The Air Force 50th Anniversary Memorial

On Main South Road – demanding the attention of all that drive by – stands a memorial, acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the formation of the New Zealand Air Force. It was erected on the 14th June 1978. The first foundations were laid in 1917 by the Canterbury Aviation Company – that was beginning of …

The Canterbury Aviation Company Was Founded – 20th September 1916

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 …