International Exhibition (1906)
43°31′48″S 172°37′12″E / 43.53000°S 172.62000°E / -43.53000; 172.62000
The New Zealand International Exhibition (the biggest in the country to that time) opened on 1 November 1906 in Hagley Park, Christchurch, New Zealand. Nearly two million people visited the exhibition during the next few months.[1]
The idea for the International Exhibition came from the prime minister, Richard Seddon, who was working on the government's 1903 budget and noticed a line item for the country to be represented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. In Parliament, Seddon announced his idea as an intercolonial fair for New Zealand "on a scale unprecedented south of the Line". The initiative approved by cabinet contained just three facts: it was to be larger than any prior event, to be held in Christchurch's Hagley Park, and be held soon. The government financed the exhibition and would cover any losses. When public servants queried about the scale of the proposed event, Seddon clarified his expectations:[2]
I thought I made it clear when I said it was to surpass anything hitherto held in the colony.
A 90 chains (1,800 m) branch railway line was built in late 1905 across North Hagley Park starting at the Riccarton station to service the exhibition (goods traffic only)[3] and a temporary tram line was built in Peterborough Street, Park Terrace and Salisbury Street to connect with the Victoria Street tram. The attractions included New Zealand's first professional symphony orchestra (conducted by Alfred Hill), and the first Dominion pipe band contest, which was won by the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band.
Amusements included a water chute on Victoria Lake, a dragon train, a toboggan course, a helter-skelter and a gondola. The Pike featured penny in the slot machines, a maze, and Professor Renno and his Palace of Illusions. Visitors were also able to view a 360 degree panoramic painting of the Battle of Gettysburg, accompanied by a history of the battle, at the Cyclorama.[4]
The exhibition closed on 15 April 1907 and the remaining buildings had been removed by the end of August 1907.
The architect for the buildings was Joseph Maddison. He also designed the Carlton Hotel, which was commissioned by the Wards's Brewery to be built in time for the International Exhibition.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/NewZealandInternationalExhibitionBuildings_Aerial_EditCurves.jpg/575px-NewZealandInternationalExhibitionBuildings_Aerial_EditCurves.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/NewZealandInternationalExhibitionBuildings_Plan.jpg/575px-NewZealandInternationalExhibitionBuildings_Plan.jpg)
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ "New Zealand International Exhibition 1906". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Mitchell, Charlie (14 January 2024). "'A palace of white and gold': Remembering the strange, dreamlike fair announcing New Zealand to the world". The Post. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "The International Exhibition". The Press. Vol. LXII, no. 12369. 7 December 1905. p. 10. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Christchurch City Libraries (2016). "110 years ago: The 1906 New Zealand International Exhibition". Christchurch City Libraries. Christchurch. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Carlton Hotel". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- v
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recognized
expositions
- London 1851
- Paris 1855
- London 1862
- Paris 1867
- Vienna 1873
- Philadelphia 1876
- Paris 1878
- Melbourne 1880
- Barcelona 1888
- Paris 1889
- Chicago 1893
- Brussels 1897
- Paris 1900
- St. Louis 1904
- Liège 1905
- Milan 1906
- Brussels 1910
- Turin 1911
- Ghent 1913
- San Francisco 1915
- Barcelona 1929
- Seville 1929
- Chicago 1933
Universal
expositions
specialized
expositions
- Stockholm 1936
- Helsinki 1938
- Liège 1939
- Paris 1947
- Stockholm 1949
- Lyon 1949
- Lille 1951
- Jerusalem 1953
- Rome 1953
- Naples 1954
- Turin 1955
- Helsingborg 1955
- Beit Dagan 1956
- Berlin 1957
- Turin 1961
- Munich 1965
- San Antonio 1968
- Budapest 1971
- Spokane 1974
- Okinawa 1975
- Plovdiv 1981
- Knoxville 1982
- New Orleans 1984
- Plovdiv 1985
- Tsukuba 1985
- Vancouver 1986
- Brisbane 1988
- Plovdiv 1991
- Genoa 1992
- Taejŏn 1993
- Lisbon 1998
- Zaragoza 2008
- Yeosu 2012
- Astana 2017
Buenos Aires 2023- Belgrade 2027
horticultural
exhibitions (AIPH)
- Rotterdam 1960
- Paris 1969
- Amsterdam 1972
- Hamburg 1973
- Vienna 1974
- Montreal 1980
- Amsterdam 1982
- Munich 1983
- Liverpool 1984
- Osaka 1990
- Zoetermeer 1992
- Stuttgart 1993
- Kunming 1999
- Haarlemmermeer 2002
- Rostock 2003
- Chiang Mai 2006–2007
- Venlo 2012
- Antalya 2016
- Beijing 2019
- Almere 2022
- Doha 2023
- Yokohama 2027
recognized
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43°31′37″S 172°37′34″E / 43.527°S 172.626°E / -43.527; 172.626