Christchurch City Libraries has held a Photo Hunt in October since 2008. It aims to gather photographs, digital and physical, from across the community and to encourage people to share their photographs and stories of Canterbury.
This year’s theme was Active Heritage - Sport, Recreation and Leisure, which aligned with the Christchurch Heritage Festival. In total, we had 543 entries submitted and these are available to view on the Discovery Wall. The images can also be found on the Discovery Wall in Tūranga as well as on the Mobile Discovery Wall.
Digital Content team leader, Sarah Snelling, Community Stories Liaison, Simon Daisley, and Exhibitions curator, Poppy Wallace-Bell selected the winning images. They decided on an overall winner along with winners and highly commended for the categories of People and Places. They also selected highly commended collections.
The prizes are:
- $100 Riverside Market vouchers for the overall winner
- $50 Riverside Market vouchers for the People category winner
- $50 Riverside Market vouchers for the Places category winner
Overall winner: Tandem paraglide at Taylor's Mistake
Judges’ comments: There is an interesting contrast in the left half of the photograph being broken up by the coloured cords suspending them beneath the fabric wing. The viewer’s gaze is also drawn to the waves crashing on the rocks below. Both the pilot and the passenger who contributed the photo seem extremely happy and are enjoying themselves as they glide above Taylor’s Mistake. This image also contributes to filling a gap in the collection as there are not many images of paragliding, and none representing the action like this!
Winner for People: Telegraph Basketball team
Judges’ comments: This photograph captures a happy moment between work colleagues who are members of a basketball (netball) team. The contributor is included in the photograph and she identified all of her team mates by name which is wonderful. It shows the strong contrast between the uniforms they are wearing in the 1960s and the uniforms worn by players today. Since the netball courts at Hagley Park are still in use, there is a connection between the past and the present.
Winner for Places: Crowds watching dragon boat races
Judges’ comments: There is so much to see in this photograph of an exciting event held in Lyttelton. A girl is running along the wharf, people have brought their own chairs and are eating food probably brought from home, while people are standing on the deck of the ship in the distance also watching the events and of course the dragon boats. All of this represents a fun and entertaining day out. There is also interesting symmetry with the angle of the jetty, and the coloured stripes of the marquees set against the red backdrop of the ship and the hills.
Highly commended: People
Group of women from the Canterbury School of Arts
Judges’ comments: This is a very formal photograph of women, some of whom became well known artists. There is an interesting contrast in that some of the women are wearing smocks while others aren’t. There is also the contrast between the teacher’s Victorian era clothing and the students’ Edwardian garments.
Girl holding her tooth
Judges’ comments: This is a very happy photograph. The granddaughter is proudly holding her tooth. You get the sense that it is early in the morning as she is still wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown. This captures a happy moment shared between a grandparent and a grandchild.
Bridesmaids, Janet and Celia
Judges’ comments: While most wedding photographs are formal, particularly from this era of the 1950s, this photograph captures a casual moment between the bridesmaids. There is the intimacy of the older bridesmaid helping the younger one with her dress. The white dresses seen against the green grass also provides an interesting contrast.
Highly commended: Places
Weka Pass Railway
Judges’ comments: There is an element of danger to this photograph. A large steam engine looks as if it is bursting through the clouds of steam. Meanwhile, a small child is standing extremely close. There is a sense of contrast in that the child is standing on the soft green grass, representing safety, while the blackened gravel represents danger.
People standing on rocks at the beach
Judges’ comments: A great photograph capturing the surfing culture of 1960s Canterbury. We are given an insight into the transportation methods used by surfers and the vehicles used at the time. The earthen walls of the beach are reflected in the cliffs of Motunau Island.
Shop on the corner of Phillips and St Asaph Street
Judges’ comments: There is an interesting backstory to this photograph. The contributor purchased the building in 2001 without knowing that his great grandfather had also owned the building. The building is still there.
Highly commended: Collections
Lady Wigram Race Day 1963
Judges’ comments: This is an interesting collection from 1963 which captures a prominent annual event that produced large crowds of spectators. It is a record of not only the types of vehicles used for racing during this particular day and era but also the garments worn particularly by the motorcycle riders.
Staff Pick - Winner: Road blocked by fallen rocks
Christchurch Photo Hunt isn't just for the public. Each year we encourage staff across Christchurch City Libraries and the wider Christchurch City Council to enter their photographs. This year we received over 300 staff entries. Staff selected this photograph as the winning staff entry for 2024. This staff member inherited this image and number of others taken by her aunt who passed away earlier in the year so in a way this image, and the others donated from this collection act as a memorial of sorts.
Photo Hunt 2024 Postcards
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