This silent amateur home movie was originally captured on 8mm film and is part of the James (”Jim”) H. Robertson collection. Robertson (1902-1961) was a watchmaker and jeweller and avid filmmaker. He married Ivy Grooby in 1926 and they lived in Wellington for a time before settling in Motueka.
Opening titles: “Robertson Films Present” “Field Day. at Tasman 1949”
Black & white footage: A tractor diver demonstrated a [chisel] plough in a field while numerous people watch. Another tractor and driver demonstrate a disc plough. Tractor towed spraying machines are demonstrated down [apple] tree rows. Various people watch another ploughing machinery demonstration on a hillside.
A boy holds a [game bantam].
Intertitle: “PICKING HOPS AT RIWAKA - A FEW MILES OUT FROM MOTUEKA”.
Colour footage: A field of hop vines, women picking hop flowers in to a bin.
Intertitle: “Tobacco Growing Motueka”. Rows of tobacco plants in flower. A woman walks, back bent, down a row rapidly picking large lower leaves from the plants. A group of workers wearing sun hats take a smoko tea break in the tobacco field. A man picks the large lower leaves along a row. Bins of picked leaves are loaded on to the deck of a transport. Women tie up bunches of leaves in preparation for drying.