This cinema advertising slide shares the benefits of radial tyres. First introduced in 1946 (but patented as far back as the 1910s) the radial tyre has its supporting 'cords' (inside the tyre) at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. Other tyres were cross-ply and 'criss - crossed' each other. Radial tyres provide a quieter, more comfortable ride as well as improved fuel economy. 

In America a consumer report proved the superiority of radial tyres in 1968, and by 1976 they were the standard. Virtually 100% of tyres made today are radials. 

Given that this slide had to sell the benefits of radial tyres it was likely made at a time before they became the standard. The design of the slide suggests that this ad came from the 1960s. Dunlop was a major local manufacturer of tyres in Aotearoa and started making radials domestically in the 1960s- around the time of this slide. By 1970 they bought Reliance (mentioned here) and entered the retread business.

 Kete records show that this company was owned by Lance Osborne and was trading in the mid 1960s. The company no longer trades, with many competitors setting up in the last forty years. The fact that a local company in a small town could move household furniture New Zealand wide would have been quite an achievement! Another slide from this firm boasts about the CB radios each truck carried, which would have helped drivers stay in touch during long distance moves.

The truck's bumper advertises daily runs from Levin, Shannon, Foxton and Palmerston North.

The second slide (also on Kete) shows a truck carrying industrial loads, so they didn't just do furniture removal work.

While not in the Horowhenua District, the Transmission Gully motorway provides an important link between Horowhenua and Wellington City to the benefit of commuters from both regions.

The road opened to traffic on the 31st of March 2022, and Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph in May of that year. Jacob used a c.1948 Mamiya Six folding camera to make this exposure from the rear seat of a Mazda SUV. The Mamiya was an advanced camera for its day and was a popular choice of Allied forces stationed in Japan at the time. Jacob's Mamiya has a worn, somewhat cloudy lens which reduces contrast so is used for 'special effects'.

The photograph was taken travelling southbound over Transmission Gully.

The Volkswagen Type 3 (1500) was introduced in 1961 and would have been a fancy vehicle to have in your New Zealand driveway- IF you had overseas funds! To protect the local car assembly industry, most car buyers could only purchase a locally made model (and would face a long waiting list). BUT- if you held money overseas and could afford the import tariffs you could import a fully assembled car through a dealer much more quickly. You often got an exotic model which was not common locally.

If you had lots of money overseas (such as a farmer who sold wool in the UK) then you could import a car, sell it for more than you paid for it and then buy another! Little wonder that when John Clarke's comic creation Fred Dagg did a spoof of 'God Save The Queen' he added 'long live our overseas funds'. By the time those words were sung the requirements for importing a car had loosened somewhat, but overseas funds were still an advantage.

Birds Garage was established by Mister H. Bird in 1940 and by the time this slide was made it was owned by N.H Bird. They were among the first Volkswagen dealers in the country. By 1981 the firm had sold Toyotas for some years. 

Kete records show that this company was owned by Lance Osborne and was trading in the mid 1960s. A big feature of the fleet was the fitting of 'radio telephone'- an early name for the CB 'Citizens Band' radios which kept travellers in touch before cell phones. They were all the rage for enthusiasts in the 1970s and 1980s, spurred along by movies about truck drivers!

This dealership was owned by none other than Ron Frost, a New Zealand motorsport legend who not only raced cars in Levin and around the country but who also organised races and attracted new motorsport talent to New Zealand.

Ron Frost was born in England and served in the British Army during the Second World War- including many years as a POW until he escaped a German prisoner of war camp in 1945.

Frost Motors started out selling new cars from the Rootes group (including Hillmans, Humbers and Sunbeams) but they later opened a used car yard near their first location. The new car showrooms and petrol pumps were on Oxford Street South. The used car lot was on Oxford Street North. The business remained in the family until the late 1970s.

There is a wealth of knowledge about Ron Frost online.

The car on the slide has a number plate which reads '1966' which is a great indication of when this slide was made! 

Spurred on by the popularity of the Vespa and it's many imitators, motor scooter clubs were springing up all around New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s. This one was based in Wellington, but there is no doubt that it would have passed through Horowhenua. A 1959 report on the Auckland Motor Scooter Club by the 'Press' revealed their plan for an epic journey to Bluff and back! So the Wellington scooters wouldn't have had a problem popping to Levin for some lunch.

In today's world of higher speed limits and big SUVs I think many Club members may think twice about it. 

This is MAVtech's second cinema advertising slide from Foxton's Cochran's Cycles. The first slide dates to around the same era and promotes Raleigh bicycles. This particular slide shares the virtues of Hercules brand bikes. The company had a float at the 1955 Foxton Centennial Parade which showed both ranges of product. Funnily enough, this slide tells viewers that Hercules bikes were 'The Finest Bicycle Built Today' while the Raleigh machines were advertised on THEIR slide as coming from 'The Greatest Name In Cycling'. 

I'd assume they weren't shown side by side!

The Raleigh slide and the parade photographs are all available on Kete.

The 'National Airlines Corporation'  (NAC) was founded in 1945 as a government-owned airline. It mainly serviced domestic routes, with a few international Pacific services included before merging with international airline 'Air New Zealand' in 1978.

The Douglas DC-3 was a revered passenger airliner used around the world. Variants also served as cargo planes and the military versions (most commonly the C-47) saw extensive service during World War Two. DC-3s were the mainstay of NAC from its establishment right up until the 1960s. The airline kept a few DC-3s for rural airstrips until the middle of the 1970s! 

This slide was used to advertise the Nelson fights in Paraparaumu, with the town's airport being used. A 'Paper's Past' search reveals that test flights using this route were carried out in 1952, with the service becoming permanent shortly afterwards. NAC advertised this short flight over the Cook Strait as being perfect for a day excursion and added it to a growing list of Kapiti Coast services.

But not everything went to plan. Three children died when a DC-3 crash landed on final approach from Christchurch to Paraparaumu airport in 1954. NAC subsequently ordered all flights with unattended children to have cabin crew on board.

These slides may have also been shown (in a modified form) in Horowhenua- although this has not been confirmed. However, many Horowhenua locals would have flown with NAC!

This humorous slide would have been shown during cinema intermission in Foxton. The design may have been a generic one used by many garages (the farmer's language seems more American than local) but the message was loud and clear! 

This slide is in a similar style to another Foxton slide, O'Leary and Sons plumbers. Both feature eye  - catching cartoons which show the social embarrassment of not calling 'an expert' to do the job.

MAVtech cannot find any record of when Evans & Cooper were operating. However, by the looks of the car the 1950s would be a good estimate. 

Before most families had a motor vehicle, getting around by bicycle was as much for transport as it was for exercise. Cochran's Cycles is advertising the Raleigh series of bikes in this slide. Raleigh was formed in 1885 and still makes bicycles today- making it one of the oldest surviving brands in the bike business.

Cochran's Cycles had a float in the 1955 Foxton Centennial Parade and this slide would date to around this era.

In the dead of night, sometime in 1983/1984, two trainee radio technicians crept out of the staff hostel at the Himatangi Radio transmitting station and out into the darkness. Making their way to the main road they carefully (but not very quietly) removed the AA sign pointing towards the government communications station- stopping only to dive into the bushes every time a car drove past. Their mission complete, they snuck into the hostel and carefully hid the sign.

This AA sign remained a carefully guarded secret until 2016. The station had long gone- satellite communications led to it being obsolete and it was closed down in 1993, but a control panel and other equipment survived at the MAVtech Museum in Foxton. It now hangs from the ceiling and points the way to the radio exhibit. 

How many other road signs succumbed to pranks and hijinks in the decades the station operated? Nobody knows for sure- but given the stories we hear it probably wasn't just the one!

Penciled on back: “42 Oxford Street, Levin looking south from near Queen Street intersection. Made by B. Eykel, Horticultural Research Centre, Levin. Negative on file H.H.S.”

Stamped on back with black ink – Horowhenua Historical Society. Acc. No. Date 20/10/90

See also – Acc. #2000.269 (Traffic Survey, set of 25 colour photos)

The eastern side of Oxford Street, Levin, looking south towards the Bath Street lights, 1990. Taken at 4:45pm this photograph shows the large volume of traffic on Oxford Street which is also State Highway One. The two storied building which was the Arcadia Hotel is visible at the end of the business premises at the Bath Street intersection.

1 Colour photo print copy, mounted

See also 2000.269 Collectin (Traffic Survey, set of 25 colour photos)

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Written on back with blue ballpoint pen: “(3) M.D. Father Branaghan Outside Club Hotel.”

Penciled on back: “c / 8”

Father Branaghan standing beside a car outside the Club Hotel, Shannon.

1 B&W photo print, copy

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Written on backing board: “(with oak frame, see #s2001.019.0002) – Return to N. Clayton, Centennial Committee.”

Plimmer Terrace, Shannon. The street has been decorated with flags and bunting for opening of the Mangahao Power Station (Monday 3rd November 1924) by Prime Minister W.F. “Bill” Massey. The road is unpaved and there are several cars parked on both sides.

1 B&W photo print, mounted

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Printed on front of mounting board, top right, with black ink: “P 74”

Penciled on back: “ATL [Alexander Turnbull Library] Coach on the beach road.”

Stamped on back with black ink: “Horowhenua Historical Society. “

Three unidentified women sitting atop a Cobb and Co stagecoach crossing a river, on the beach ‘road’. The coach is drawn by four horses and driven by a male driver. The three women share two parasoles to protect them from the sun. A boy wearing a cloth cap and another person are barely visible inside the coach.

1 B&W photo print copy, mounted – damaged – surface removed lower left hand corner.

See also 2000.103.0001 (duplicate, includes negative)

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Inscription on reverse reads: “Probably Coley’s Mill”

Flaxmill at Foxton probably Coleys. In this photograph a group of men are stacking fibre onto a cart.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

The last train from Foxton to Palmerston North rounding a curve at the approach to Palmerston North. Engine A 601 is hauling six carriages during this 1959 trip.

Cutting from newspaper

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

The last train to leave Foxton climbs the incline behind the factory, 1959. An excursion train ran on 17 July 1959 and 10 days later the Foxton line was closed (27 July 1959).

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

A large crowd stands alongside the last railway train to leave Foxton, 1959.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

Typed inscription on reverse reads: ” The last train to leave Foxton before the closing down of the Palmerston North – Foxton line. Photo taken by F H Murray, Foxton. 18 July 1959.”

Last train to leave Foxton prior to the closing of the line between Foxton and Palmerston North 18 July 1959. Engine 601 is decked with flags and pulls a number of carriages. People are gatherered on either side of the train.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

Inscription on reverse reads: “Last train leaving Foxton”

Taken from the north this photograph is of the last railcar to leave Foxton station. A crowd stands on the eastern railway embankment and in front of the railway station. On the track to the west of the railcar is a railway wagon.

2 copies of this photograph

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

Update October 2015:

We received an email from Richard Armstrong with a photo and a link to this YouTube video of the last railcar at Foxton:

"Further information for you is that the last passenger train on the Foxton Branch was on Saturday 18th July 1959 hauled by steam locomotive A 601 a YouTube clip of this trip can be seen here: Foxton Last Train 18 July 1959.avi

The last freight train ran a few days after and the line formally closed on the 27th July 1959."

Written with blue pen on piece of paper attached to back - Sawmilling, log hauling. Also penciled on this paper - Page 41, “75 Years in Levin”.

Penciled: “61 CH”

Stamped on back with black ink – Horowhenua Historical Society. Acc. No. Date

See also – Acc. #2000.073.0006 (Original, sepia photo – Felling White Pine, Levin district, c.1904).

Loading log onto waggon, c.1904. Five unidentified men working with a four horse team in the native bush in the Horowhenua district. Two men wait on the horse drawn wagon while the other three men attempt to roll a log onto the wagon using stumping jacks.

1 B&W photo print copy, mounted (with 2000.018.0317a)

See also 2000.073.0006 (Original, sepia photo – Felling White Pine, Levin district, c.1904).

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Paper with typed information: “PNDL/BF 8 c.1904 Felling White Pine in the Levin district. Tree on the right is of unusual size. White rectangular area between two jigger boards is a sign nailed to the trunk. The man at the base is holding a jigger board, three others in use. Copied from AJHR 1904 C-1 P.30”

White pine milling in the Levin district, c.1904. A large log is being loaded onto a horse-drawn wagon using jigger boards.

1 Sepia tone photo print

See also 2000.018.0317b (B&W copy, mounted).

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

Parade to support wounded soldiers c.1915. This photograph shows cars with placards outside the Foxton Coronation Hall. The Manawatu Hotel can be seen in the background at the left.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

Inscriptions on reverse read: “Watty Watson in his Austin 7 travelling for W Bull & Co.” and “Donated by Mr E White”

Mr Watty Watson in his Austin 7, with a youth in the passenger’s seat.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”