A busker with a banjo entertaining in Cathedral Square, Christchurch: Picturing Canterbury

A busker with a banjo entertaining in Cathedral Square, Christchurch [1927] Christchurch City Libraries, File Reference CCL PhotoCD 3, IMG0060

• This photo from the  Faces of our forebears selection from our Heritage photographs
• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

Anzac Day 2014

Friday 25 April 2014 is Anzac Day. Christchurch is currently celebrating Anzac Day with a Dawn Service in Cranmer Square (where a temporary cenotaph is erected) and a Citizens Service at the ChristChurch Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square. The details for each service are available on the Christchurch City Council website. For the locations and times of other commemorations around Christchurch details can be found on the RSA website.

Each year many wreaths and bouquets from the Dawn Service end up at the statue of Sgt Henry James Nicholas V.C. M.M., northwest of the Bridge of Remembrance on Cambridge Terrace.

Henry Nicholas was the first soldier from the Canterbury Regiment to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He died in action on 23 October 1918 aged 26. He was awarded the Military Medal posthumously for his bravery during the fight for the bridgeheads at the River Ecaillon near the village of Beaudignies on 23 October 1918, 12 days before the New Zealanders’ capture of the town of Le Quesnoy.

• About Anzac Day
• Anzac Day events in Christchurch and Canterbury
• Anzac Day in pictures
• Anzac Day information for kids
• World War I resources
  
• The Bridge of Remembrance

All of our libraries are closed on Anzac Day.

A newspaper vendor in Cathedral Square, Christchurch: Picturing Canterbury

A newspaper vendor in Cathedral Square, Christchurch [1927] Christchurch City Libraries, File Reference CCL PhotoCD 6, IMG0039

• This photo from the Faces of our forebears selection of our Heritage photographs
• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

Easter parade – families and food

Icing eggs and other Easter goodies at Ballantynes. Christchurch City Libraries, File Reference HW08-img-fe111

Tomorrow is Good Friday (note: not Easter Friday).  It, and Easter Monday, are public holidays and so our libraries will be closed. But Saturday and Sunday aren’t public hols – so the libraries will be open.

• Our Easter hours
• Our page on Easter

Last Easter Donna remembered some of her favourite Easter things.  Seeing all those coloured Easter eggs reminded me of what a family time Easter is for many people and how the giving of Easter eggs is still a treat for young and old.

As a child I had an indulgent aunt who showered me with wonderful eggs – so much so that I was still dealing with them weeks if not months later. Some of them looked awfully like those pink and blue confections. Fortunately (or not) they seemed to have a long shelf life.  Hot cross buns toasted and served with butter, a sit down family feast with all the roast trimmings – these traditions have continued on in our families.

Another tradition is uncertain Easter weather! Sometimes wonderful, sometimes so bad like the Easter where the dining table at our house was given over to a giant Where’s Wally jigsaw that kept the family amused for several wet days. Make sure you are prepared for all eventualities with goodies from our collections.

• Want to see some photos of Easters gone by? Have a look at this DigitalNZ set Easter Parade.
• Here’s a list of Easter things – from Judy Garland to Crucifixion art.

Easter Parade heading down Oxford Terrace toward the Catholic Cathedral in Barbadoes Street. Forester’s Hotel is on the left. c. 1950.

What does Easter mean to you? Do you have Easter-y traditions?

A shoe-shine man reads a newspaper while waiting in Cathedral Square for customers: Picturing Canterbury

A shoe-shine man reads a newspaper while waiting in Cathedral Square for customers, Christchurch Christchurch City Libraries, File Reference CCL PhotoCD 3, IMG0061

• The photos of the Faces of our forebears collection of heritage images
• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

Remembering the Wahine sinking

April 10 is the anniversary of the sinking of the Wahine in Wellington Harbour with the loss of 51 lives.

Policeman Ray Ruane holding a young survivor of the Wahine shipwreck. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1968/1574/26a-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22508739

Find out more:

• Our page on the sinking of the Wahine.
• The sinking of the Wahine, 10 April 1968, Wellington City Libraries
• The sinking of the Wahine a DigitalNZ set of images
• Wahine Disaster from NZ History.net.

A sandwich-board man advertising dancing shoes in Cathedral Square: Picturing Canterbury

A sandwich-board man advertising dancing shoes in Cathedral Square, ChristchurchChristchurch City Libraries, File Reference CCL PhotoCD 6, IMG0041

• From our Faces of our Forebears heritage image collection
• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection

History and current affairs – picks from our March newsletter

Some picks from our March History and current affairs newsletter:

        

Subscribe to our newsletters and get our latest titles and best picks straight from your inbox.

For more great reading suggestions, check out our booklists and recommended websites on the Literature page of our website.

Popular culture – picks from our March newsletter

Some picks from our March Popular Culture newsletter:

        

Subscribe to our newsletters and get our latest titles and best picks straight from your inbox.

For more great reading suggestions, check out our booklists and recommended websites on our Literature page.

Story blankets at the marae: Picturing Canterbury

Matariki story blanket display at Rehua Marae, Christchurch.

Explore our sampler of Waitangi Day photographs from our collection.

• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection