Waimakariri World War I Memorials field trip

Heritage New Zealand is excited to offer a tour visiting a number of World War I country memorials in the Waimakariri District, Canterbury. 2015 is the centenary of the ANZAC landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. So why not get a head start on Anzac Day this year by exploring how local communities in Kaiapoi, Oxford, Cust, Birch Hill Station, and Rangiora chose to remember their lost men?

World War I memorials are found in virtually every township in New Zealand, usually in the main street. The design and details of the memorials were the result of much debate, thought, and emotion. Local war memorials provide clues to what the terrible events of the Great War meant to the people of New Zealand.

Tour members will learn how and why Waimakariri memorials were constructed. Kaiapoi War Memorial, produced by noted Christchurch sculptor William Trethewey in 1922, is one of New Zealand’s most important soldier figure memorials. The smaller memorials in Cust and Oxford are good examples of the more common obelisk memorial. We’ll also have a guided tour of St James Anglican Church. This church was built in 1865 to plans provided by Bury and Mountford and has a number of features commemorating World War I. Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy at Birch Hill Station Cemetery. This beautiful spot has a rare memorial commemorating pioneer families of the district, as well as local men and horses sent to war. The cemetery is currently being put forward for listing by Heritage New Zealand. Robyn Burgess, Heritage Advisor for Registration will explain the process of registration for the site and describe the fascinating history behind the cemetery. On the drive home we’ll also briefly stop to examine the recently renewed Rangiora War Memorial cenotaph.

This tour is suitable for all ages. It will include horses, homemade Anzac biscuits, and actors reading letters and diaries from men at war. Children are very welcome and can take part in a scavenger hunt activity across the different sites.

 

Date: Saturday 11 April 2015 Tour stops are not under cover, so bring appropriate wet weather gear.

• The trip will be cancelled if there are insufficient bookings or if there is heavy rain or an extreme weather event on Saturday 11 April. If the event is cancelled payment will be refunded and you will be informed prior to 11 April, or we will attempt to hold the event the following Saturday 18 April 2015.

Travel and Duration: The trip is from 8.30am – 2.45pm.

We will travel by bus together (see itinerary for details)

If you live out of Christchurch and wish to meet us at Kaiapoi please let us know on the booking sheet provided. However, we must all travel together on the bus to the memorial sites. It will be a busy day but we will try to keep to our itinerary.

What to Bring: Lunch to eat at Birch Hill Station Cemetery, picnic rug, sunblock, hat, good walking shoes, dress appropriately for the weather. Homemade Anzac biscuits will be provided for morning tea, but you’ll need to bring your own drinks.

Cost per member: $24 covering all bus transport, visits to sites and Anzac biscuits for Heritage New Zealand members.

$30pp for non-members.

$15pp for children under 18

Booking deadline (with payment)
Thursday 2 April 2015:

Numbers strictly limited so be in early to secure your seat.

Buy your tickets on Eventfinder

OR

Make cheques out to Heritage New Zealand

Post with payment to:

Heritage New Zealand WWI Memorials Field Trip

PO Box 4403

Christchurch 8140

Please RSVP with your name(s); daytime contact number, and email.

 

 

Christmas & New Year hours : 2014

Methodist Archives
The Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives is closed to researchers over
Christmas-New Year from Wednesday 10 December 2014, reopening on Wednesday 14
January 2015.

For more information please contact:

Jo Smith
Archivist
Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives

Office: 1 Maydell Street, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, NZ
Phone: 03 3666 049 ext 831
Postal: PO Box 931, Christchurch 8040, NZ
Archives storage facility: Unit 7, 515 Wairakei Road, Christchurch
Phone: 3596 865
Email: archives@methodist.org.nz

Archives Reading Room at Unit 7, 515 Wairakei Road is open Wednesday afternoons
1-4 pm.
Space is available for 2 people only at a time, so please contact the Archivist
to book a seat before visiting.

Archives New Zealand Christchurch Office
The public reading room at 90 Peterborough Street closes for the Christmas break at noon Wednesday  24 December and opens again 9.30am Monday 5 January.

Please note that for 2015 the public reading room hours are 9.30 am to 1.00 pm, Monday to Friday. This is a reduction from the current hours.

For more information please contact:
Chris Adam | Regional Archivist
Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga
Christchurch Regional Office
90 Peterborough Street, Christchurch 8013 | PO Box 642, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand

Christchurch City Council Archives
The Christchurch City Council archives will be closed from 18 December 2014 – 30 January 2015.
Please email any requests to view the archives to archives@ccc.govt.nz

Macmillan Brown Library
Closes on  Friday 19th December and reopens on Monday 5 January.
We will also be closed for a library function from 1 pm Friday 12 December.

 The Anglican Archives continue to be closed until further notice.
Christ’s College Archives will close on Thursday 18th December and re-open
on Tuesday 13th January.

Jane Teal, Archivist
Christ’s College
Private Bag 4900
Christchurch 8140
The Christ’s College Archives are open each Tuesday and Thursday, 8.30am-5.00pm

Sumner Redcliffs Historical Society
Last day Friday 9th December, noon on 12 December. Open at 9.a.m., Friday 16 January 2015.

 

Advance notice: Symposium on extreme disaster, February 2015

Canterbury Disaster Salvage workshop flyer

 

Discover and Share your First World War Stories

Discover and Share your First World War Storiesring in your Great War treasures and meet with experts from across the country who can identify them.

Visit the new Canterbury Stories exhibition and discover more about Canterbury’s part in the First World War. Tell us your family story and it could be added to the exhibition.

On Sunday 12 October 2014, a free public event will be held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, where members of the Canterbury community will be invited to bring along their personal stories and artefacts relating to the First World War. Staff from each of the supporting institutions will be on hand to document the material, as well as provide expertise in family history research and object identification and interpretation. People can discuss the possibility of lending their material for digitising or display with any of the participating organisations.

The stories and artefacts contributed by the public will be used to provide the content for the “Canterbury Stories” exhibition hosted by the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

The Canterbury 100 team are searching for personal stories, photographs, diaries and papers, and artefacts from people in Canterbury relating to the First World War, to present in this regional exhibition.

Canterbury 100 is a collaborative project, co–ordinated by the region’s major cultural and heritage institutions, telling the story and experiences of Canterbury people during the First World War.

 

Christchurch Photo Hunt 2014

Making Connections: Experience our past – present – future

Cantabrians are being asked to dust off their family albums, dig out any boxes of old snaps, and do their bit to preserve the region’s heritage.

Christchurch City Libraries’ annual Photo Hunt – is an opportunity to discover photo treasures that will reconnect Cantabrians to cherish, celebrate and commemorate our past.

The categories are:

• People – families, cultural and social events.
• Places – buildings, suburbs and the city.
• Two views in time – 2 photos of the same scene, place or person at different time periods. Images can be from any era, depicting any facet of Christchurch’s growth, development, social life or events in the city’s past and present.

As well as helping to boost important historical records, entrants are in line for some great prizes – one of two iPad minis or a Kobo ereader.

Enter at your local library.

Entries can be submitted at any Christchurch City library.

Bring your photograph(s) to your local library, and complete the entry form. Images will be carefully scanned and returned.

They will be viewable online at Kete Christchurch, our community repository.

Entries open Monday 29 September 2014 and close 5pm 31 October. Winners announced on 28 November 2014.

Enter online

Download the entry form as a Word Document, and email the completed form and your photograph(s) to librarydigitalcontent@ccc.govt.nz.

 

 

Canterbury Stories Exhibition and Event

Canterbury Stories: Remembering the First World War

The Wizard of New Zealand, and members of the McCaw and Westenra families to the Canterbury Stories exhibition at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

As part of the “Canterbury 100” collaborative project, a special exhibition titled “Canterbury Stories: Remembering the First World War” opened at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand on 12 September 2014.

“Canterbury Stories” will provide a Canterbury-focused insight into the First World War through the personal stories of those who experienced it – not only the soldiers and nurses on the front line but also the men, women and children who remained at home. Several well-known local celebrities have contributed their own family war stories to the exhibition, and these will be joined over time by many more personal accounts contributed by the people of Canterbury. It is intended that this exhibition will be refreshed and added to throughout the course of the First World War Centenary and will be adapted to a more localised format for touring around communities throughout the region.

“Canterbury Stories” aims to connect Cantabrians with their First World War heritage by allowing them to share their family’s wartime experiences through stories, photographs and objects. At the conclusion of the Centenary commemorations, these stories will be archived to serve as a permanent memorial.

Discover and Share your First World War Stories

Discover and Share your First World War Stories

Bring in your Great War treasures and meet with experts from across the country who can identify them.

Visit the new Canterbury Stories exhibition and discover more about Canterbury’s part in the First World War. Tell us your family story and it could be added to the exhibition.

On Sunday 12 October 2014, a free public event will be held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, where members of the Canterbury community will be invited to bring along their personal stories and artefacts relating to the First World War. Staff from each of the supporting institutions will be on hand to document the material, as well as provide expertise in family history research and object identification and interpretation. People can discuss the possibility of lending their material for digitising or display with any of the participating organisations.

The stories and artefacts contributed by the public will be used to provide the content for the “Canterbury Stories” exhibition hosted by the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

The Canterbury 100 team are searching for personal stories, photographs, diaries and papers, and artefacts from people in Canterbury relating to the First World War, to present in this regional exhibition.

Canterbury 100 is a collaborative project, co–ordinated by the region’s major cultural and heritage institutions, telling the story and experiences of Canterbury people during the First World War.

 

Beca Heritage Week 2014

Beca Heritage Week 2014 begins on the 17 October and runs through until the 27 October. The year’s theme is Making Connections – Experience our past-present-future.

Brochures can be picked up from any Council Library or Service Centre or downloaded from www.heritageweek.co.nz.

In 2014 anniversaries include

• 200 years since John Robert Godley was born in Dublin
• 150 years since the first council artesian well was drilled
• 510 years since New Zealand’s first hansom cab arrives in the city
• 150 years since the foundation stone was laid for the Anglican Cathedral
• 125 years since Cave and Maori artefacts were discovered at Moncks Spur
• 125 years since the first New Zealand built locomotive was completed at Addington railway workshops
• 100 years since Riccarton Bush was presented to the city by the Deans family
• 100 years since World War I began
• 75 years since World War II began
• 75 years since the official opening of City Council’s pensioner housing project in Barnett Avenue, Sydenham; the first local body
  pensioner housing in New Zealand
• 50 years since the Lyttelton Road Tunnel opened
• 25 years since Waitangi Tribunal Hearing of land claim by Ngāi Tahu closes at Tuahiwi Marae
• 25 years since new Christchurch City Council established through amalgamation of previous councils