It’s very easy to think of 19th century New Zealand as being a place isolated from the rest of the world. Yet as we research and investigate colonial Christchurch, we are constantly being reminded of the connections that existed between … Continue reading →
As a bit of preface for this blog, for anyone not reading it on or around the 20th of August, 2021, New Zealand is back into a full lockdown and the whole country has gone a bit silly. So, in … Continue reading →
With the dawn of a new year (yes, we know it’s already April May June July, no we are not accepting constructive criticism at this time) the Under Over team has hit the ground running. The dream of a leisurely … Continue reading →
“It must have been a happy household,” was the remark made by one of our team members when she saw the artefact assemblage we are discussing on today’s blog post. Whilst children’s artefacts are relatively common finds on New Zealand … Continue reading →
Some of the most common archaeological finds related to the European settlement of New Zealand during 19th century are usually from residential occupation. Features like rubbish pits, underfloor deposits, wells (brick and artesian), cesspits, soak pits, post holes and drainage … Continue reading →
Recording standing structures not only involves architectural drawings and photography, but can also be quite destructive. In an attempt to modernise an old house owners will often cover “old fashioned” features with new materials, plasterboard being the chief culprit. So, … Continue readin...
We have published previously on the importance of buildings, be they residential or commercial, as an artefact in understanding 19th century culture in New Zealand. While it’s easy to overlook the humble cottage as a source of archaeological data, houses … Continue reading →
I’m writing this blog on the 3rd of April, 2020. It’s currently day nine of a four week (or longer) shutdown initiated by the New Zealand government to try and stop the spread of Covid-19. Over the past two weeks … Continue reading →
When you think about the Avon River running through Christchurch, you might imagine punting boats and kayaks in Hagley Park. Such attractions in our garden city are far from new and, recently, a few of us here at Underground Overground … Continue reading →
As a Spanish archaeologist who used to work on prehistoric sites and then became an artefact specialist in New Zealand, my experience has shown me that although they are worlds apart, Spanish prehistory and the Victorian era are closer than … Continue reading →
The first feeling that strikes everyone on coming to New Zealand is its intense want of animal life. Mountains, plains, rivers, – mere features without a soul; for you can hardly dignify the miserable ground lark, the wailing weka, or … Continue reading →
“The degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons” – Fyodor Dostoevsky One of the challenges faced by any new colony is what to do with the non-conformists, renegades, and criminals. The ideal, of course, … Continue reading →
A blog post written by Thérèse Angelo, Director of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand. This is the third guest post in the NZ Museums blog series marking the first anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake. This blog post was downloaded on 4 February 2015.
A PDF copy of a presentation about a Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing Campaign in Canterbury. The presentation was created by Healthy Christchurch and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, and outlines the stages of the creation of the All Right? social marketing campaign.
It seems almost expected now that many of us will go on semi-frequent overseas jaunts and visit the spectacular local scenery that New Zealand has to offer. However, most of us probably don’t often think about when these destinations became … Continue reading →
A document outlining Rosemary Du Plessis's background and work as the Research Coordinator for the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) project, Women's Voices: Recording women's stories of the Canterbury earthquakes. Du Plessis was the recipient of the May Fran Myers Award for 2014.
A blog post from Moya Sherriff about her seventh month as Intern for the Canterbury Cultural Collections Recovery Centre (CCCRC). In this post Sherriff introduces new groups to the Recovery Centre and considers best practice for cataloguing collections. This blog post was downloaded on 18 November 2014.
A PDF copy of two designs for banners that were used at a New Zealand Red Cross event. One banner has the All Right? logo, while the other reads, "It's all right if you're feeling over it, stoked, lucky, on edge, or over-whelmed today".
An article from the Media Studies Journal of Aotearoa New Zealand Volume 14, Number 1. The article is titled, "Against the Odds: community access radio broadcasting during the Canterbury earthquakes, some reflections on Plains FM 96.9". It was written by Brian Pauling and Nicki Reece.
Hello everyone! Belated happy new year and welcome back. We’ve decided to begin the year by talking about problems (just to start on a positive note). Well, sort of. We’re participating in an international round-up of blog posts this month … Continue reading →
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware that Aotearoa New Zealand is facing a cost-of-living crisis. That weekly visit to the supermarket seems to be getting more expensive each time. Throughout history people have sought ways of … Continue reading →
A press release from the US House of Representatives Congressional Delegation containing a message from Donald Manzullo, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, about the 22 February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. Mr Manzullo was attending the US-NZ Partnership Forum in Christchurch house before the earthquake hit.
Here in New Zealand, we like to think ourselves as a nation of outdoor enthusiasts, always off tramping, kayaking, mountain biking, etc. But it wasn’t always thus. Our love affair with the outdoors began in the mid-late 19th century and was … Continue reading →
A PDF copy of nine postcards created in collaboration with New Zealand Red Cross. The front of each postcard is an image beginning with the phrase, "It's All Right..." On the reverse is list of six wellbeing tips by Dr Rob Gordon and the contact details for the Canterbury Support Line.
A PDF copy of eight postcards created in collaboration with New Zealand Red Cross. The front of each postcard is an image beginning with the phrase, "It's All Right...". On the reverse is list of six wellbeing tips by Dr Rob Gordon and the contact details for the Canterbury Support Line.
A PDF copy of a poster encouraging people to try something new, one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. The poster depicts two 'All Righties' harvesting a pumpkin and carrots and reads, "What good things are you growing? Wonderful things happen when we put in a little bit of time".
A PDF copy of three images from phase 3 of the All Right? campaign. Each image features a Christchurch resident's response to the question, "What makes us feel all right?" For instance, the first image reads, "What makes us feel all right? Cycling on new tarseal, thanks road workers. Brenda, Woolston".
A PDF copy of nine postcards created in collaboration with New Zealand Red Cross. The front of each postcard is an image beginning with the phrase, "It's All Right...". On the reverse is list of six wellbeing tips by Dr Rob Gordon and the contact details for the Canterbury Support Line.
A document with a photograph and details of the Research Committee of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) project, Women's Voices: Recording women's stories of the Canterbury earthquakes. The Research Committee consisted of Liz Gordon, Rosemary Du Plessis, Judith Sutherland, Helen Gibson, Maureen Fordham, and Cheryl Anderson.
A PDF copy of eight postcards created in collaboration with New Zealand Red Cross. The front of each postcard is an image beginning with the phrase, "It's All Right...". On the reverse is list of six wellbeing tips by Dr Rob Gordon and the contact details for the Canterbury Support Line.