade Waikato during the Land Wars, July 12 1863.
8:15 Homework
1. Which town has an international airport but never had a railway?
2. Which sport was introduced to Australia by a New Zealand team?
8:17 Artist: Johnny Granger the Yodelling Drover 2’43”
Song: You Will Never Grow Old
Composer: Rand
Album: In a Country Mood
Label: Stebbing
8:20 Consumer Time for Thursday April 10th 1947 7’23”
An unidentified male commentator discusses the improvement in availablilty of clothing and fabric in New Zealand stores, now that Britain is making a drive to export more. He notes there are lots of pyjamas in shops in Wellington now, whereas they were completely unavailable until recently. He discusses the impulse by shoppers to buy them, simply because they are there, and the "hoarding complex".
Stone fruit and the end of price controls on peach supplies are also discussed.
Electricity supply in the North Island will be problem for some months yet. The lake at Karapiro has been completed but the new generator won't be feeding power for some time yet and cold weather will see increased demand, so power saving by consumers will be needed.
8:31 Uncle Sam Presents 15’03”
A programme from 31 August 1944 which features the St. Mary's Preflight Brigadiers from the United States naval pre-flight school at St. Mary's College, California. They perform I May be Wrong; Just we Two; Body and Soul and Fiesta in Brass. The programme was broadcast to the troops during World War Two and copies were supplied to other broadcasters.
8:49 A Trotting Record 2’16”
In the 1950s it was common for private recording companies to make recordings of race commentaries which were then sold to the owners/trainers and replayed by them to relive the triumph. In this recording the speeches after the 1952 New Zealand Trotting Stakes at Addington have been recorded. The race was won by General Lee. The speaker congratulates Mr Ball on his win and Mr J. Litten the trainer and driver. Mrs Thomas decorates the horse. Mr Ball says he is “very pleased to be here today to see me horse in the trotting stakes”.
8:53 War Report 44 6’36”
The Bank of New Zealand announces taking on female clerks to be able to release men for the front and decides to pay its men half-pay on top of their army pay. Bert Cooksley MM, later an MP for Wairarapa, recalls Gallipoli.
9:05 As I Remember 4’06”
Waste Not, Want Not by Robin Shepherd. Read by Phil Smith.
9:11 Homework
1. Which town has an international airport but never had a railway?
2. Which sport was introduced to Australia by a New Zealand team?
9:12 Val Doonican – On Tour in New Zealand 15’26”
An extract from a Spectrum documentary in which Jack Perkins joins entertainer Val Doonican on his tour in 1972. Doonican died last week at the age of 88.
Artist: Val Doonican
Song: My Elusive Dreams
Composer: Sherrill/Putman
Album: n/a NZBC
Label: n/a
9:29 Mt John - 50 Years of Star Gazing 28’26”
On 10 July 1965 the Mount John observatory at Lake Tekapo was opened. This report includes part of the opening ceremony with speakers Carleton Perkins, Chancellor Canterbury University and Herbert B Powell, the United States Ambassador. Jim Sullivan talks to astronomer Alan Gilmore who, with his astronomer wife Pam Kilmartin, has been at the observatory most of his working life and they do some watching of the night sky through one of the telescopes. Mt John the First 50 Years by John Hearnshaw and Alan Gilmore. Published by Canterbury University Press. ISBN 978 1 927145 62 3