Canterbury Museum

17/09/2026

This beautiful image of Christ Church Cathedral not only captures an icon, but also a bustling city centre.

The etching, created by artist James Fitzgerald in 1933, harbours many delicious details of a living city. There are the three chaps chatting on the park bench, the cars using the road that used to run in front of the cathedral, and the congregation outside the cathedral doors. This is all framed by neighbouring buildings like the Savoy cinema, Warner’s Hotel and the Old Government Building.

Then there are the perfect details of the cathedral itself. The afternoon sun strikes the western face of the cathedral, picking out details like the rose window, the neo-Gothic arches and the decorative doors. Even the sky speaks of Christchurch, with the rippling clouds that sometimes gather above the city.

James Fitzgerald was born in Edinburgh in 1869 before moving to London as a boy. He moved to Auckland in 1903 and worked in the art department at the New Zealand Herald. He moved to Christchurch in 1923 and ran his design company, Medusa Studio, from Avon House on Hereford Street. James had lived in Christchurch for about a decade when he created this etching and clearly had a feel for the place.

He transforms Christ Church Cathedral into not just an icon of faith, but an icon of the city and its people.

For more inspiring stories, redevelopment updates and cracking yarns follow Canterbury Museum’s epic journey of change on the new section of our website: ourjourney.canterburymuseum.com/

Image: James Fitzgerald etching of Cathedral Square from 1933. Canterbury Museum 1979.71.16

15/09/2026

Remember the ferry from Lyttelton to Wellington?🚢👋⚓

When the ‘Rangatira’ ferry departed Lyttelton on its final service to Wellington, 200 people lined the docks for a last farewell. On 14 September 1976, red flares were fired into the sky, sirens wailed from other ships in the harbour and passengers threw streamers from the deck to say goodbye. Captain John Cleaver pulled a cord and let the Rangatira’s two steam horns roar across the harbour, marking the end of a ferry service from Lyttelton to Wellington that had run for many decades.

The ship pictured here, also called the ‘Rangatira’, served the route from 1931 to 1963. You may remember the model of the ship that was on display in the Museum for many years.

The last ‘Rangatira’ ship to serve the route carried passengers and cars to the North Island from 1972 to 1976. During its final voyage, the crew were in a bleak mood. The axing of the ferry service left them out of work. One young crew member told ‘The Press’ newspaper he was “paid off and peed off”.

Do you have memories of ferry trips from Lyttelton to Wellington? Share them below. 👇



Images: A model from the Canterbury Museum collection of the ‘Rangatira’ ferry, which ran from Lyttleton to Wellington from 1931 to 1963. Credit: Andrew Abbott

The 1931 ‘Rangatira’ in action. Credit: State Library of Queensland.

14/09/2026

Ever taken a bad selfie? 🐧🤳😬

Check out these goofy photos of some of the wonderful taxidermied specimens in the Museum collection. There’s a cute Emperor Penguin chick, a fearsome-looking polar bear, a disgruntled Secretarybird, a grinning Arctic fox and a wonky mongoose.

These magnificent animals are being prepared for display in the new Museum. Our conservation team is giving them a thorough cleaning so they can look their best. They’re also testing them for toxic chemicals used in historical taxidermy so they can be displayed safely. We can’t wait to share these animals with you again when the new Museum reopens.

Have you got a favourite animal in the collection? Share your faves below.🐾👇

11/09/2026

‘Santa Barbara’ is a little slice of California in central Christchurch.🌴☀️

Christchurch architect H. Francis Willis designed the 1930s apartments on Victoria Street in the Streamlined Moderne style, a branch of Art Deco inspired by the aerodynamic curves of locomotives and ocean liners. Inside, the apartments were equally stylish, with the upstairs apartment featuring its own cocktail bar. Willis also designed the Spanish Mission-style buildings on New Regent Street.

The building still stands today, although it is now used for commercial and office space and is sandwiched between two modern buildings.

In 1979, architect Don Donnithorne chose ‘Santa Barbara’ as one of his favourite Christchurch homes in an article for ‘The Press’. He captured the building well.

“This Victoria Street house, with its concrete surfaces, curved glass walls, and horizontal proportions exerts a strange fascination”.

Do you have any memories of this special building? Post them below. 👇

Images: ‘Santa Barbara’ in the 1980s. Canterbury Museum 2017.79.4058 and 4060

10/09/2026

🔎 Do you know what this is? Because we don’t! 🤔

This strange object was discovered among a collection of Chinese pendants and ornaments by our inventory team, who are working on a massive project to create a digital inventory of the Museum’s entire collection of 2.3 million objects. The Inventory Project began in 2017 and has so far added over 600,000 objects to the Museum’s database.

This mysterious artefact, which is about 5 centimetres long, has no record in the collection database.

Can you help us solve the mystery? 🕵️‍♀️🔍 What is this object?

👇 Post your thoughts below!

09/09/2026

Legendary British Prime Minister Clement Attlee only spent seven hours in Christchurch, but he packed a lot in.

When he visited Christchurch on 14 September 1954, just three years after leaving office, he visited relatives, held a press conference, toured the Christchurch suburbs, drove the Summit Road and attended two civic events. He also praised New Zealand’s policy record in a speech to a packed Civic Theatre on Manchester Street.

“You were always pioneering new things of social promise and I always hoped that one day we would catch up with you. I don’t know whether we have.”

After observing him all day, ‘The Press’ newspaper passed judgement on the 71-year-old statesman.

“His manner was that of a self-effacing man who would have been happier in his library smoking his pipe than being feted as a world figure.”

New Zealand politician Walter Nash had a pithier description.

“A bloke that treats everybody the same.”

Image: Clement Attlee in the United Service Hotel with Cathedral Square behind him on 14 September 1954. Canterbury Museum 1994.198.431

04/09/2026

The Ravenscar House Museum free weekend starts on Saturday!

One of Christchurch’s finest art treasures will be free to enjoy on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September 2026.

Described by Stuff Travel as “one of Christchurch's most unexpected treasures”, this stunning house museum features a unique collection of Kiwi art displayed in an architectural gem.

Don’t miss out!

Read more: www.ravenscarhouse.com/

03/09/2026

Wood’s Mill was built to last. 💪🌳🧱

The Addington industrial building was designed to withstand the weight and vibration of milling machinery. It has triple-brick exterior walls, stone window details and central columns made of Australian ironwood, one of the hardest woods in the world. Each column was carved by hand from a single tree.

This may be why Wood’s Mill, completed in 1891 and extended in 1896, still stands today. It was used to grind wheat into flour from the 1890s until the mill closed in 1970. On its final day of operation, the stop button was pressed for the last time by Jeremy Wood, the great-grandson of mill founder William Derisley Wood.

After the closure, the old mill was put to many uses. Grand plans in the late 1980s to convert the building into a film and television studio eventually fell through. The building, seen here in 1985, is now home to a mix of offices and apartments.

Do you have memories of this grand old building? Ever worked there? Share your memories below. 👇

This photo was taken by former Museum Pictorial History Curator Joan Woodward – an avid photographer who captured many fabulous images of street life in 1980s Christchurch. Over the next few months, we will be celebrating Joan’s work and bringing back many precious memories for Christchurch people. Stay tuned for more photos of bygone Christchurch lovingly captured by Joan.

Image: Wood’s Mill in 1985. Canterbury Museum 1997.258.329

Canterbury Museum’s Rolleston Avenue building is closed for redevelopment. You can visit us at the Canterbury Museum Pop-Up at 66 Gloucester Street in central Christchurch.

02/09/2026

Christchurch-born Ivan Mauger dominated speedway racing for 20 years. On this day in 1979, he sealed his legendary status by winning his sixth World Individual Speedway Championship.
In this video from 2020, Raye Mauger talks about the life and career of her husband of 60 years. Ivan was born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 4 October 1939 and went on to become the world's greatest speedway rider. He remains the only man to win three consecutive individual world titles.
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Raye Mauger, speedway champion Ivan Mauger's wife of 60 years, talk...

01/09/2026

Get ready for the Ravenscar House Museum free weekend!
One of Christchurch’s finest art attractions will be free to enjoy on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September 2026.
Read more: www.ravenscarhouse.com/