Onboard the “Randolph”, the Canterbury Association’s 2nd ship, was the Free family. The head of the family was John Free – a labourer – and with him was his wife Mary and their 7 children. Believe it or not, the Free’s weren’t the largest family group to emigrate to Canterbury. The family settled beside the …
The grounds of Mona Vale were once the most beautiful and well kept paddocks on the farm at Riccarton. In April 1869, when Jane Deans learnt that Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, was planning on visiting Riccarton during his Christchurch visit for an afternoon of pigeon shooting, there was only one place for the …
Sugarloaf Scenic Reserve was once part of a grand farm known as Cashmere. The main farming hub sat snug beside the Port Hills while the most southern boundary of grazing paddocks once reached up over the hills as far as Governors Bay. Cashmere’s founder, India born Sir John Cracroft Wilson led his family and seventeen …
Never one to sit down in front of the tele at the same time or on the same channel, I have developed the habit of watching a TV series all at once, easily finishing a season’s worth in a day. I love it! It was no different when the time came to watch ‘The Tudors’ …
The old Dalgetys building on the south west corner of Moorhouse Ave and Colombo Street has always caught my eye and curiosity. Whenever entering Harvey Norman for a bit of shopping, my eyes instantly stray above the produce to take in the vast space before me. There is no mistaking that fact that the building …
When little Alice Cecilia Serecombe George was born in June 1885, her family were living in Porirua, Wellington. Her dad, William ‘Willie’ George worked as a labourer and her mother, Emily Serecombe, had her hands full raising their young family. On 28th November that year, her parents were married. It seemed the family moved a lot. Alice’s oldest sister …
Not ones to let cold weather put us off, the Bulovics were rambling around Lyttelton one particularly cold weekend not so long ago, checking up on some historic sites. It was then that I noticed a blue lantern attached to the outside of the Lyttelton Police Station (pictured). With its glass of rich dark blue; a …
“All round, except the cleared space in front of the tent, was high fern and tutu, stretching away over the [Canterbury] Plains as far as could be seen…where Lichfield Street now stands, was a large raupo swamp, which was a resort for wild ducks and pukaki. Tracks here and there had been roughly cut through …
Date and Place of Birth: 29th July 1823 at Aberden, Scotland Date and Place of Death: 25th August 1886 (place unknown) Roles in Early Canterbury: *Canterbury’s First Presbyterian Minister *Founder of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (situated at Rangi Ruru Girls High School since 1986), St Andrew’s College and Hagley Community College *Founding Member of the …
In 1859, on the Southwestern corner of Colombo and Armagh Streets, a handsome, new two story wooden structure was built for Drs. Hilson and Turnbull. Designed by Thomas Tomes, the two doctors had wanted a bigger facility to replace their current quarters in Cashel Street which would not only house consultation & surgery rooms but …
