Episode 13 - 'Transport and Communications As They Were'. Radio pioneer Brenda Bell recalls early 20th century shipping, coaching, motor cars and trams.
She begins by talking about transport in the 1890s - "horseless carriages" appearing in the same era as moving pictures, and telecommunications.
She speaks about travel by ship - steamers in particular, and the passenger experience on these. Then she discusses railroad travel in New Zealand, and recalls the introduction of sleeper cabins, and journeys made by train or coach when she was young.
She says the earliest motorcars in New Zealand were brought to Wellington on 19 February 1898, by William McLean of Napier. It took a while before he could run them on the roads - finally he got a private bill passed through parliament called the McLean Motor Act, which allowed a speed of 12 miles per hour. She speaks about the introduction of motorcars to other areas in New Zealand, including the first cars in Dunedin.
Then she discusses roads, including the introduction of oiled road surfaces to reduce dust, at Brighton in England. She speaks about horse-drawn trams, and other horse-drawn vehicles, then about cycling. Ladies in Dunedin were offered classes in cycling - how to mount and dismount etc. Cycling also helped bring about change in ladies' dress, allowing more freedom of movement.
She recalls seeing films at the cinema when they were a new form of entertainment. She also speaks about newspapers, and party telephone lines.