About 70 years ago, on 18 November 1947, should you have been wandering down Cashel Street towards Colombo shortly before four in the afternoon, you would have seen a strange sight: Ballantynes co-owner, Kenneth Ballantyne, climbing down the parapet of his storefront. Flames all around him, he is the last to escape the Ballantynes' fire with his life.
41 other people were not so lucky.
This Saturday will mark the 70th anniversary of the Ballantynes' fire. If you would like to learn more about the tragic sequence of events that unfolded in 1947, Christchurch City Libraries has a digital heritage resource containing transcripts and images, among other resources, to help you paint a picture.
Photos are our glimpses of the past, and you can browse spectacular photographs taken of the Ballantynes' fire through the following sources:
More resources about the Ballantynes' Fire
- Our page on the disaster
- If you are studying the Ballantynes' fire at school, Many Answers has information and resources written for school kids
- Find books about the Ballantynes' Fire in our collection
- Ballantynes' Fire digitised resources
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