By: Barry Thomson24th Mar 2021 11:27PMGood work Arthur Bass and team. The Gold Stars lead us to a rock solid clue here in Clarrie Coxall sitting front and centre. He is wearing the insignia of a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Clarrie was awarded his MBE for services to Local Government especially as Chairman of the Inangahua County Council in the New Year's Honours on 1 January 1959 so that puts the date of the photo no earlier than New Year's day 1959.

Infact the investiture of Orders and Medals relative to the 1959 New Year's Honours was held at Government House in Wellington in May 1959 so unless Clarrie was unable to travel or for some other reason an Investiture was held at Christchurch or Greymouth at another time he would not have had possession of the cross insignia of the MBE to wear prior to being invested at that time. This photo could well have been taken at a celebration of his award, Cobden or elsewhere on the Coast? He is certainly in the Captain's chair in this photo which might support my theory.

So in conclusion, short of any other evidence I believe the photograph was taken no earlier than 1 January 1959 and more probably immediately or soon after Clarrie's investiture c.mid 1959. My time line is only a reasonably educated guess but it could extend out further as Clarrie died on 12 March 1968. There is another photo of Clarrie in Brigade uniform wearing his MBE elsewhere on this very valuable and informative site.