1925 South Seas Exhibition (thelothians.blogspot.com)

On July 24th 1925, after a construction period of only 13 months, Mr J. S. Ross, President of the Exhibition Committee, received the keys to a glittering complex of 11 buildings. They were built of timber, brick and glass and stood surrounded by carefully planted trees and plants. Dunedin’s New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition was ready for the exhibitors.

To arrive at this historic day, an awesome amount of work was undertaken. For starters, 25.000 loads of clay were carted onto the site to reclaim Lake Logan. 3.000 loads of soil were added to create gardens. On top of this, 2.500 trees were planted, along with 120.000 herbaceous and bedding plants. To assure the finished grounds covering 11 acres, would truly stun visitors, 600 packets of seeds were sown. Slums nearby were levelled and a highway was built from central Dunedin to facilitate ease of travel. read more