Ocean View Hotel: 1902

The Ocean View Hotel is now the Governor’s Bay Hotel. Read A proud history on their website:

Granted its first license in 1870, the Hotel operated as the Ocean View Family Hotel and May Haulk was its pioneer publican. A rival pub, the Whitecliffs Hotel, was bought by a later owner of the Ocean View and was mysteriously burnt down when unoccupied.

Around 1903 the hotel was owned by Edward Brownie who had given up his job as a prison warder in 1903 in Lyttelton. His wife Rose, assisted in the running of the hotel offering first class accommodation and picnic areas for the day visitor. The Fred Pimms coaches passed daily between Lyttelton and Governors Bay. Steam ferries also moored at the Maori Gardens wharf bringing other visitors …

Governors Bay was a favourite place for honeymooners from Christchurch …

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We have digitised a rather splendid 1902 publication Tourists’ guide to Canterbury.

 

Listen to Lyttelton Past

Wednesday, 26 June 2013, 7 – 8:30pm at Lyttelton Library is the time for Lyttelton Past – the first of  the upcoming Lyttelton Living-room talks. This series of monthly talks focuses on Lyttelton events or is presented by Lyttelton authors.

Professor Geoffrey Rice will talk about Lyttelton’s past, and the Lyttelton connection in his recently published book Christchurch Crimes, 1850-75 Scandal and skulduggery in port and town. I’ve read it and it is a gem of a book, filled with interesting snippets of local crime and history.

• Search the catalogue for more books by Geoffrey Rice.
• Browse for books and items about Lyttelton.
• If y0u are interested in Lyttelton history, browse our collection of historical Lyttelton images.
• Lyttelton images on our Flickr site.
• Lyttelton is also in the spotlight for its upcoming Festival of Lights (20 to 23 June 2013).

Frame from 1945 Coming Home to Lyttelton movie

 

 

Lighting up the midwinter darkness

The Lyttelton Harbour Festival of Lights is a well established mid winter treat for Christchurch folk. Houses around the port get creative with strings of lights, there is a great street party and of course fireworks. The festival runs over four days from 20 to 23 June, 2013.

The programme features heaps of music, dance,  kapa haka, workshops, circus, food and wine, documentary and feature film and art exhibitions. This year, Lyttelton Harbour Festival of Lights joins with Lyttelton Community House and Rapaki Marae to celebrate Matariki,  the Māori New Year.

Some of the events:

• Street party , the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch Fireworks display and circus featuring the Harris and Turner London Street Carnivale – Friday, 21 June, evening
• Lyttel Book Fair and the Farmers Market Midwinter Xmas – Saturday 22 June 10am
• Wood fired pizza at the Community Garden – Sunday 23 June, 2pm
• Free outdoor screening of Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners – Sunday 23 June, 7pm, London Street. Bring your own chair.

 

Christchurch – this week in history (17 June – 23 June)

June 17, 1843

John Deans lands sheep, cattle and horses at Lyttelton.

June 18, 1949

Announcement of decision to move Canterbury University campus to Ilam.

June 18, 1975

Record smog level – 3076 micrograms per cubic metre over 2 hour period during night. The introduction of domestic clean air zones has slightly alleviated this long standing city problem, but Christchurch’s air pollution remains New Zealand’s worst.

June 20, 1928

Canterbury Aero Club formed. The first pilot trained by the club was a woman, Aroha Clifford. She may have been New Zealand’s first woman pilot.

June 21, 1851

Christchurch Cricket Club formed.

June 21, 1851

Road from Christchurch to Riccarton completed.

June 21, 1890

Artist Petrus Van der Velden arrives and settles.

June 21, 1897

Huge celebrations for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee include the official opening of Victoria Park on the Port Hills and the transformation of Market (Victoria) Square by the City Council and the newly formed Christchurch Beautifying Association. The square, once the commercial centre of Christchurch, had contained many early public buildings and services including a prison, immigration barracks, an animal pound and the first post office.

June 22, 1954

Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme murder Parker’s mother in Victoria Park. Their subsequent trial was one of the most sensational in the city’s history.

June 23, 1854

Pioneer John Deans dies at Riccarton. The preservation of Deans Bush was one of his dying wishes.

 

Citizens’ War Memorial: Picturing Canterbury

The figures on the Citizens’ War Memorial were first modelled in clay by the Christchurch sculptor William Trethewey, and afterwards reproduced in plaster, and the moulds were forwarded to England where they were cast in bronze by A B Burton. The memorial comprises six figures, the symbolism of which is as follows:

The figure seated in the centre with outstretched arms, in an attitude of resignation and sacrifice, is symbolic of the mothers of the Empire grieving for their sons.

On the right, facing the Cathedral, is St George in armour, representing valour or protection; on the other side, holding a torch, is Youth.

Next to St George is Peace, holding an olive branch and a dove, and alongside is Justice, blindfolded and holding scales.

The figure at the top showing the sword being broken was at first to be called “Victory”, but the War Memorial Committee decided against this and it has no name.

• Citizens’ War Memorial
• Our page on Christchurch statues
• Statues – photos in our collection
• Statues on Flickr
• More local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

 

Our names and places: Cultural mapping

Are you interested in Ōtautahi names and stories: As part of our programme of events for Matariki and Māori Language Week our Central Library Peterborough will be hosting Takerei Norton talking about the Ngāi Tahu Cultural mapping project.

He will share his knowledge of  the collection of stories and names that have been gathered from Ngāi Tahu kaumatua relating to the land.

Come along  on Wednesday, 19 June 2013, 6 – 8:30pm (THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER – WILL BE RESCHEDULED)

• Find out more in the Te Karaka article Cultural heritage mapping
• Our posts on Takerei Norton and cultural mapping

 

Miss Makeig, artist: 1902

Miss Mary Amelia Makeig is mentioned in the book The Arts and Crafts Movement in New Zealand 1870 – 1940: Women Make Their Mark by Ann Calhoun (see this Google books excerpt)

See her painting of Walter Peak, from Queenstown in the Auckland Libraries collection.

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We have digitised a rather splendid 1902 publication Tourists’ guide to Canterbury.

 

Christchurch – this week in history (10 June – 16 June)

June 10, 1868

William Wilson elected first Mayor of Christchurch.

June 10, 1935

John Drew and poet/typographer Dennis Glover founded Caxton Press to publish New Zealand literature. Most of the decade’s best writers were first published by the company.

June 11, 1982

Sir Hamish Hay, Mayor of Christchurch since 1974, knighted in Queen’s Birthday honours.

June 12, 1848

“Kemp’s Deed” signed by Ngai Tahu giving the New Zealand Company control of land from Kaiapoi to Otago.

June 15, 1874

Canterbury College (University) opens. A subsequent public protest prevented its proposed buildings from being sited in what are now the Botanic Gardens.

June 16, 1932

Robert McDougall Art Gallery opens. The gallery was a gift of R.E. McDougall, Managing Director of Aulsebrooks and Company.

June 17, 1843

John Deans lands sheep, cattle and horses at Lyttelton.

 

Survivors of the First Six Ships: Picturing Canterbury

Survivors Of The First Six Ships Grouped Around The Godley Statue, Cathedral Square, Christchurch 1925
Passengers who arrived by the Charlotte Jane, Randolph, Sir George Seymour, Cressy, Castle Eden and Isabella Hercus took a prominent part in the celebrations of Christchurch’s 75th anniversary. They are shown at the foot of the statue of John Robert Godley, the founder of Canterbury.

Prominent in Cathedral Square and unveiled in 1867, the Godley statue is inscribed simply:

John Robert Godley, Founder of Canterbury

The statue, the first public commemorative statue in New Zealand unveiled to a single person, was sculpted by the English Pre-Raphaelite sculptor Thomas Woolner. In 1907 the statue was hidden from public view by the tram shelter. Despite public deputations to the Council, the statue was not moved to a more prominent public position on the north side of the Cathedral until 1918. There it remained until 1933 when it was returned to its present and original site.

The statue fell from its plinth during the 22 February 2011 earthquake and has become one of the most photographed symbols of the damage to Christchurch. It is currently on display in the Quake City exhibition in the Re:START Mall.

• Our page on Christchurch statues
• Statues – photos in our collection
• Statues on Flickr
• More local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

 

Interested in tinned foods or camp pies?: 1902

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We have digitised a rather splendid 1902 publication Tourists’ guide to Canterbury.