... It was reported to-day that while at Canberra the delegates had whatever liquor they wanted, although the territory was supposed to be "dry." Some expressed surprise when they were told that 70,000 empty bottles had recently been removed from the "dry" area, being the consumption of liquor there during a short period.

(From The Age (Melbourne), October 15th, 1926)

On the 14th of October, 1926, the RMMS Aorangi arrived in Vancouver at the conclusion of the return leg of her eleventh voyage for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. Though the ship arrived almost a full day ahead of schedule, she carried just 189 passengers and 527 tons of cargo, her lowest numbers up to that point.

This picture was published in The Provence on the 17th of October, 1926, and was likely taken during the ship's turnaround in the city prior to the start of her twelfth voyage on the 21st of October.

The star-studded Henderson band, with Rex Stewart, Coleman Hawkins, and Buster Bailey was the resident band at the Roseland and were confident they could do battle against the invaders. As it turned out, the Goldkette band took N.Y. by storm. In an Orchestra World magazine article, the Goldkette band basked in a “riot of glory,” stating that whoever was responsible for the Goldkette arrangements should be elected to the hall of fame. And rightfully so, as arrangers are rarely adequately recognized for their brilliant work.  The Goldkette Orchestra matched their material with a rousing performance.  Much to everyone’s surprise, their opening number was the tune Valencia, not really jazz, and done at a march tempo.  Instead of leaving their chairs while the Goldkette Orchestra played, Henderson’s musicians stayed to listen.  They and the dancers were bowled over.  Benny Carter found the ensemble “frightening,” stating that they were supposed to be the “kings.”  Rex Stewart recalled, “the greatest thing in New York-we had the best men, the best arrangements, everything.  Then, suddenly, up pops this band of “Johnny come latelies” from in the sticks-white boys at that! and they just cremated us.”

Examples of what each band sounded like:

Fletcher Henderson: https://youtu.be/q4Xh0tbsdKE?si=ez6W9uzGlIYOVC7g

Jean Goldkette: https://youtu.be/Eg61IZPya1A?si=H0a5ZqrnScv3_ljw