In 1983 the John Martin's Christmas pageant celebrated its 50^th Anniversary.

The pageant program of that year reads: 'for 50 years we have endeavoured to bring the true spirit of Christmas to Adelaide in providing joy and happiness to the thousands of South Australian children and their parents alike, as they view in gay and colourful pageantry the arrival in Adelaide of Father Christmas' (Christmas pageant, Saturday 12th November 1983).

As part of the celebration a song contest was held with a first prize of $5,000 and an opportunity to have the song recorded and released.

The winning song 50 years of joy was written by Ken Skinner. With a background in musical theatre, live music and 'song writing for pleasure', Skinner had his first commercial release with this song.

Singer Naomi Eyers was born in Adelaide and attended Flinders University and the Elder Conservatorium before commencing a professional singing career in Adelaide, interstate and overseas. As well as a solo career, she performed with successful cabaret act 'The fabulous singlettes' throughout the 1980s and 1990s and in 2004 formed the vocal group 'Women with standards'.

John Martin & Co.

Adelaide's once-a-year day, Adelaide: Commercial Printing House, 1978.

'Street pageant delights crowd', Advertiser, 20 November 1933, p. 16.

A touch of magic [videorecording] : [the story behind the Christmas Pageant], West Lakes?, S. Aust. : Cine News Productions, 1993.

John Martin's first pageant: 1933 [State Library of South Australia]