Countering Controversy

A giant tin shed played host to royalty and more than 500 invited guests when the Synfuel plant at Motunui was officially opened in February 1986.

Faced with the task of transforming an on-site warehouse into a venue suitable for the Duke of Edinburgh and a swarm of international media, the plant’s Public Affairs Manager Graeme Connell looked close to home for help. Chris Mitchell, the wife of a Synfuel engineer, and Mr Connell’s wife Lois, were charged with designing 84 fabric wall banners which featured the Synfuel plant and various New Zealand scenic views. The Motunui Branch of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers was enlisted to cut and hem the banners along with hundreds of smaller flags and table flags. The oldest member, who was in her 80s, used her vintage hand- operated machine as part of a mammoth sewing operation that lasted about three months and netted the women $500.

This project was one of many community initiatives to counter controversy surrounding the plant and the banners were a much admired feature during the opening celebrations. The three banners pictured here, which are more than three metres long, depict an aerial view of the construction site.