On 12th July 1900, the ‘Otago Witness’ newspaper printed an interesting photo to acknowledge the arrival in Oamaru of New Zealand’s first built motor car (pictured). Always heard before being seen, the three wheeled, gasoline powered motor tricycle had been causing quite a stir during its historic journey from Christchurch to Oamaru. Built by Christchurch …
It was sheer luck and determination of this young stranger that made the aeronaut agree to the completely unthinkable. After a quick tutorial, the young stranger, the following day, lifted off in a gas filled balloon for the first time – like an expert – and his life was never the same again! This young …
As thousands of Cantabs swarmed about on Lichfield Street in the dimness of the early evening, their target was a parked cab that had been summoned to whisk preacher Arthur Bentley Worthington away to safety. As the cab was unable to move, Magistrate Richard Beetham climbed onto its roof and for the first – and …
In 1899, Charles Nicholas Oates, a Christchurch business owner, imported the first automobile to the South Island. It had solid tyres, two gears and the top speed of 14kmph. At the time of this import, seven other automobiles were already turning heads in the North Island. Oates was the founder of the ‘Zealandia Cycle Works’ …
In 1899, the land (once potato fields) that Addington Raceway would call home was secured by lease from the city’s Sunnyside Hospital. The man behind the deal was Christchurch’s 15th Mayor, the Honourable Charles Louisson. Working on the behalf of The Metropolitan Trotting Club – who had been using Lancaster Park – they were finally …
On 9th February 1898, the skies of Canterbury were darkened by the smoke from bushfires raging along the coastline of Victoria, Australia. This day became known as ‘Black Wednesday’. Known as ‘Red Tuesday’ in Australia – a dry, locust damaged South Gippsland began to burn on 1st February and gusty winds soon spread the terror …
On 14 January 1898, a careless cook at a grass seeders’ camp in Little River, left his fire unattended during a nor-wester. What resulted was one of the worst fires Banks Peninsula has ever seen – burning the best part of 4 days. The fire quickly spread across neighbouring properties; destroying homes, woolsheds, fencing and …
As 16 year old Agnes Lawcock made her way on foot towards the township of Amberley, she may have not a troubling thought in her mind, especially concerning the young gentleman who was also sharing the road with her that morning. Send out by her mother to run a few errands and collect the mail, …
On 22 June 1897, Victoria Park opened as part of the celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The area was first chosen in 1870 but it took over 10 years before any development such as planting was done. William Moore lived on site from 1886 and was selling refreshments to the visitors venturing around the …
In 1897, Jane Deans made the hard choice of having the “accepted” city’s oldest building demolished due to it being a hazard. When the Deans brothers, William and John, and the Manson and Gebbie families arrived on the Port Cooper (Canterbury) Plains in 1843, Samuel Manson quickly erected a barn-like building where they could all …
