Henry Francis Wigram (1857 – 1934) Died of old age Place of Death: Christchurch * The Father of Aviation in New Zealand. Buried at the St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Church Corner, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. The story of Henry Francis Wigram: http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/wigram-henry-francis-wigram-1857-1934/ Photo taken by Annette Bulovic
We all know the adrenaline rush when we see something that grasps our imagination in such a way, that it makes us feel like we could reach up and take the very stars out of the sky. This is what happened to Henry Francis Wigram when he saw his first plane in 1908 and he …
“It is a far cry from the ancient cathedral cities of the Old Land, hoary with years and traditions, to a busy Colonial town, raised in little more than half a century, in the midst of a tussock-covered plain. Yet, as the years roll by, something, perchance, of the stately repose of Salisbury, or of …
On 20 September 1916, the Canterbury Aviation Company was founded by Sir Henry Francis Wigram – Christchurch’s 25th Mayor (1902 -1904). It was a return trip to England in 1908 that changed his life forever. He saw his first plane. Upon his return, he approached the government about the great need to introduce aviation to …
