Bright colors: Hastings flower festival

Hastings is a city in New Zealand that began in 1864 when Thomas Tanner leased several thousand hectares of land from local Maori people. In 1874, a settlement was established, which ten years later numbered 614 citizens. Today, the population exceeds 70 thousand people – this is a large city, which is the fifth largest in New Zealand, if you also take into account the population of its neighbor, Napier.

In 1950, the first flower festival was held in Hastings. In 1957, the festival decided to add the "Queen of flowers" competition, which was attended by girls aged 18-28 who were not married. The conditions immediately indicated that bathing suits should be abandoned, since this event is dedicated to flowers. The photos show a parade that took place in 1956.