The Ashburton Museum has come a long way since the Ashburton Historical Society first met on 30 October 1958. Individuals with a mutual interest in this district’s history came together with a common goal: to preserve and display materials that were deemed important to Ashburton’s past. 63 years and several Museum buildings later, the Ashburton... Continue Reading →
The idea to build a hydroelectric power station at Lake Coleridge came during a time when New Zealand was beginning to take electricity use seriously. During the 1880s and 1890s, growing interest in electric power led the Christchurch City Council to consider building a hydroelectric power station on the Waimakariri River. However, this never came... Continue Reading →
When looking back at history, we often tend to focus on the big events and build our view of the past around those. However, sources such as newspaper articles from the summer of 1921-1922 can give us an interesting glimpse at everyday life in days gone by. During that hot and sunny season, there were... Continue Reading →
The Ashburton District has had a long history of thriving businesses, of which there have been an impressive number and variety. Coachbuilders, factories, agents, retail stores, and many more enterprises, big and small, have played their role in supporting our local economy and communities. Let's take a look back at a selection of photographs of... Continue Reading →
These images are from a photograph album which was kept by Frederick Walter Rogers (1896 - 1971), who was the son of Harry Rogers, Coldstream Estate manager for the period these photographs were taken. Not only does the album feature images of normal life on the Coldstream Estate in the 1910s, but it also contains... Continue Reading →
Ashburton Borough School was opened on 19 February, 1872, and was the first Government school in Ashburton. With an initial roll of 4 pupils, the school has since grown to accommodate 350 students this year, which is Ashburton Borough School's 150th jubilee. The story of Ashburton Borough School began at least 4 years earlier, in... Continue Reading →
Below you will find a selection of images from the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc. collection, which showcase an interesting variety of houses from our District's past. The architectural styles, sizes, and shapes of these homes say something about the people who built them. Their ambitions, their self-perceptions, access to resources, and of course... Continue Reading →
The people of Ashburton District have been keen circusgoers for over a hundred years. Despite all the tweaks and changes that have shaped the art of the circus, there is still nothing quite like the Greatest Show on Earth. Some readers may remember going to the circus to see dressed-up bears, parading elephants, and big... Continue Reading →
In November 1902, a vote was carried that would have a huge effect on Ashburton both socially and economically. After much debate and support from groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the Protestant church, a majority of voters in Ashburton had supported the town’s transition to ‘no-license’. From the time when existing... Continue Reading →
So many of us love our milk, butter, and a good bit of cheese. Even the most lactose intolerant among us can seldom resist the allure of ice cream and a good choccy milk (surely the stomach ache is worth it!) Dairy contributes roughly $10 billion to our economy and is one of our top... Continue Reading →
Ashburton Museum Blog 