New Zealand Interprovincial Exhibition Explained

The New Zealand Interprovincial Exhibition inaugurated on the-then Canterbury Anniversary Day 16 December 1872 ran until 8 January 1873 and was held in the Drill Hall, Christchurch, Canterbury. A principal purpose was to select the New Zealand exhibits for the World's Fair 1873 in Vienna, Austria (Wiener Weltausstellung) from 1 May 1873 to 2 November 1873.^[1]

Award medals and Certificates issued in Christchurch

Recommendations from the prize juries were published prematurely and led many exhibitors to think they had won silver medals.^[2] However, the exhibition finances did not permit this largesse.^[3]

Finally, a total number of 132 medals and certificates were awarded by the Christchurch Executive Committee to a total of 256 exhibitors from different NZ provinces:

1. 36 x 2nd Class Certificates
2. 45 x 1st Class Certificates
3. 48 x Bronze Medals
4. 3 x Silver Medals^[4]

Twenty-eight crates of selected exhibits were forwarded to Vienna on 15 January.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: G Coates & Company (Christchurch): Interprovincial Exhibition New Zealand, Christchurch 1872 / G. Coates & Co., Ch.Ch. . National Library of New Zealand . 25 November 2020 .
2. News: National Library of New Zealand . THE INTERPROVINCIAL EXHIBITION . The Lyttelton Times . Lyttelton . 3 . 6 January 1873 . 22 February 2021 .
3. News: National Library of New Zealand . VIENNA EXHIBITION COMMITTEE . The Press . Christchurch . 3 . 20 February 1873 . 22 February 2021 .
4. News: National Library of New Zealand . INTERPROVINCIAL AND VIENNA EXHIBITION, 1872–73 . The Press . Christchurch . 3 . 22 February 1873 . 25 November 2020 .
5. News: National Library of New Zealand . NEWS OF THE DAY . The Press . Christchurch . 2 . 16 January 1873 . 22 February 2021 .