This item is part of the Tauranga Libraries Norman Blackie Collection. Norman Blackie (1899-1993) was a keen amateur filmmaker who captured civic events around Tauranga using a modified Keystone Model A7 16mm camera.
This actuality shows scenes from the Tauranga Orange Festival in 1969 and 1971. Footage includes: the National Orange Show California Citrus Queen and another woman pose in front of Stars Travel shop; children with entries in a pet competition; festival Queen contestants with officials; a girl with her hands full of prizes; pedal boats on lake; festival Queen contestants at Tui Glen orange orchard; and women eating and decorating orange desserts.
Next, the footage shows scenes of the Orange Festival street parade, featuring: a cheerleading group; nurses patients in beds; teenagers in a Royal New Zealand Navy jeep; Tauranga Municipal Band; and the festival Queen.
Footage from the Orange Festival Ball includes: dancing; parade of women in ball gowns; festival Queen followed by two Māori children; wero welcoming and other formalities including page boys carrying crowns on cushions; and the festival Queen crowning ceremony.
Further footage shows scenes from the Orange Festival in 1969, including floats with festival Queen contestants and a monkey on a bicycle.
The actuality jumps to scenes from the 1970 Orange Festival, including: floats with festival Queens contestants; elderly ladies sit in chairs with nurses on side of road watching parade; bagpipe band; Salvation Army band; and Greerton Pony Club on horseback wearing 'Black Face' holding a sign 'De Camptown Races' sign [referring to an old minstrel song].
Further scenes show festival Queen contestants: being welcomed at the airport; aboard the American Navy ship USS GRAHAM COUNTY LST 1176, at the crowning ceremony; riding the Mount Summit Service landrover to the peak of Mauao Mount Maunganui; waving at crowds from the float parade. The Hasting's Blossom Queen is also present at the parade.
The actuality ends with scenes at the Tauranga racecourse: crowds watch as officials and festival Queens conduct formalities; the Mount Albert Gymnasium Club perform gymnastics, some dressed as clowns.