Bad behaviour takes bloom out of festival
From its heyday, Blossom Festival later marred by ‘juvenile deliquency’
In response to Hastings retailer Harry Poppelwell’s call to do something about the “glorious inactivity” of post-World War II Hastings, a Blossom Festival began in 1950 to celebrate the beginning of the horticultural season based on one seen in Canada by a returned serviceman.
Two things may strike readers in the photo of this 1950s parade. One is the standard of dress — almost Sunday best. And perhaps the activity on the Hastings Gymnastics Club on the float and viewing vantage points would strike fear into the hearts of 21st century health and safety officers.
The so-called “golden age” of economic and social New Zealand in the 1950s gave way in the 1960s to elements of social unrest, especially among youth.
Many older New Zealanders were quick to put the blame on youths’ exposure to American “rock ‘n roll” music beginning in the mid-1950s — being a rebellious influence.
Socially unacceptable behaviour began to manifest itself at the Hastings Blossom Festival in 1960, after a peaceful 1950s decade.
The 1960 so-called “Blossom Festival Riot” (also called “Battle of Hastings” as a play on the 1066 English event) occurred when street fights and damage took place after a rain-affected festival. Blame was put on young offenders, many believed to have come from out of the area via the Blossom Festival excursion trains from down south.
The next year’s festival resulted in extra police being stationed in Hastings.
The behaviour on the Blossom Festival trains got worse after this date, and in 1964 two 19-year-olds decided to climb on to the roof of their carriage on the moving train between Waipawa and Waipukurau, and promptly fell off when the train rounded a corner.
Because of this, and “extreme rowdiness and unruly behaviour on the excursion trains”, New Zealand Railways was considering discontinuing these special services to the Hastings Blossom Festival.
Many arrests for drunkenness were made at the 1964 Blossom Festival, but the overall behaviour was said to be good.
To solve the problem of bad behaviour on the train, police were stationed on board from 1965, and one arrest was made for assault. The train, however, was said to resemble “an animal pen” and littered with broken bottles. A big clean-up was required before the return trip to Wellington.
A large police contingent of 60 policemen was present at the 1965 festival while dogs and their handlers were on standby at the Hastings police station. The local police force was supplemented from around the North Island. Traffic control officers came from Palmerston North.
Trouble caused at the festival itself, according to a policeman who travelled on the train, was caused by “louts” from Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
The New Zealand Railways cancelled the special blossom festival excursions from 1966 due to the behaviour of youth passengers. The Minister of Police, Mr Spencer, totally agreed with the decision.
A gang brawl occurred in 1969 when 50 motorcycle riders parked their bikes and forcibly made their way through the crowd. Six policemen were tasked to remove the men, some were thought to be from Tauranga. Three arrests were made for resisting arrest.
Most arrests that occurred in the 1960s at the Blossom Festival were youths from out of town.
“Juvenile delinquency” in New Zealand became a hot topic among parliamentarians and the Blossom Festival’s unrest in 1960s was frequently referred to as an example of this type of bad teenage behaviour and used somewhat as a political football for law and order.
In 1970, 30 people were arrested at the festival, many for “obscene and insulting language”, the highest number of arrests since the 1960 riot. Three girls who escaped from Arohata Borstal in Wellington were also apprehended at the festival.
Fears were held for significant trouble when a group called the Progressive Youth Movement had called for youth to “turn on” at the festival.
Police reported that the 1971 event was the quietest in 14 years — with no arrests. The festival, however, by then, had run its course, and the last one of the original era was held in 1972.
Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher and takes commissions to write business history in Hawke’s Bay. Follow him on facebook.com/ michaelfowlerhistory