St Michael’s & All Angels – Christchurch’s 1st Church

Our First Four Ships carried more than just settlers; they brought books, teachers, chaplains and church bells. The bell from the Charlotte Jane eventually found its home at St Michael and all Angels on Oxford Terrace.In 1851, a gathering of the Anglican settlers began on the church site in a V hut. This simple place …

The Ward Brothers

Maybe it had been the tedious bumpy ROADLESS journey over the sea of tussock – from Hawkins (a stone’s throw from Darfield) to Rolleston – that made the farmhand lower the new plough down to harvesting position before he towed it back to Bangor in which he worked. He had been sent out hours before …

Lyttelton’s Immigration Barracks

In January 1850, a shipment of wood from Tasmania arrives at Lyttelton. A jetty and 4 immigration barracks are built – ready for the arrival of the first ships due later that same year. One of the builders was Joseph Johnston who went on to build the first school house that became Christ College and …

Archery Lawn – Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Tally Ho! Can’t think of anything so smashing as archery in the arvo at the Botanic Gardens. Jolly Good! The Archery Lawn is still with us 😉  Look for it as you come to the end of the Museum.

Madras Street Bridge

It was nice to see Madras Street Bridge proudly displaying a slab of stone from the bridge that stood there before. The original bridge was built in 1875 and upgraded in 1967. Madras Street bridge has been the only bridge so far that I have seen with something like this. Nice touch! There is next …