• HENRY FRANCIS WORSLEY (1806 – 1876)

    Throughout my studies of Christchurch’s history, the surname of Worsley has popped up now and again.  As there was no additional information offered with these brief references, Henry Francis Worsley had remained a question mark in my mind, that is, until this morning.  Now I know why previous historians haven’t written about him as there …

  • The Gee Family – Canterbury’s First Confectioners

    When twenty year old Walter Gee (pictured) stepped off the ‘Sir George Pollock’ in 1851 – the Canterbury Association’s 17th ship – he couldn’t have dreamt of the history he would witness and be part of. Listed as a carpenter on the Association’s passenger manifest, Walter was also a blind-maker but found little demand for …

  • The Oram Brothers

    As the five Oram brothers stepped off their ship (the ‘Glentanner’) at Lyttelton, they were the classic example of those chasing the New Zealand dream. It was Canterbury, 1857 and if you were willing to roll up your sleeves and do the hard yards, you could find success and fortune. The English born brothers wanted …

  • THE LEVELS AND TIMARU

    Just this past weekend (3rd Jan 2015) Chris and I took a delightful drive to Timaru to soak up some history that I have wanted to see since learning about the pioneering, Rhodes brothers. Here’s a short summary of their story: The Rhodes and Waitaha (Canterbury) were first introduced in 1836 when the whaling Captain …

Contact Form Powered By : XYZScripts.com