Kiwifruit industry in New Zealand and Growers, who were calling the berries "melonettes", because the local name for the fruit, "Chinese gooseberry", had political connotations due to the Cold War, and to further distinguish it from real gooseberries, which are prone to a fungus called anthracnose. An American importer, Norman Sondag of San Francisco, complained that "melonettes" was as bad as "Chinese gooseberry" because melons and berries were both subject to high import tariffs, and instead asked for a short Maori name that quickly connoted New Zealand. In June 1959, during a meeting of Turners and Growers management in Auckland, Jack Turner suggested the name
The Rumour (New Zealand band) to form a band called Somersault and recorded their first album "Never Lose The Wonder". This consisted mainly of songs written by Gerard. In 1984 the band recorded a second album "Somersault USA" in Los Angeles which only made it to the "demo vinyl" stage. The Rumour first re-grouped in 1985 to perform on a Television New Zealand programme "25 Years Of New Zealand Television" which showcased the first 25 years of television in New Zealand. Subsequently the original Rumour members together with Barry Rushton and Judy Hindman (née Donaldson) (The Chicks) got together in 1987 to perform as a