“I find that my notion of a distinct settlement in New Zealand, under the patronage of a powerful body in this country, desirous of spreading the Church of England, stands a good chance of being realized sooner than we expected. The subject has been fully considered, and at length something like practical conclusions have been …
As the First Four ships sat at anchor in Lyttelton Harbour that warm December 1850, rural section 6 sat waiting for its owner to make it into something wonderful. Business partners Charles Weatherby and Henry Gordon had intended to be part of the first wave of settlers to Canterbury but their names were never on …
The Bridle Path symbolizes a lot of different things to many different people. As a Canterbury historian, my heart jumps in my ribcage every time I see it and I am not even a descendant of a family that walked over it 150 years ago. My British parents and older brothers would make the same …
After reading about Sir William Fox and getting the idea that he tended to go where the wind took him, I can’t ignore the fact that today, we do not have a clear idea of what William was really like. The descriptions of his personality and values go from one side of the scales to …
I’m sure like every other young man at Oxford University, Thomas Jackson (1812 -1886) had big dreams and he was very smart. He graduated with a B.A. in 1834 and an M.A. in 1837. At the young age of 32, Thomas – who was now an Anglican Clergyman – was the principal of the St …
Tommy Cass knew life’s ups and downs. By the time he was surveying the 33,000 acres that would become the Deans’ future rural station of ‘Homebush’ in 1851, Tommy had earned the respect and admiration of all those around him. You get the feeling that he walked along with a great confidence and self knowledge …
Where Clifton Terrace meets Main Road, sits one of the loveliest reserves in Sumner. Clifton Bay/Hill was once viewed by the Canterbury Association as a possible landing port for goods being transported from Lyttelton to Christchurch by boats. In view of this and as the surveyors and road making gangs – made up of both …
So, what are cities built on? Before all the politically correct answers start rolling through your mind, the answer is much simpler than that…a city is built on a dream. Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Owner of the New Zealand Company) and John Robert Godley (pictured) shared the same dream. In 1848, they founded the Canterbury Association …
“Having reached the island which Quail Island rises to about 250 ft above the level of the harbour I landed at a shelly beach and ascended the hill in order to correct and complete my sketch. During my walk there I flushed several quail and from that circumstance I gave it the name Quail Island.” …
As the Bealey brothers – Samuel and John – made the most of their sea voyage to Lyttelton in 1851, they shared their ship, the ‘Cornwall’ with the Moorhouse brothers – William, Benjamin and Thomas – totally unaware how together, they would make Canterbury history. Samuel (pictured) was born in Lancashire, England in 1821. He …
