Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith: Unlikely city ambassador a creative champion

Madge Allsop, woebegone bridesmaid of Dame Edna Everage, played by Emily Perry (left), has been an unlikely ambassador for the city over several decades.

Opinion:

The death of Australian comic great Barry Humphries has prompted this week’s thoughts.

Out of the blue I was contacted by Radio New Zealand National for comment on the comedian’s passing.

You see, Palmerston North has been getting free international publicity for decades courtesy of Barry’s alter ego and most famous creation, Dame Edna Everage.

While touring New Zealand by bus in the 60s, Barry came across the city’s Madge Motors - now Uzabus - a passenger transport company that has been around since 1920.

Intrigued by a bus company called Madge, Barry was inspired to christen Dame Edna’s fictional silent sad-sack bridesmaid Madge Allsop and create an entire backstory for the woman “born” Marjorie Kiri McWirther in Palmerston North.

The performer had also called for a statue of Madge to be erected in the city as tribute to “a rather famous and a much-loved Kiwi”.

Hence the call from media.

According to the Dame Edna narrative, Madge would marry Douglas Hugh Allsop, proprietor of a Palmerston North tour bus company, who tragically died on their honeymoon when he fell into a boiling mud pool at Rotorua.

Madge, as played by English actor Emily Perry, visited her character’s “birthplace” in 1994 aged 87, and didn’t retire from the role until 2003. The actor died in 2008 aged 100.

Madge Allsop is enshrined on the Creative Giants of Palmerston North website https://www.facebook.com/creativegiantspalmy/, joining numerous creatives who either came from here or who have significant connections to the city.

Among them are comedians Jeremy Corbett and John “Fred Dagg” Clarke; writers Janet Frame, Joy Cowley and Karlo Mila; artists Shane Cotton and Israel Birch; cartoonist Tom Scott; musicians Michael Houstoun, Robert Ibell and rapper PNC.

The city has helped kickstart their careers or inspired them in other ways.

A goal of our long-term strategy is for Palmerston North to be known and appreciated as a creative and exciting city, and these arts sector champions are part of our proud artistic heritage.

Despite the current tough climate, the city continues to boast a vibrant arts, cultural and creative sector able to offer much-needed uplift and entertainment in the face of challenging economic and social times.

Four thousand-plus people enjoyed the wonderful Manawatū Youth Theatre production of Moana Jr in the Regent on Broadway, which attracted new performers and new audiences, many from our Pasifika community.

This Saturday night, Centrepoint Theatre unveils the world premiere of QE III - Black Betty, by locally-raised playwright David Geary, now based in Canada.

The premiere coincides with the coronation this Saturday of His Majesty King Charles III, and our He Rā Rākau Tītapu tree planting to honour the occasion.

Timed for 11am in the Victoria Esplanade - named for the King’s great-great-great-grandmother - the ceremonial planting of a kahikatea and unveiling of its commemorative plaque will take place opposite the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Centre.

Later this month, your elected representatives will be hearing submissions on our reset of the city’s Annual Budget, to consider and keep the proposed 2023-24 rates increase to just 6.4 per cent.

We are also asking for feedback on proposed updates to our Water Supply bylaw, with submissions closing this Monday May 8, as well as seeking submissions on rezoning Hokowhitu’s Roxburgh Cres industrial land to residential.

Your involvement as always is welcome.

Full details are on the pncc.govt.nz website.

Grant Smith is the mayor of Palmerston North.