GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Across

1. Central Otago township named after a former Scottish royal burgh, a boom town during the 1860s goldrush (8)

5. Left-wing group founded by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov (10)

10. Title role played by Marilyn Monroe in a 1957 film starring and directed by Laurence Olivier (8)

12. The Welsh name for Wales (5)

13. Spicy marinade used in Indian cuisine (5)

14. Character played by Tom Hanks in an award-winning 1994 film (4)

15. An exception or forgotten condition that makes it possible to evade an obligation or duty (8)

16. Blood-sucking aquatic or terrestrial worm (5)

17. Animals driven out of Hamelin by the Pied Piper (4)

20. International airport which is the operational base for Fiji Airways (4)

21. Old-fashioned dance in duple time (3-4)

24. Nickname of New York’s Central Park: The __ of the city (5)

27. “__ childhood education is the key to the betterment of society”: Maria Montessori (5)

28. 1985 song by American band Mr. Mister (5)

30. The world’s most widely consumed drink (3)

31. 14th Century Japanese assassin (5)

32. __ & Crosses, game also known as tic-tac-toe (7)

33. Maori leader featured on the New Zealand $50 note, Sir Apirana __ (5)

35. A particle that is electrically charged (3)

36. Roman goddess of the hunt (5)

37. City which was Italy’s first capital, from 1861-65 (5)

38. Australian singer who voiced the role of Mrs Tiggywinkle in the 2018 film Peter Rabbit (3)

39. Luxury jewellers who created the sapphire engagement ring for Diana, Princess of Wales (7)

41. Head of the Corleone family in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather (4)

44. Currency of South Africa (4)

46. Black __: 2006 New Zealand comedy/horror film about genetically modified livestock (5)

48. Athlete who won five Olympic golds, the most by any Australian (6)

49. “Only the pure in heart can make a good __”: Ludwig van Beethoven (4)

50. Fabric woven from the fibres of the flax plant (5)

52. Red wine of northern Spain (5)

53. American illustrator and writer of children’s books, 1928-2012 (6)

55. Children’s educational television programme featuring Jemima and Manu (4-6)

56. North Island lighthouse sited on Otiki Hill (4,4)

Down

1. Ship in which Captain James Cook made his second and third voyages to the Pacific (10)

2. Parish in the London borough of Tower Hamlets (3)

3. Underground plant stem that strikes new roots and shoots from its nodes (7)

4. Headcollar used to lead and tether an animal (6)

5. Part of the tree from which cinnamon is obtained (4)

6. “Pack courage in your suitcase and live as the __ people do”: Unknown (5)

7. Style of hat worn by Dwight D. Eisenhower at his 1953 inauguration (7)

8. Actor who has appeared in the films Wedding Crashers and The Break-Up (6)

9. Plant sometimes known as sea asparagus (8)

11. New Zealand town which briefly changed its name to Harrodstown in 1986 (10)

18. Imaginary instrument played by someone miming to rock music (3,6) 19.

22.

(6)

23. American comic strip launched in October 1950 (7)

25. Notes on __: What it is and What it is Not – 1859 book published by Florence Nightingale (7)

26. Principal of Springfield Elementary School (7)

29. Football team whose home ground is the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (4,6)

34. Affectionate nickname for the city of Edinburgh (4,6)

36. Tennis trophy contested annually (5,3)

40. United __, American film and television studios founded in 1910 (7)

42. Bird of prey whose diet consists mainly of fish (6)

43. “Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the __ makes heroes”: Benjamin Disraeli (6)

45. European river which flows through 10 countries (6)

47. Greek philosopher whose most famous student was Aristotle (5)

51. Character played by Nigel Planer in the British sitcom The Young Ones (4)

54. American television network featuring a stylised peacock logo (3)