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Story: Olympic and Commonwealth games

Opening ceremony, 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games

Video file

At the 10th British Commonwealth Games, Christchurch was host to 1,276 athletes from 38 countries, including many African, Caribbean and Pacific nations. The games became renowned for their friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

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Archives New Zealand – Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Games 74. National Film Unit, 1974

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Joseph Romanos, Olympic and Commonwealth games – New Zealand as the Commonwealth Games host, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/37930/opening-ceremony-1974-christchurch-commonwealth-games (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Joseph Romanos, published 14 November 2012, updated 1 June 2023.