Ashburton as we know it has been constantly evolving ever since the construction of William Turton’s first accommodation house along the Hakatere Ashburton River in 1858. Rural has become urban, paddocks have become suburbs and buildings have been built, moved, modified and demolished. Postcard image showing early view of Ashburton west side, looking along Cameron... Continue Reading →
Between 1899 and 1922, a professional photographer by the name of Harry Alexander Palmer took a variety of interesting photos around Rakaia and the surrounding area. The Ashburton Museum acquired a number of these photographic negatives several years ago, in the form of glass plates. This image shows an ornate mantle with the background scratched... Continue Reading →
In February, 2022 the Ashburton Museum team was hard at work developing a new exhibition on agates with the help of Malcolm Luxton from The Agate Orphanage in Tinwald. Agates are categorised as a form of chalcedony, which is a type of quartz comprised of microscopic crystals. These precious formations take shape over the course... Continue Reading →
Isn't it amazing that in the span of 60 seconds you can take a photograph on your cellphone and post it on social media for your friends and family from all over the world to see, like and comment on? Just 30 years ago, that would have been unthinkable. Nowadays it can be easy to... Continue Reading →
This gallery of photographs from the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc. collection showcases aspects of what rural life entailed in the 'olden days' of the Ashburton District. For many back then - and still even today - it was all work and very little play, as these photographs suggest. Scene from Kirdy family farm,... Continue Reading →
Have you ever come across an original story or poem written by a friend, relative or partner? If you answered yes to my question, then here’s a follow-up: were they embarrassed? Such things are usually closely guarded and private, so I consider myself lucky to be able to share a poem from the archives of... Continue Reading →
Alexander and Mary Hewson, no date. (Photo reference 01.1976.0413). In 1918, an early European settler by the name of Alexander Hewson published a series of reminiscences regarding the early days of the Ashburton District in the Ashburton Guardian newspaper. These included many interesting stories about the hardships and triumphs shared by the Europeans who settled... Continue Reading →
Mourning is typically a very personal and complicated process. We often confide in others and tell them we are grieving, but in many cases it can be hard to tell at first glance whether a person is in mourning. Apart from people wearing black during funerals and the use of black remembrance armbands by sports... Continue Reading →
Pshhhhhhttttt. Click. Riiiiiiiiiiiip. There are many sounds of summer but the one I remember with childhood fondness is the treat of opening a cold can of soda on a blistering hot day. The history of beverages spans centuries, cultures and many ingredients. However, the advent of that fizzy carbonated sweet drink stored in a sealed bottle... Continue Reading →
The Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc. collection, which is cared for by the Museum staff of the Ashburton Art Gallery & Museum, contains a vast number of photographs covering various topics relating to Ashburton District's social history. Businesses, farms, celebrations, portraiture, family groups, services, buildings, disasters... if it happened, chances are people took photographs... Continue Reading →
Ashburton Museum Blog 