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 …
George Gatonby Stead was born in London, England. At the age of 9, his parents moved his life to South Africa where he lived until he was 24. During that time he became a excellent rider and good shot with a rifle. On returning to England in 1865, he soon decided to emigrate to Canterbury, …
The Christchurch Tramway Board, the Christchurch Drainage Board, Waimairi County Council and the Lyttelton Harbour Board I’m sure kept Wilfred John Walter very, very busy! He did find the time and seized the opportunity to name the area that would be known as the suburb of Mairehau. He named the area after Mrs. Rose Mairehau …
On 22 January 1903, the Christchurch Tramway Board held their first meeting. Amongst the members of this first transport board were names like Henry Francis Wigram (remembered in the naming of the suburb) and George Stead (founder of the Heathcote Malt Works, owner of The Press – just to name a few). From 1880, horse …
