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The streets are quiet – a parked car sits outside Dalgety’s, a lone tram rumbles towards the tram sheds and a tired delivery horse stands with his head bowed, eating chaff from his feed…

Cinnamon Cures and Cosmetic Concoctions

Articles, Lost Christchurch

William Potter Townend owned Townend’s Chemist and Druggist Store in the Crystal Palace Building on Colombo Street, at the corner with what was Chester Street and across the road from the Oxf…

Cambridge Terrace, Worcester Street and the Avon River 1910

Articles, Lost Christchurch

Here we look upon one of Christchurch’s beautiful public gardens which spans Durham Street and the River Avon. This photograph shows how carefully the city authorities went about landscaping …

Cafe Continental, Sumner’s Fabulous Edwardian Cafe 1906 – 1909

Articles, Lost Christchurch

Sadly, Sumner’s sumptious famous Edwardian Cafe Continental only stood on the Esplanade opposite Cave Rock in Sumner for three years. Built in 1906, by Mr Martin Ridley of Christhchurch firm,…

Dead Bodies Stored in Hotel Cellars

Articles, Lost Christchurch

Before Christchurch had a morgue, the gruesome task of storing a dead body was left to Christchurch’s public hotels. On practical terms, they had the space to hold a coroner’s inquest a…

Steam and Speed, Christchurch’s Railway Station in 1878

Articles, Lost Christchurch

Tiny British-made locomotive engines first began chugging between Ferrymead’s Wharf on the estuary and the city on December 1st, 1863. This was New Zealand’s first public railway line, …

Christchurch’s First Town Hall, High Street

Articles, Lost Christchurch

During the year 1857, developments moved closer towards making colonial Christchurch a working city. The Bridle Path opening in March, provided emigrants direct access to and from Lyttelton, on a s…

Strange & Co. Building, corner of Lichfield and High Streets.

Articles, Lost Christchurch

The magnificent, four storey Strange’s & Co Furniture Department Building was built in 1900 on the corner of Lichfield and High Streets, replacing a row of old dilapidated weatherboard sh…

A Lady’s Impressions of Christchurch, 1909

Articles, Lost Christchurch

“Of all the beautiful places in New Zealand – Christchurch is one of the prettiest. As the metropolis of the Canterbury province, the city has been built in the old Elizabethan style, …

Iconic Ice-cream Charlie, Cathedral Square

Articles, Lost Christchurch

‘Ice Cream Charlie’ operated a well-known ice cream cart in Cathedral Square for much of the first half of the twentieth century. He was reknowned for his friendly nature and delicious …

Telephone Girls, The Telegraph and Post Office, Cathedral Square

Articles, Lost Christchurch

Written by Helen Solomons In 1879, my great grandfather, Mortimer Cashman Corliss, was promoted to head telegraphist in Christchurch’s newly built Post and Telegraph Office in Cathedral Squar…

Sumner Tram Excursion

Articles, Lost Christchurch

On this summer’s day in 1906, the ten o’clock morning tram to Sumner is about to depart from outside the Royal Exchange in Cathedral Square. An excursion to Sumner was a popular outing …

Down Town from High Street

Articles, Lost Christchurch

The pace of town appears leisurely as pedestrians meander across High Street, while several trams slowly move past them c. 1929. There are a large number of men on they bicycles – perhaps th…

USAID Responds to New Zealand Earthquake

A press release from the Office of the Press Secretary in the US White House announcing the deployment of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The response team included the Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team who assisted with the search and rescue efforts.