2005: An MP for a Pet
By
Peter Dunne, MHR 1987-2017; Reminds me of another (but fictional) student-politician: Ben, from Parks and Recreation. For a long time, Dunne occupied a special niche as a super-duper on-the-fence Centrist for hire that both Labour and National took on. He served in the boring role of Minister of Revenue for Bolger, Clark, and Key (2005-2013.) The […]
Read more..August 24, 2018
1907: Smartphone Zombies Predicted
By AHNZ
Punch, in 1907, correctly anticipates the social impact of access to mobile phones. This is exactly what so many of us do- we meet up in person with friends then spend our time communicating instead with persons not present. The author is perhaps also presciently observing the impact on men and women meeting each other, […]
Read more..January 16, 2019
1976: Orana Park
By AHNZ
Orana Park 25 September, 1976, in Paparua County (1911-1989.) Now it’s just another part of MegaCity Christchurch. Orana always called itself a ‘Wildlife Park’ because there’s something apparently non-PC about the word ‘Zoo’. However, the founders called themselves the South Island Zoological Society. Go figure. The concept was an open range, drive-through, zoo. You could […]
Read more..April 18, 2024
2007: Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
By AHNZ
Today in history, 15 April, 2017, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand was opened in Wellington. Various VIPs were there to listen and talk. The Governor General Anand Satyanand himself was there and in costume as politicians will be whenever appearing with an elect audience (image, left.) The HCNZ was established in 2007 and continues […]
Read more..April 15, 2024
1932: Tai Tapu Library
By AHNZ
Tai Tapu Library, South Canterbury. Without government who would build the libraries? This one was opened on 12 August 1932 and paid for with the proceeds of prize-winning daffodils grown on the property¹. And, the subscriptions of those desiring to be members. The public library itself is even older than this building. However, it was […]
Read more..April 11, 2024
1995: The Travesty of Waitangi
By AHNZ
Stuart Campbell Scott (1920-1997) was one of the last of New Zealand’s Expeditionary Generation: the adulthood generation during WW2. His contemporaries were the American “Greatest Generation,” Edmund Hillary, Robert Muldoon, Norman Kirk, Brian Gerald Barratt-Boyes, Ruth Ross, Bill Pearson, Keith Sinclair, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Their talent, intelligence, hard work, and attitudes built […]
Read more..April 4, 2024
1975: New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation Extinguished
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 1 April, 1975, Labour 3.0 abolished the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. When a new Government takes power its primary job is to capture or destroy all the State institutions controlled by the prior Government. Television no exception. The NZBC was split into Radio NZ, TV1 and TV2 with TV1 broadcasting […]
Read more..April 1, 2024
1971: Foxton Courthouse Closure
By AHNZ
Foxton Courthouse was shut down on January 28, 1971. It was part of a wider trend to cull the country courthouse that was just warming up. National 3.0’s Minister of Justice, Dan Riddiford, was the figurehead behind this one but at the end of the decade that government dropped the axe on 24 of New […]
Read more..March 31, 2024
1848: The Canterbury Association
By AHNZ
Today in history, 28 March, 1848 The Canterbury Association met for the first time. This was at 41 Charing Cross, London, and the local time was 27 March which is how most sources record the time but AHNZ prefers to record dates using New Zealand’s calendar. To us, especially Cantabrians, names like Cavendish, Charterius, Coleridge, […]
Read more..March 28, 2024
1936: Single Source of Truth
By AHNZ
Today in history, 25 March, 1936, Labour 1.0 started radio broadcast transmissions from the Debating Chamber. Michael Savage’s new Government scared some New Zealanders. Had we elected a bunch of open Communists to run our country? Yes. Would they run it that way? Kind of, yes! One thing Labour had to do was circumventing the […]
Read more..March 25, 2024
1921: Christchurch Electric Car Fleet
By AHNZ
By 1921 Christchurch had a fleet of 48 private and council electric vehicles. Every one of them paraded for this photo that year. A good city for electric cars because Canterbury is flat and had a good power supply. The local MED offered discount rates for charging batteries overnight and this encouraged more users. This […]
Read more..March 24, 2024
