Dressed for a special birthday

Otago Girls’ High School pupils paint a young girl’s face at a celebration on the 146th anniversary of  the arrival in New Zealand of steam locomotive Josephine, at Toitu Settlers Museum yesterday.

Pictured are (front, from left) Arleah Didham (16), Kahli Little (3) and Amelia Berry (15); (back) Neisha Fuller (15), Myah Omipi (15), Alaina Baker (18), Anna Thomas (18) and Cecile Wagener (17).

Cecile said the pioneer hoop skirt she wore for the celebration would not end up in her regular rotation.

"If anything from Sound of Music plays right now I will have to start spinning."

The morning involved face painting, activities and a birthday cake.

Josephine was one of two Double Fairlie locomotives brought from England to operate on the Dunedin-Port Chalmers Railway in 1872.

It was later used at other locations throughout the country and has been on display at the museum since the late 1920s.