Flavour of New Zealand

22-Feb-1961
World famous singing group, the Kingston Trio, gives two concerts in Wellington Town Hall. Other polular artists to visit were Larry Adler, Jimmy Rogers, the Everly Brothers, Cliff Richard, and Lonnie Donegan. ¹

19-Apr-1961
The Outward Bound Trust was established to give young people (originally boys only) training in outdoors pursuits. ³

12-Jun-1961
Chilean sailing ship Esmeralda arrives. Tremendous interest shown by public. Huge crowds watched arrival and departure. ¹

06-Jul-1961
Lucky escape for passengers when Wellington-bound limited express hits 40-ton boulder south of Waiouru. Engine, tender, and first cariage plunged down 150 ft slope. No one was hurt. ¹

14-Jul-1961
A fire in the post office parcels branch in Aotea Quay, Wellington, spread to the NAC headquarters building and then to a railways wool store. An acre and a half of buildings were destroyed and mail bags and Post Office records from 1887 to 1935 were also destroyed. ³

05-Aug-1961
Former P.M. Sir Sidney Holland, 68, dies in Wellington after long illness. ¹

08-Aug-1961
Largest ship ever to come to Wellington , 45,000 ton Canberra, berths after being kept outside heads for three days by vicious southerly gale which lashed city for six days. ¹

18-Sep-1961
Hutt girl Wendy Mayes, 17, goes missing after applying to model advertisement. Man police interviewed, John Frederick Maltby, found dead at Island Bay on Sep 24. Huge police hunt fails to find any trace of Miss Mayes. ¹

12-Oct-1961
Capital Punishment, except for treason, was abolished after a free vote in Parliament in which ten National Government members crossed the floor and voted with Labour. ³