Henry Francis Wigram (1857 – 1934)

Henry Francis Wigram (1857 – 1934)        Died of old age     Place of Death: Christchurch * The Father of Aviation in New Zealand. Buried at the St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Church Corner, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. The story of Henry Francis Wigram: http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/wigram-henry-francis-wigram-1857-1934/ Photo taken by Annette Bulovic

Arthur Morton Ollivier (1851 – 1897)

Arthur Morton Ollivier (1851 – 1897)          Died of illness      Place of Death: Christchurch * Professional New Zealand Cricketer  1867 – 1883 * Founded the Canterbury Chess Club 1877 * President of the Old Boys’ Association of Christ College  1895 – 1897 * Remembered in the naming of Mount Ollivier, Canterbury Buried at the …

John Ollivier (1812 – 1893)

John Ollivier (1812 – 1893)          Died of old age      Place of Death: Christchurch * Member of the Canterbury Provincial Council  1855 – 1866 * Member of Parliament  1856 – 1860 * Member of the Executive Council  1857 – 1860 * Member of the Christchurch Town Council  1863 – 1865 * Reason of the …

The Olliviers

It was late 1853 when the Ollivier family stepped off the ‘John Taylor’ to seize all the opportunities that were on offer in Canterbury and that they did, for generations to come. John Ollivier, the head of the family, was a publisher by trade.  After receiving the best education in France, the British born teenager …

Edmund Spencer (1828 – 1911)

Edmund Spencer (1828 – 1911)    Died of old age      Place of Death: Christchurch * Owner of Spencerville Farm – now the suburb of Spencerville * Founder of Spencerville School, now known as Belfast Primary School * Member of the Waimairi County Council Buried at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Papanui, Christchurch. The story …

The A & P Show

As Christchurch approached its 2nd birthday, there was a mixture of emotions on the city’s dusty roads.  Since the arrival of the First Four Ships, another 21 Canterbury Association ships had docked at Port Lyttelton and more than 2500 settlers had flooded into Canterbury.  Like those before them, the lies of the Canterbury Association were …

Pyne Gould Corporation

“On the east side of Market Place stood Mr. Gould’s General Store with a great barrier in the middle of the floor filled with fascinating coils of rope-like tobacco – fascinating because we thought it was good to having (having I suppose watched sailors and Maoris chewing lumps) till an experimentalising younger brother nearly put …

Conway Lucas Rose – Cathedral is a work of the imagination

“The Cathedral is a work of the imagination only…my bull is tethered in the nave.” Conway Lucas Rose ~ May 1852 * Passenger of the ‘Midlothian’ – the Canterbury Association’s 15th ship * Co-Founder of The Church of New Zealand – was a licensed clergyman * First manager of the Union Bank of Australia situated …