Originally recorded on black & white and colour 8mm film, this amateur home movie captured footage of:
A woman relaxes on lawn with several cats. A flat deck truck transports a large loads of branches across paddocks. The driver reverses the truck and unloads on to big wood piles. Cats doze on the lawn. A woman carries a metal bucket. A lemon tree is laden with ripening fruit.
Large red tracked machine trimming hedge, text on side of machine includes: “J.T. RICHARDS”, “Andrew Hartley CONTRACTOR AUROA”, “AUTOMATIC HAY BALING & HEDGE CUTTING”. Man opens shed door and wheels out motorised belt driven disc cutter and cuts hedge.
Community event [opening of new rural swimming pool]. Men swimming. Women swimming. Boys swimming.
Agricultural field day: Tractor furrow ploughing demonstration and people watching. Views from hill looking over event, farming machines, crowds and demonstration field visible. Views of biplane doing flyby top dressing demonstration. Spectators relaxing on hillside. Shots of farm machinery displays / demonstrations.
Top dressing plane being refilled from truck mounted hopper then taking off from field, dispersing fertiliser and returning to land on field. Men standing on platform filling hopper from sacks.
Zoo: Hippopotami (cow and calf), emu, antelope, wattled crane, wolves, [black bear], lion and lioness, butterfly.
Coastal views, beach below cliff. Beached sperm whale and people gathered around to look.
Calf and sheep grazing.
[Airforce display]. [de Havilland Vampire Jet]. Machine gun and ammunition rolls. View from [biplane] cockpit, taking off from field and aerial views of coastal town.
House being transported by truck along rural road. House being located in paddock.
Men sitting in front of equipment in tent; sign: “PATEA BRANCH OF NZ.A.R.T. ZL2AQZ”.
Snowy mountain scenery, icicles, people walking through the snow. Skiers on slopes.
Views of lake (Pukekura Park, New Plymouth).
People skiing down slope and walking back up carrying their skis and ski poles.
School children’s ‘wheelbarrow’ and egg and spoon races.
Shots of childrens’ wheelbarrow races and running race at recreation ground. Automobile Association memorial sign for “THE GRAVE OF JOSHUA MORGAN” Died 3rd March, 1893. Aged 35 years. Joshua Morgan was the pioneer surveyor who blazed the trail for the road through this [Tangarakau] Gorge to Ohura ....
Man pays his respects at the grave. View of rail bridge over gorge.