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 …
POTATOES!!! This is what crosses my mind every time I drive along the Christchurch Southern Motorway and glance towards the Addington Raceway below. I have no idea where I read that the land there once was fields of potatoes but the thought has never left me. Inspired by The Press’ article about the Addington Raceway …
In 1899, the land (once potato fields) that Addington Raceway would call home was secured by lease from the city’s Sunnyside Hospital. The man behind the deal was Christchurch’s 15th Mayor, the Honourable Charles Louisson. Working on the behalf of The Metropolitan Trotting Club – who had been using Lancaster Park – they were finally …
