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 →
Once upon a time, it seemed that steam powered machines were the technological apex for transport and manufacture. From its humble beginnings as a means to vertically pump water, steam became a driving force in industry and the economy, with the dark consequence of aiding European and American imperialism. Aotearoa embraced steam, particularly the agriculture... Continue Reading →
An early image of the Ashburton railway station entrance. The Ashburton Railway station was once a social hub of the town: a place where goods and people moved from one place to another. There were two earlier stations - the first was built in 1874, when it took 72 minutes to get from Christchurch to... Continue Reading →
When I was a very young child living in Ireland, I had an ungodly obsession with trains. I loved everything about them – there was just some elusive appeal that drew me to anything that slid on rails and went “choo-choo”. I loved my Thomas the Tank Engine toys so much that I used to... Continue Reading →
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