Christchurch Photo Hunt

Christchurch Photo Hunt

Each year Christchurch City Libraries runs the Photo Hunt to gather photographs from across the community, along with the unique stories of their creators.

Photo Hunt 2022's theme was Our Stories – Milestones and Moments
It ran from Saturday 1 October to Monday 31 October
Share your photographs and highlight the key moments in our city's history.

Here in Ōtautahi-Christchurch and Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū-Banks Peninsula we have many stories, from Ngāi Tahu and other iwi, European settlers, Pasifika and people of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds who have made this place home.

Prizes

The 2022 prizes were:

Photo Hunt Postcards

Pick up a postcard at the library. Collect the set.

My 21st birthday. 11 June 1963. Entry by Kareen Gibson in the 2020 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CCL-PH20-DW-126631
My 21st birthday. 11 June 1963. Entry by Kareen Gibson in the 2020 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CCL-PH20-DW-126631

Wedding of Madge and Jim Sheddan at St Patrick’s Church. 11 February 1914. Entry by Graham McKee in the 2021 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt CCL-DW-139061
Wedding of Madge and Jim Sheddan at St Patrick’s Church. 11 February 1914. Entry by Graham McKee in the 2021 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CCL-DW-139061

Royal visit to Christchurch. January 1954. Entry by Barbara Newcombe in the 2019 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CCL-PH19-0303
Royal visit to Christchurch. January 1954. Entry by Barbara Newcombe in the 2019 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. CCL-PH19-0303

Elephants on Rolleston Avenue. 30 January 1970. Entry by Alan Tunnicliffe in the 2020 Photo Hunt. CCL-PH20-211
Elephants on Rolleston Avenue. 30 January 1970. Entry by Alan Tunnicliffe in the 2020 Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. CCL-PH20-211

Firefighter hosing Para Rubber fire. 20 December 1966. Entry by Barbara Newcombe in the 2021 Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CCL-PH21-204
Firefighter hosing Para Rubber fire. 20 December 1966. Entry by Barbara Newcombe in the 2021 Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CCL-PH21-204

Photo Hunt 2021 – People and Place: our stories revealed

Views of Christchurch as you've never seen it - congratulations to the winners and highly commended entries in this year's Photo Hunt.

Pictures worth a thousand words

Tail of British European Airways Vickers Viscount 701. October 1953. Entry by Barbara Newcombe in the 2020 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. CCL-PH20-245

The winning photograph from the 2020 Photo Hunt was taken by Barbara Newcombe’s father Peter Basire in October, 1953. It shows a British European Airways Vickers Viscount 701 near the hangar at Christchurch Airport - surrounded by admirers.

Another notable find last year came from Ron Cone, who brought in a box of old photos he had taken of everyday life and work around Christchurch.

Some of Mr Cone’s photos show crowds gathered outside the State Theatre, an aerial shot of Papanui High School in the 1960s and the intersection of High Street and Cashel Street in 1967. They’ve now become an important part of the libraries’ digital collection.  “Thanks to Mr Cone we now have precious photos of how Christchurch was, and some really interesting colour photos from the 1950s and '60s,” Ms Robertson says.

Mr Cone’s collection of over 80 images are available to view online at Canterbury Stories.

Read more on Newsline.

Family snaps slide into Canterbury history

Family slideshow evenings held in a darkened lounge are a fond, nostalgic memory for Christchurch woman Isabel Tweedy.

Her late father Ian Tweedy was a hobby photographer who took thousands of slide photographs in his lifetime, recording family holidays, picnics and tramping trips.

Some of his images from the 1950s, 60s and 70s have been added to Christchurch City Libraries’ archives and after Ms Tweedy sorted through her dad’s collection and realised some would have a wider interest and historic significance. A selection can be seen on the Discovery Wall at Tūranga.

She has sent 28 slides to the libraries’ Photo Hunt

Read more on Newsline.

Christchurch Photo Hunt - Behind the Scenes

What is the Christchurch City Library's Photo Hunt? How can you contribute to helping us tell a diverse and inclusive story of Christchurch? In this video, Beaulah takes you behind the scenes to meet Sarah Tester and Sarah Snelling, from our Digital Content and Serials Team, who work to capture the stories of Christchurch for our Digital Heritage Collection.

Previous Photo Hunts

Christchurch City Libraries has run a Photo Hunt since 2008. People have shared their photographic memories to help us build our collection and make sure their story is told.

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