The Autumn Carnival
It Entertained Thousands —Young And Old

It was the kind of morning that Curly sang about in "Oklahoma!" After a spell of broken weather, the day of the Autumn Carnival at the showgrounds broke fine, still, and sunny. People couldn't find surreys to ride in with fringes on top, but they rolled up in their cars and buses by the thousand to make the annual carnival one of the best ever. The programme matched their high spirits. It had something for everybody, combining so much interest, entertainment, and fun that many people never found time to join the jostling crowds and submit to the blandishments of the sideshow alley barkers.

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Youthful spectators: Sally, Rob, Jane, and John Sherratt

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But sideshow alley seemed to have just as many people riding the ferris wheel, or the merry-go-rounds, or trying their skill at throwing rings, or pushing in to see the man who catches bullets in his teeth.

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Item: the "dagwood" David Green is holding in picture above didn't stop him winning the surfing pentathlon at Wainui next day.

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For some (above), lunch was a matter of hot dogs from a stand

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Or a family affair in the open.

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A.T.C. display was one of many attracting large crowds

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Intriguing characters snapped in sideshow alley

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A study in expressions

Another of the afternoon's highlights was provided by Wilton's Wonder Horses, which gave a popular demonstration of tricks, some of which are pictured here.

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Unmounted horse, bearing flags in teeth, jumps locked arms of two men

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Lariat display atop horse atop stool

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Horses gave clever demonstration of ambulance work, later carried "patient" on stretcher

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Dogs, brought on briefly, also appealed.

Thrill of the afternoon for many came with a carefully stage-managed act which involved a character named "The Red Shadow", several gas-filled balloons, and a radio amplifier. "The Red Shadow" made an ascent into the "stratosphere", to such good purpose that he disappeared altogether, creating not a little concern and tension among the audience. But in time he was "rescued" by a patrolling aeroplane, and returned to accept the plaudits of the crowd.

A study of the pictures here might give the clue to this clever deception.

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Helpers in truck hitch balloons to "The Red Shadow".

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"The Red Shadow"

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Beginning the ascent

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Crowds were apprehensive

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Headed for the clouds

Demonstration of machines proved good item. For townsfolk, it showed the enormous advances made in the past few years in the mechanisation of work on the farm.

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Clever charade based on the song "Waltzing Matilda" (above) had swaggie nab a jumbuck, get himself chased by police (left), jump into a billabong, and emerge (right) as a ghost to haunt his persecutors and scare the daylights out of the small children round the showring.

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Children in a hurry for the treasure hunt

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Hay tedding and header harvesting machines at work.

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It was a great day for the children. Somehow it didn't seem possible to see everything properly, there was so much going on all the time, what with treasure hunts and pet parades and rides in the Santa Fe express, not to mention the sideshows and a hundred-and-one other attractions.

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Lawrence and Milton Smith with unwilling friend

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Patricia Baker and her entry

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Wendy Moore and Anthea McIntosh brought a donkey for their pet.

Players from New Zealand's two top-flight polo teams featured in a brilliant display which converted many casual onlookers into keen polo fans on the spot. The players were Woodbine and Wynne Sherratt and R. B. Walker (N.Z.) and H. Wilson, A. F. McKenzie, and T. Kay (Aotea). The referee was Mr G. Ranstbad. Waikato, the country's senior umpire.

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Contestants in one of the Health and Beauty competitions

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Youngest of the thousands present was two-weeks-old Anne McLatchie, seen here with her Aunt Rita.