Exhibition stirs memories

Memories will come flooding back for those viewing the Friendly Bay Carnival exhibition at the North Otago Museum.

The popular carnival was held in Oamaru every summer between 1953 and 1979.

The exhibition features more than 200 photographs of the carnival, mostly from the 1970s.

Curator Chloe Searle invited visitors to identify those featured.

A highlight was an original merry-go-round horse, on loan from the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust.

Visitors were also able to have a go at the "high striker" - an old test of strength game where participants hit a lever with a mallet and tried to ring the bell.

The Miss Friendly Bay Cup is also on display.

Prizes for the winner in 1961 included a return air trip to Auckland for two, 10 pounds cash, chocolates, a free hairstyle and the cup to keep for a year.

Drama hit the carnival in 1957 when, just 40 minutes before the close of the event, the chair-o-plane collapsed in view of hundreds of stunned spectators.

All the children escaped serious injury, although two required medical attention.

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