Reporter’s Diary (Press, 9 January 1984)

On 9 January 1984, the New Zealand Government Statistician, Dr John Darwin, established a committee comprising representatives from various government sectors, including social services, police, planning, and race relations. This committee is tasked with reviewing how people are classified based on ancestral and cultural grounds. It will explore the necessity for ethnic statistics in specialized areas, set standards for treating ethnicity, and suggest modifications to existing official statistics. Interested individuals or groups can submit their views on the use and coverage of ethnic statistics to the Department of Statistics, with a deadline for submissions set for 2 March 1984. In a separate note on New Zealand's image abroad, a United States company sent a news release to “The Press,” proposing the translation of the content into the nation's language. The release featured information about a Cinderella Girl Pageant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, aimed at fostering grooming and self-confidence among young women. The first twilight surf carnival of the summer is to be held at Scarborough Beach in Sumner, commencing on Wednesday at 5.30 p.m., open to swimmers under the age of 14. The event will feature competitions from Canterbury surf life-saving clubs, with the taplin relay as the highlight along with ski, boat, and surf races for various classes. Notably, New Zealand’s “Iron Man” champion Geoff Walker is expected to participate in the senior ski and open Malibu board races. In the lighter news of the day, a new women's magazine in New Zealand made a cheeky reference to a rival with a satirical lift-out titled “New Zealand Bloke’s Weekly,” which parodied typical magazine sections filled with humorous takes on the Royal Family. Another entertaining story involves Charlie Schiller, aged 54, who received two coffins as a humorous farewell gift from his colleagues after being laid off from his job at an undertaker’s firm. Schiller expressed delight over the gift, seizing the opportunity to start his own business. Additionally, a significant auction of selected New Zealand silver pieces is scheduled during an antique silver conference in Adelaide from 8 to 12 February, featuring items from Hancocks of London among others. Lastly, a wedding featured particularly memorable speeches, largely due to the participation of Scottish-born uncles who are Catholic priests. The bridegroom amusingly noted he was wearing socks borrowed from one uncle and shoes from his deceased father, highlighting a whimsical connection to his late parent’s humor during the reception.

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