11
Harbour Board Conference
Delegates from Harbour Boards from all over New Zealand gathered in Gisborne last month for their annual conference. They met in the War Memorial Hall, were entertained at a number of functions, and on the Thursday before the big storm and flood, they were taken on a bus tour of the district.
First of all the delegates were taken to the Takipu Maori meeting house at Te Karaka, where they were welcomed by Mr George Brown and conducted over the meeting house by Miss Lena Ruru. After a tour of the district, they were then taken up Gentle Annie and on to Enfield Station, Mr R. C. Parker's property at Pehiri, for lunch. There they were treated to a spectacular demonstration of aerial topdressing by Fieldair.
12
As the afternoon progressed, the weather began to produce occasional sowers, but still gave no hint that in 36 hours torrential rain would be falling and all the country inspected would be in the grip of the worst flood since 1948.
13
The aerial top-dressing demonstration at Enfield was a new experience for many of the delegates and their wives. While the weather in some respects restricted the display, the sight of Fieldair's big Lodestar sweeping up the valley at high speed, discharging the smoke-like clouds of fertiliser on the pastures beneath, was one they are not likely to forget for many years.