For many of us, winter is a time of shivering through our time spent outside, finding refuge in a cosy blanket and a hot drink whenever we have a minute to relax.
Snow on the Alps
Pets from our Past
Scattered throughout the Ashburton Museum photograph collection are a surprising number of pictures of people with their animal companions, which I often come across by accident while chasing up research requests.
Feats of endurance – Early Ashburton District history
Once again I have found myself enthralled by tales of Ashburton’s past, as told by Alex Hewson in his Once again I have found myself enthralled by tales of Ashburton’s past, as told by Alex Hewson in his 1918 reminisces, as well as Mary Anne Barker’s brief description of crossing the Ashburton River.
Winter Woes – Early Ashburton District history
As winter comes to a close, let’s take a look back in time to the mid-to-late 1800s and see how our predecessors handled the colder months.
Growing archives – donations in 2020
Before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the town and district to a quiet halt in late March 2020, the team at Ashburton Museum were hard at work with a mixture of hands-on and digital projects.
Coincidence? I think not!
History is full of small coincidences and connections, which is something the Ashburton Museum team encounters nearly every day.
No job too tough
While conducting some research for a member of the public, Senior Curator Maryann Cowan discovered the exciting legacy of yet another interesting Ashburtonian – that of Mr. James Russell Richardson.
A Grand Diversion
New Zealand suffered from mass unemployment and riots as economic despair gripped the country, but for a portion of those looking for work, the solution came in the form of work relief schemes.
The Doctor and the Deputy
Not only are medicine and doctors important in everyday life, but back when Ashburton was in its infancy, people often took up more than one vocation due to lack of residents – doctors included.
Proper Papers, Pretty Pictures
The Ashburton Museum is home to countless documents, diaries, pamphlets and books – we seem to have examples of just about every kind of archival material relating to Ashburton District and its history.
